Why Your Flat Iron Curls Never Hold: the Simple Wrist Mistake Ruining Your Style
By James H. Sterling
Curling hair with heat only does half the job. Hair reshapes when hot, but it memorizes that shape when it cools down.
Raking fingers through freshly styled strands ruins the set. When warm curls hang freely, gravity pulls them down before the hydrogen bonds fully stabilize. The weight stretches out the wave, dropping the curl pattern before you even leave your house.
Pin hot curls directly to your scalp using duckbill clips to lock in maximum bounce. Leave them up until the hair is completely cool to the touch, generally 10 to 15 minutes. If you run short on time, let each curl fall into your open hand, cup it for five seconds until the ambient heat dissipates, and mist it with a flexible hairspray before letting go. Only brush through with a wide-tooth comb once the hair feels cool throughout.
James Sterling reports on renewable energy developments, climate policy, ecological conservation, and green tech innovations around the globe.
