How To Curl Hair Extensions: A Complete Guide

Not fully knowing how to curl extensions can sometimes be a real pain – how do these celebrities and Internet stars make it look so easy? As a first time extension wearer, you may even be wondering ‘Can you curl hair extensions?’ to begin with. Well the answer is yes, you can, so don’t worry, once you understand the mechanics of it, you’ll be able to get those bouncy, glossy curls just as seen on TV, as long as you opt for human hair extensions, as synthetic extensions will not help you achieve the same result! We’ll be guiding you through everything you need to know for how to curl hair extensions, and all of the latest hair hacks and Cliphair haircare products designed to keep your curls in tip top shape.

Ready to achieve stunning curls, but want more ‘oomph’ for your locks? Shop our high-quality curly hair extensions and read our extensive extension care guide now to transform your look!

Can Anyone Curl Their Hair?

Given that you have enough length to achieve the type of curl you’re looking for, the answer is: yes. Some hair types may need some extra care when wrapping around the curling wand and some others may need to go under other styling processes before - but there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be curling your hair every now and then if you’d like to try! If you think you may need to add some extra volume and length, you can always resort to hair extensions. But don't worry: curling hair with extensions is just as easy - let's see how!

Can Curling Your Hair Damage It?

Unfortunately, if your hair is not naturally curly and you often resort to heat-based styling techniques, curling your hair can do quite the damage to your locks. Always make sure you apply some heat protectant spray on your strands when working with high-temperature styling tools, such as flat irons and curling wands. Curling hair with extensions also means that you have to take extra care of those strands that don't receive nutrition from your scalp as your natural hair do. Make sure your hydration game is on point with the aid of deep conditioning hair masks!

Can You Curl Short Hair?

Yes, absolutely. Depending on how short your hair is, you can use different techniques. Keep in mind that using a curling iron or wand on very short hair (such as pixie cuts) is not recommended, but you can play with the frontal length of a bixie cut, and create soft waves and curls on other lengths such as the bob haircut, the lob and so on.

Can You Curl Hair Extensions?

Yes, you can. Curling your hair with extensions works the same way as curling your natural hair. You can style your attached hair with a curling iron, a hair straightener, a waver and more.

Should I Buy Curly Hair Extensions?

Buying pre-curled hair extensions is a good decision only if the hair extensions’ texture exactly matches your type of curl - or if you’re planning on adding just a few pre-styled strands to an intricate hairstyle, as it often happens in more sophisticated looks such as wedding hairdos. To identify if curly hair extensions match your hair type, get in touch with our experts!

How To Curl Hair Extensions

If you’re familiar with styling your hair, curling hair extensions is just as simple. If you’re wearing clip-in hair extensions, always remember that it’s easier to style them when you’re actually wearing them. Always be gentle when handling your hair, whether it’s your natural tresses or attached human hair strands. Usually, the process is pretty simple: let's see it together.

1. Start With Dry Hair

It is imperative that whenever you use any heated styling tools such as flat irons, curling irons, and curling wands, you do it on dry strands. When your hair is wet, the cuticle is exposed and vulnerable - and high temperatures can irreparably damage it, making your tresses dry, brittle and prone to breakage.

2. Avoid Using Heat-based Styling Tools On Damaged Hair

This kind of goes without saying, but if your hair is already damaged you should avoid raging on them any further. If you'd like to try and curl your hair regardless, try heatless curling methods.

3. Keep Your Hot Tools-based Styling To The Minimum

As heat is a damaging factor for your mane, try to avoid daily washes and daily styling. Your hair will thank you! If you can't go for more than 24 hours without shampoo, make sure you use a gentle cleansing agent on your scalp and tresses. You could also look into sharpening your air-drying technique, to achieve perfect hair with minimum damage.

4. Pick The Right Tools

Behind every curly or wavy hairstyle, there's a specific tool. Make sure you do your research about your styling product and what they offer, for example: does this curling iron have the right barrel size for the curls you're looking for? And so on. Curling wands are more indicated for beach waves, as the curl starts larger close to the root and tapers down on your ends; 1-inch barrels on curling irons make tight curls, and so on.

5. Keep The Temperature Down

Some hair types handle heat better than others, but you don't want to find out if yours does in the ugliest possible way. Try to use low temperatures on your styling tools and see if your curls can hold on to their shape then you're good to go without deep-frying your tresses.

6. Heat Protectant Spray Is Your Best Friend

This product is so underrated it's scary. A heat protectant can act as a barrier between your hot tools and your hair; what's not to love? There are different types of heat protectant products you can use, depending on your current hair care routine and hair type. Some of them can be applied on wet hair, some others work best on dry strands. Make sure to read the instructions carefully, as some products offer protection only to a certain extent of degrees - so make sure your styling tool is in the same range!

7. Master Your Sectioning Skills

This is a useful technique to learn for literally any hairstyle you'd like to recreate, not only curly ones. The way you section your hair has a huge impact on your final look - so make sure you at least know the basics. 

8. Don't Curl Your Hair All The Same

The key to a more natural look sometimes is to curl your hair in different styles and directions. Try using different sizes for your sections, and switch it up by changing the direction in which you curl each strand of hair.

9. Too Hot To Handle

Learning how to properly handle a curling iron or wand is essential to its correct functioning. You want results? The machine itself is designed to provide them - but only when used the correct way. For a curling wand, remember to hold it close to your root, with the thinner end facing downwards.
Curling irons, on the other hand, are a little more flexible when it comes to positioning - holding it horizontally and close to your root will produce more volume, whilst using it vertically will create looser waves.

