It can be incredibly difficult to get great looking curls if you have fine hair. Fine hair is much more delicate compared to thicker hair and it can be difficult to curl without damaging it. That is why it is important to find the best curling iron for fine hair instead of using curling irons that are meant for thick hair. Our complete review will help you find the best curling iron for your needs.
When it comes to having wispy hair it can be a daunting task to even think about curling your hair because you know how dangerous high heat can be for your hair type. If you didn’t know, fine-grain hair is much easier to curl compared to thick hair but the hair molecules are much more sensitive which makes it more prone to heat damage. It may only take a few minutes to curl fine hair, but if you use the wrong curling iron you can seriously damage your hair. This makes it incredibly important to use the best possible curling iron as well as to not overexpose your hair to unnecessary heat.
By utilizing a curling iron that is designed for light textured hair, you will be able to curl your hair without the fear of damaging it. Fine hair curling irons come with a large range of temperatures options compared to traditional which typically only have hot or cold. The added temperature selections, as well as other design features will help provide your fine hair with the sensitive approach that is desperately needs. Our complete review of curling irons for fine hair will help you understand what features are important when purchasing a curling iron for fine hair.
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Recommended Curling Irons If You Have Fine Hair
We understand how difficult it can be to find the best curling iron to use if you have wispy hair, so we decided to create a complete review of as many curling irons as possible. We tested curling irons as well as held mass surveys to find the most reliable sources for our buying guide.
1. The Beachwaver Pro Curling Iron
The Beachwaver pro curling iron is one of the most recommended and popular curling irons from our surveys. It is used by people with fine hair all around the world and they absolutely love it. The main feature we love is the wide selection of temperature options. With the option of curling your hair from 290°F to up to 410°F you can find the best temperature for your hair. Most curling irons have limited heat selection options which makes it difficult to find the best temperature to curl your hair without burning it.
The Beachwaver Pro Curling iron also comes with other fine hair features such as its ceramic barrel that specifically designed to evenly distribute the heat throughout your hair. This protects your hair from overexposure to heat as well as provides it with even curls. We believe this is one of the best options when it comes to curling irons designed for fine hair.
Pros of The Beachwaver Pro Curling Iron
- Widest variety of heat selections of nearly any curling iron on the market.
- A dual action ceramic iron that was designed for light textured hair.
- Built with high quality materials and a long warranty.
Cons of The Beachwaver Pro Curling Iron
- It is one of the more expensive curling irons on our list, but it is the highest quality
2. Bed Head Curlipops Curling Wand For Fine Hair
Often times styling wands get overlooked when talking about curling irons, but the Bed Head Curlipops Curling Wand is impossible to overlook. Designed specifically for wispy hair, it provides you with multiple heating options to make sure you get the curls you love without overexposing your hair to unnecessary heat. The wand is designed with a double edge ceramic barrel to provide you with an even heat without hot spots.
Along with the curling wand, you get a free heat resistant styling glove so you never have to worry about burning your hand. With the free two year warranty that comes with the Bed Head Curlipops Curling Wand you can be rest assured that you purchase with be able to provide you with the curls you love for years to come. We have loved the results from this curling wand and it does a great job of competing against even the best curling irons when you use it with fine hair.
Pros of The Bed Head Curlipops Curling Wand
- A wand can provide a more gentle approach to curling hair.
- A well known brand that is known for great quality.
Cons of The Bed Head Curlipops Curling Wand
- Some people prefer a curling iron compared to a curling wand.
3. The BaBylissPro MiraCurl Professional Curl Machine
BaBylissPro is known around the world for being a reliable manufacturer of hair products and curling irons specifically. This was actually one of the first curling irons we tested while we were doing our research before this article. We knew that any curling iron designed by BaBylissPro had to be a great option, and we were right! It comes designed with a nano titanium hair curling chamber that is designed to curl any type of hair without burning it. One of the features that helps with this is the built in curling timer. Now you won’t have to guess how long to curl your hair because your curling iron will tell you.
BaBylissPro boasts about the attention to detail they provided when designing the safety features for this curling iron. Most curling irons don’t really come with any sort of safety features but the MiraCurl Professional Curl Machine comes with their Smart Tech® technology to protect the user from heat and burns. With a 4 year warranty with every purchase, you know for a fact that you are protected and that you will be able to use this curling iron for years to come.Pros of The BaBylissPro MiraCurl Professional Curl Machine
- Built with nanotechnology to provide a safe curling iron.
- Comes standard with the Smart Tech® technology for added safety.
Cons of The BaBylissPro MiraCurl Professional Curl Machine
- Because of the added safety measures it is more expensive compared to other models.
4. The Remington Pro Curling Wand
We heard from hundreds of women around the United States who absolutely love the Remington Curling Wand because of how quick and easy it is to use. They love having their hair curled every morning but with a traditional curling iron it would take too long. But with the Remington Pro Curling Wand you are able to get started in just a few seconds and quickly and easily curl your hair. It is ultra sensitive so it a great curling iron for fine hair as well as thick hair.
