Section size, direction, timer settings and the cool-down step that makes automatic curls last past lunch.

Automatic curling irons promise curls with no wrist technique: clip in a section, press a button, the barrel pulls the hair in, holds it, and releases a curl. They deliver on that promise, but only if you feed them the right way. Here's how to use one, what goes wrong, and how to make the curls last past lunch.

Before you start

• Dry hair only. Fully dry. Damp hair steams, won't hold a curl, and can get stuck in the chamber.
• Brush it out. Tangles are the number one cause of hair catching in an automatic curler. Brush each section before it goes in.
• Heat protectant. A light spray, then wait a minute so it isn't wet when it meets the barrel.
• Pick a temperature. Fine or color-treated hair: the lowest setting. Normal hair: middle. Thick or coarse: the top setting, and only if the lower ones didn't hold.

Step by step

1. Section small. About one inch wide, the width of two fingers. This is the single most important rule. Big sections jam the chamber and come out as waves, not curls.
2. Start at the mid-length. Place the section into the open side of the barrel a few inches from the root, hair straight and smooth, not twisted.
3. Press and hold. The barrel rotates and draws the hair in. Keep the tool steady and let it do the pulling. Don't tug.
4. Wait for the timer. Most automatic curlers beep after 8 to 18 seconds. Shorter time, looser curl. Longer time, tighter and longer-lasting.
5. Release straight down. Let go of the button and slide the tool downward, out of the curl. Don't pull sideways.
6. Don't touch it yet. Let each curl cool for a few seconds before you move on. Warm curls stretch out; cool curls set.

Direction matters

Alternate the rotation direction section by section: one curl toward your face, the next away. Curls that all spin the same way clump together into one big ringlet by the afternoon. Most automatic curlers have a left/right switch for exactly this. Around the face, always curl away from it.

Making them last

• Use the longer timer setting for the sections that fall flat first, usually the front and the top layer.
• Let everything cool completely, then rake through with your fingers, not a brush.
• A light hairspray from arm's length. Heavy spray makes curls stiff and crunchy.
• Sleep in a satin bonnet or on a satin pillowcase. Day-two curls are mostly about friction.

If hair gets stuck

Turn the tool off, press the reverse or release button, and gently unwind. Never yank. It almost always means the section was too big or had a tangle.

Cordless makes a difference here

An automatic curler takes two hands and a lot of angles. A cord fights you. The MELLINA Rotate is a cordless automatic curling iron with an LCD temperature display, an 8 to 18 second timer and a ceramic-coated barrel, so you can curl in front of any mirror in the house, or in a hotel, without hunting for an outlet. Charge it over USB the night before and it's ready in the morning.

Tags

automatic curler curling how-to

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