10. Let It Cool Down

Another important thing to learn when it comes to styling curls is that if you need to brush your hair after you're done, you have to wait until it's completely cooled down. Applying mechanical stress to strands that have already undergone potential heat damage is the worst thing you can do to your hair!

Once you’re satisfied with the result - finish with hairspray.

How To Hold Curls

If your hair is naturally silky and smooth it may be tricky to make it hold on the curls. Luckily, there’s quite a few options that you can try. The first step is, obviously, hairspray.

Setting your curls with hairspray will help them hold on to their bouncy shape for longer. Depending on the type of curls that you’re looking for, there may be different products that come in handy when it comes to styling, such as mousse or texturising sprays.

How Can You Curl Hair Without Heat?

Absolutely yes! There’s different ways to curl your hair without resorting to heat-based styling tools, and the most popular options are:

• Wearing braids overnight
• Using velcro rollers
• Using flexi rods

If you’d like to know more about heatless curling techniques, you can read our blog “Curls For Days: The Ultimate Velcro Rollers Guide”.

What Kind Of Curls Can I Do On Hair Extensions?

There are a lot of different hairstyles that you can achieve by curling your hair, and depending on your hair type and hairstyle you can try different ones to spice up your look as needed. To get the best out of your styling tools on hair extensions, always remember to keep the heat setting on low before you wrap your hair around a scorching flat iron or curling wand. Let’s have a look at the different types of curls you can get on your brand new hair extensions!

Beach Waves

Also known as mermaid waves, this beachy look is an instant makeover. It works best on longer tresses, hence the “mermaid” name. You can obtain them by using a waver - a specific tool to get loose waves on long hair. The concept is the same of a 90s hair crimper, just larger and rounder. You can follow this lovely tutorial by Pia Muehlenbeck to know the secret to hair that will make Ariel herself jealous!

Soft Curls

This type of curls is obtained by using the flat wrap technique on a 1” curling iron. The curl pattern is slightly looser and definitely curvier and more voluptuous than beach waves. It’s an elegant choice that can be applied to your whole head or just to your ends to add a touch of style to a sleek look. Soft curls can also be used on a clip-in ponytail hair extension, to achieve a gently tousled hairstyle - upgrading it to a peppier level.

Tousled Hair

Tousled hair works perfectly on short hair as much as on longer locks. Your best friend to achieve this hairstyle would be a sea salt water spray, to help get that beachy, summery look. You can also tie your hair up in braids overnight to get those waves in a heatless, healthy way, kind to your strands. Always remember: the tighter the braid, the tighter the wave.

Tight Curls

This look is definitely for those who, at some point, wished they had naturally curly hair. The corkscrew effect can make long, smooth hair look playful, peppy and flirty. It’s the perfect look for a night out and as long as you have enough length - you should absolutely give it a try! You can achieve tight curls with the help of flexi rods. Flexi rods are a “twist and roll” heatless styling accessory to help you get tight, silky curls overnight.

Hollywood Waves

Hollywood waves are, as the name might have already given away, a celebrity look that many are looking to recreate. Whether it’s for a wedding or an elegant soiree, this look will always be a showstopper. You will need the help of someone to do your hair in the back - but other than that, all you need is a flat iron and a hair shine spray for a silky, glamorous finish. Read our Hollywood Waves Tutorial or check out the video below.

Lazy Curls

This is not exactly a curly hairstyle, but it’s a great way to add some volume and texture to long, flat hair without committing to a full on hairstyle makeover. You can achieve this type of hairstyle with a curling iron on low temperature; then run your fingers through your tresses and voila!

Big Bouncy Curls

90s hairstyles are all the rage lately, and the big bouncy blowout is on top of the charts. Inspired by the 90s supermodel hair, this fluffy blow dry has already been seen on many nowadays celebrities and influencers. It looks flawlessly big and classy, but how do you achieve it? The answer is pretty simple: velcro rollers! Velcro rollers are a heatless styling accessory that you can either use a few hours before going out (or even less than that if you’d like to apply some heat to speed up the drying process) or even overnight. Jumbo velcro rollers will give your hair the necessary volume to rock this retro hairstyle.

Voluminous Curls

Want to know how to make your curls start from the root? The secret is all in how you section your hair. Sectioning your hair horizontally will help you to style each lock closer to your root, for voluptuous, voluminous curls. Remember to be gentle on your hair and never ever pull it during your styling.

Loose Curls

These curls are a lovely love child between the lazy curl and tighter boucles. You can achieve this type of curls with either a thicker curling wand - such as 2” or above - or medium to large velcro rollers for a heatless styling technique. These curls are better held with some hairspray so that they don’t turn floppy towards the end of the day.

Ribbon Curls

Ribbon curls are a romantic hairstyle, quite popular for weddings and formal events. They’re usually paired to a half-up, half-down hairstyle but can also be worn on their own on a flowy mane! Ribbon curls are obtained by styling your locks with a heated tool such as hair straightener, wrapping the locks around the iron vertically. Here’s a useful tutorial to get the ultimate romantic look!

Conclusion

Curling your hair with extensions can be simple once you understand the techniques and mechanics behind it. Try out these curling techniques today and explore our detailed guide to achieve those bouncy, bombshell salon-quality curls at home in little-to-no-time at all. Above all, remember – share your curling successes with us on Instagram @CliphairLimited and tag us in your photos for a chance to be featured!