Designed with a unique barrel style that is a combination of silk and ceramic, this curling wand is gentle for fine hair. It provides an incredibly even heat exposure that is gentle for all hair types. With a 4 year warranty and great customer reviews we know you will be absolutely delighted to use the Remington Pro Curling Wand.
Pros of The Remington Pro Curling Wand
- The ceramic barrel is infused with silk to provide a sensitive curling experience.
- Can be used effectively for anyone with fine-grain hair or thick hair.
Cons of The Remington Pro Curling Wand
- A wand can be difficult to get used to if you typically use a curling iron.
How Do I Know If I Have Fine Hair?
Before you can understand why fine hair gets damaged by curling irons, you must first understand what fine-grain hair is. When it comes to fine hair there are two characteristics that are measured, how dense your hair is and how thick each individual hair is. Your hair density is measured by how close each hair strand is to the other hair strand. The denser you hair is then the closer the roots of each hair are to each other. The thickness of each individual hair is measured by taking the diameter of a strand of hair. As you can probably guess, fine hair is less dense as well as has a smaller diameter of hair compared to thicker heads of hair.
There are many tests that can be done to tell how fine your hair is compared to other people, but most people won’t end up going to a doctor just to get this test done. We typically recommend that you do an at-home hair test to understand if your hair if fine or if it is thick.
You must first pluck a single strand of hair from your head. Be careful only to take one strand and not a bundle of hair. Then you can pinch the strand of hair between your thumb and index finger and try to roll it. If it is difficult to feel the hair at all, then you most likely have fine hair.
If you do the test and you can feel a small sensation or it is easy to feel, then you most likely have medium or thick hair. Wispy hair is typically comparable to standard sewing thread in thickness. This can give you a better idea of if you have fine-grain hair or thick hair by comparing its diameter to sewing thread you have laying around the house.
Why Does Fine Hair Get Damaged By Curling Irons?
If you did the at-home test or if you get a scientific test done and you know that you have fine hair, you can know begin to learn why fine hair gets damaged when you curl it. It is typically thought that fine hair gets damaged by heat for two different reasons.
The first reason wispy hair gets damaged by heat is because the hair follicle isn’t very wide in diameter compared to thick hair, all of the heat will be more focused on one part of the hair. The heat will build up more quickly compared to thicker hair which means your hair will lose the built up moisture more quickly. This will lead to burnt and damaged hair.
The second reason wispy hair is more easily damaged by curling irons goes down to the scientific makeup of the hair itself. Thick hair typically has three layers while fine-grain hair traditionally only has two layers. This means that fine hair is lacking an extra protective layer. If you have fine hair you have to be more careful when curling or blow drying your hair in order to protect it from the heat.
How To Pick The Right Curling Iron For Fine Hair
After reading through the previous few paragraphs you should have an understanding of why fine hair gets damaged by heat, as well as if you have fine-grain hair to begin with. In this next section we will go through all the details you need to understand when looking for a curling iron for light textured hair. The following buyers guide will give you an idea of what features will benefit you hair the most, as well as what features to watch out for when buying a curling iron.
5 Features To Look For When Buying A Curling Iron For Fine Hair
1. Heat Adjustment Settings
Most traditional curling irons only come with one heat setting and one cool setting which makes it difficult to use if you have wispy hair. The standard heat setting is typically much too hot to use if you have fine hair because it will easily damage your hair.
When you have fine-grain hair and you are looking for a curling iron, it is important to look for a curling iron that has multiple heat settings. We always recommend you look for a curling iron that has a low heat option, a medium heat option, as well as a high heat option. This will give you the best chance of protecting your fine hair as possible. There are even curling irons on the market that have precise heat settings so you can pick a temperature between 200ºF and 375ºF. This makes it a great tool for anyone with this type of hair as they can start at the lowest heat setting and then slowly work their way to higher heat settings if their hair handles it well.
2. Curling Iron Barrel Material
When it comes to curling irons, there are a variety of different materials that the barrel can be made out of. Unfortunately, many of the cheaper curling irons use materials that don’t provide a good heat exposure to your hair. These curling irons typically will have hotspots that are far hotter than the rest of the barrel which makes it incredibly dangerous to use. We always recommend that you use ceramic coated curling iron barrels or a titanium curling iron barrel as these will provide the best overall heat exposure. You won’t have to worry about exposing your wispy hair to heat spots. The ceramic or titanium barrels will evenly distribute the heat across the entirety of the barrel compared to just certain hotspots.
3. Added Crystal Infusions Into The Curling Iron
You may have seen advertisements for curling irons that have added tourmaline crystal infusions to the ceramic barrels of their curling iron. This can be hard to understand but it is actually a great feature for your curling iron if you have fine hair. This type of hair typically will lose natural moisture as you expose it to heat from curling irons or hair dryers. This will create flyaway hairs as the individual hairs don’t have enough moisture to stick with the other strands of hair. This can be incredibly frustrating for many people, but the crystal infusion added to the curling irons will help with this. The tourmaline crystal infusion that was added to the ceramic barrel will help create a negative ion that helps keep flyaway hairs at bay. This will make it easier to control your hair, help your hair look better, and help your fine-grain hair stay healthier.
