While Valley loves mermaid-worthy curls as much as everyone else, we can’t justify waking up an hour early to create them. With second semester classes rapidly approaching, it’s the perfect time for you to master pretty waves you can do in time for a 9 a.m. class. The best part? All you’ll need is a brush, heat protectant, a curling iron, a hair tie and ten minutes!
Step 1: Brush
Start by brushing out your hair to make it smooth and tangle-free. This keeps the curls frizz-free so you can wear them again the next day.
Step 2: Protect
After a good brushing, liberally spray heat protectant all over your head. Heat protectants are critical to preventing damage like split ends. Some sprays also have added benefits, like this Aussie spray that promises shinier hair.
Step 3: Ponytail It
After you have coated your hair, put all of it up into a high ponytail.
Step 4: Curl
Now, turn on your curling iron or wand. It doesn’t matter what size you use, but bigger irons create looser curls. For a more natural-looking end product, you’ll want to curl pieces of hair that vary in size and direction. Lift sections of your hair from the ponytail and curl them one by one. The bigger the strand is, the longer it should be kept on the curler. If you have thick hair, this step will take longer since you’ll have more sections to curl.
Step 5: Shake It Out
Once you’ve curled all of your hair, take it out of the ponytail. Flip your head upside down and shake it out. Run your fingers through your hair to loosen the ringlets and take a second to make sure you didn’t miss any pieces. If you want to use hairspray, lightly spritz some onto your ends. Then, the only thing left to do is graciously accept all of the compliments your hair is about to receive.
While it isn’t a good idea to use heat on your hair very often, this is one way to switch up from a messy bun everyday. This is the method to try when you are “trying to look professional, but didn’t have an hour to spend on just [your] hair,” says graduate student Becca Ferenci.
Follow these easy steps and share your final look with Valley!
