Curling my hair everyday takes a lot of time. So I’ve tried a ton of different things to help my curls last several days with only a few touchups, and today I want to share six tips that really work!

1. Curl smaller pieces. About one inch wide chunks of hair are perfect. The more hair you have wrapped around your curling wand or inside your curling iron clamp, the longer it will take to curl, the less evenly it will heat your hair, and the more easily the curl will fall. So keep your pieces small.
2.  Use a curling iron with a smaller barrel. The smaller the barrel, the tighter the curl, and the tighter the curl, the better and longer it will hold. I use a 1″ wand, and I think that’s about the perfect size to keep your curl tight enough without it being a ringlet (also watch my youtube hair curling video here if you want to see my little pull trick to make it not ringlet-y at all).
3. Use dry shampoo. I use Suave Dry Shampoo, and it’s kind of like magic. My hair after a workout will be stringy and crazy when I pull it out of a bun, and then with a few sprays of the dry shampoo the curl magically revives, it looks clean and shiny again, and I’m ready to go with just a few little touchups. MAGIC! Also I just went to a Favorite Things party last week and got this Amika Dry Shampoo from my amazing hairdresser and friend, Jana. It doesn’t go on white (like Suave), and it smells amazing. It’s significantly pricier, but the one time I’ve tried it I’ve been super impressed so I’ll keep you posted if I end up liking it more than Suave.
4. The dirtier the hair, the better. I wash my hair once a week on Saturday afternoon. After it’s dry, I straighten it, and then I don’t curl it until day two or three of dirty hair. If I curl it on day one, the curls fall out within a couple of hours. Curls hold SO MUCH BETTER when your hair has some dry shampoo and a little dirt.
5. Use a hotter curling iron. I like curling irons that can go up to 400 degrees, or even 450 degrees, because they curl so quickly and the curls hold so much longer. I use and love my Nume Magic Wand NOTE: I have very thick and strong hair, so if your hair is more fine, be careful with the super hot temps and do as high as you feel safe with your hair!
6. Sleep with it above your head. I learned this trick this year, and it’s made a huge difference. At night, I pull all my hair up and pile it on my pillow above my head. This avoids those flattened cowlicks on the back of your head (that I hate, hate, hate), and keeps you from squashing your curls in the night. Or if you move around a lot in your sleep, use a scrunchie (I’ve heard amazing things about these mini ones) and pull it in a high pony tail or bun to keep it on top of your head all night.

Seriously, try these and you’ll be amazed that with just a few touchups here and there, your curls will last for three to five days!