4. Curling Irons With Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology may sound like something out of a SciFi comic book, but there are curling irons on the market with nanotechnology infused into the barrel of the curling iron. This has a similar impact as the tourmaline crystal infusion but works even better. Experts claim that nanotechnology can help hair retain more than 50% moisture compared to traditional curling irons. This can provide a great benefit for anyone who has fine hair as it will help them retain the natural moisture in their hair instead of losing it from curling.
5. Look For Curling Irons With Warranties
This goes for nearly any product you are looking to buy, warranties can help you when things turn bad. All of the curling irons we have reviewed are incredibly durable and feel well put together. But just like any product, it is possible that it will stop working after some time of use. This is why we always recommend looking for curling irons that have lengthy warranties. Companies such as Remington and BaBylissPro will happily offer 2 or 4 year warranties with their products. This will make sure that your light textured hair is curled for years and years.
Tips To Make Fine Hair Look Thicker When Curled
1. Curling Hair Starts With Preparation
After interviewing and surveying hair professionals for this article we found out about the importance of prepping your hair before curling it. The prepping process becomes even more important if you have fine-grain hair. Most professionals will recommend that you begin the prepping process the night before you plan on curling fine-grain hair. They recommend that you use a generous amount of dry shampoo before going to bed and let the shampoo create excess moisture in your hair as you sleep. This will provide your hair with more volume as well as add moisture to protect it from the heat. This can help keep your hair safe and keep it healthy when using a curling iron or a blow dryer.
2. Think About Getting Your Hairstyle
Typically the longer your hair is, the more weight it had to it as a whole. Weight can be good for some looks, but typically weight will cause curls to not last as long. If you have long hair and you believe that the weight of your hair is pulling out the curls, we would recommend getting a small amount of weight removed from your hair. This should help your curls last longer as well as speed up the entire hair curling process.
3. Evenly Spread Curls Across Your Head
When you have fine hair it is important to curling your hair starting at the crown of your head instead of starting from the fringes. Many people will begin curling their hair at the longest point which doesn’t help the curls stay and makes the hair look thinner than it already is. We recommend you curl your hair starting closer to the scalp and the move downwards from there. This will help your fine hair look thicker than it is, and will help the curls stay in place for longer.
4. Try Brushing Out The Curls
When working with thin hair, many professionals will create curling that are tighter than normal and then will utilize a brush to slowly extend the length of the curls. This may seem counterintuitive but the brush will make the tight curls extend into a regular length curl but will add much needed volume. If you have a tough time with curling irons because of your fine-grain hair this is a good option that will give you volume filled curls.
How To Make Fine Hair Hold Curls For Longer
1. Ask Your Hairstylist For Recommendations
As previously mentioned, it can be difficult for people with fine hair to maintain curls as the weight of longer hair will pull out the curls. This is why it can be important to ask your hairstylist what hairstyle they think would be the best option when it comes to maintaining curls with fine hair.
By getting the correct haircut, your hair will not only look thicker than it already is, but it will also help your curls last longer. The hairstyle you decide on will make a great impact on how easy it is to curl your hair.
2. Utilize The Correct Heat Setting
If you are using a curling iron with fine-grain hair you have to be careful when deciding on what heat setting you use. Fine-grain hair is easier to damage with heat compared to thicker hair so it is important to pick a heat setting that works correctly for your hair. You have to use enough heat to actually curl your hair, but must avoid using too much heat as this will begin to damage your hair. We strongly recommend using a curling iron that has multiple heating settings. It can also be beneficial to utilize the cool setting on your curling iron as soon as you are finished with the heat setting.
3. Pick The Correct Curling Iron Barrel Size
Depending on the size of curls you are hoping for, it is important to use the proper barrel size. If you are hoping to have larger curls then you must utilize a larger iron barrel. And if you are hoping to have smaller curls then it is important to use a smaller barrel. The proper barrel size with the proper amount of heat will provide you with the best possible results. It is important to use curling iron that was designed to be gentle if you want to have great results.
Final Thoughts For Curling Iron Use On Fine Hair
Many people struggle with using a curling iron if they have fine hair. Many people who don’t have fine hair believe it would be easier to curl thin hair than thick hair because there isn’t as much hair to work with, but it is actually more difficult with fine-grain hair. If you want to curl fine hair you will need to understand what light textured hair is and you will need a good curling iron to use. If you are looking for the great results it is important to look for a curling iron that is built with the best possible materials and offer a variety of different heat settings.
The hair curling irons that we reviewed at the beginning of this article will provide you with a great hair curling capability. They will provide you with a great curl, but will also make sure that you hair isn’t damaged in the process of curling them. If you have any questions about curling irons for fine-grain hair, then we highly recommend you leave a comment below. You can read more related articles on our Blog.
