The 5 Biggest Mistakes You're Making With a Curling Iron

An easy upgrade to your everyday style is to simply add a few curls. (It even works on short hair too.) But, if you're not using one every day, curling irons can be a little bit tricky. Here's what you might be doing wrong — and how to fix it:

1. Choosing the wrong-sized barrel
Curling wands come in all different sizes: They start at three-eighths of an inch to and go all the way up to two inches. For ringlets (or if your hair is fairly short), use a curling iron that's less than one-inch in diameter. If you have longer hair or want larger curls, use a barrel that's greater than 1.25 or 1.5 inches. A two-inch wand will leave you with slightly curled tips or beach-inspired waves.

2. Curling too-big clumps of hair
If you have extra-thick tresses, you should start by sectioning off smaller pieces of hair using clips. This will help you avoid missing any spots and will keep your hair out of the way when you're focusing on certain sections. It's easiest to start with your bottom layers and work up toward your crown.

3. Using too much heatYou should only use as much heat as you need to create your curl to prevent long-term damage to your hair. Fine, thin, or fragile hair should be curled using the lowest heat setting available. Look for a curling iron with multiple heat settings, so you can tailor the heat to your hair. Avoid irons that just have an "on" and "off" setting. And don't keep your hair on the barrel for longer than it needs to be — sometimes five to 10 seconds is all it takes. Play around with lower temperatures and faster curling times to determine the best temperature for your hair health and the look you want.

4. Curling in the wrong directionIn order to frame your face, you should curl your hair away from your face, toward the back of your head. When you're working on your right, curl your hair toward the right. On the left side of your face, curl toward the left.

5. Trying to curl damp hairWet hair is way more susceptible to damage than dry hair. Even if your hair is just slightly damp, curling it will do some harm. Air dry your hair completely or finish it off with a blow-dryer. Some may find that day-old hair holds a curl a little bit better than freshly washed hair, but experiment to find out what works best for you.