How to Get Your Hair to Hold a Curl

There's a way to keep your curls from falling flat the minute you walk out the door, and—spoiler alert—it's not hair spray. Hairstylist Adir Abergel tells us how to keep spirals from spiraling downhill.

BY CATHERINE Q. O'NEILL

1 Skip conditioner. Or at least go very, very, very light on it. "Most women overcondition their hair, and the hair is too slippery to hold a curl," says Abergel.

2 Prep with mousse. If you think you're using too much mousse, you're applying just the right amount. Take one baseball-size mound (or two, if your hair is long) and saturate damp or dry hair from roots to ends. (Abergel loves John Frieda Luxurious Volume Thickening Mousse.) Mousse has alcohol in it, just as hair spray does. "The alcohol helps remove as much moisture as possible, which enhances the hair's grit and hold."

3 Prep some more. Once your hair is 100 percent dry, take one- to two-inch sections and mist them with hair spray (we like L'Oréal Paris Elnett Satin Hairspray), working from the bottom layers to the top, before wrapping them around the iron.

4 Curl smart. Those with thin hair should set the iron to 300 degrees. Those with thicker, coarse hair can dial up to 350. Regardless of the size of the iron (one inch is a pro favorite; we love Amika 5P Interchangeable Barrel Curler), apply tension when wrapping the hair, pulling the iron away from your face so it feels tight, to evenly distribute the heat.

5 Clip. This is the most important part: After curling for five seconds, release the clamp, slide the iron out, and clip the coil against your head with a metal duckbill clip. Wait at least five minutes—15 if you have time. "Whatever you do, don't touch the curl or shake it out while it's hot or you'll lose it," says Abergel.

6 Shake it out. Once your hair has cooled, remove the clip, let your head hang back, and tousle the curls with your fingers. Leave the hair a little more curled than you'd prefer it to be. "No matter your prep, any curl will fall slightly, so it's better to have slightly tighter curls than you normally would and let them loosen with gravity on your way to the event."

7 Finish with—you thought we were going to say hair spray, didn't you? Nope. Abergel uses texturizing spray (like Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray). "The polymers of hair spray tend to be too heavy for a finished curl and actually create weight, making them droop." Mind. Blown.