When you have short hair, be sure to use shampoo sparingly. Too much shampoo can weigh down and dry out your hair.
Always apply a heat-protecting mousse, spray, or product to your hair any time you’re going to use a heat tool like a blow dryer or flat iron. To gain more volume with your short hair, hang your head upside down and let your hair fall toward the ground as you blow dry it.
Pick an iron that has a fully ceramic or titanium plate, as these will create the most even heat. Make sure your iron also has a temperature gage, otherwise you risk burning and damaging your hair on the high setting (and the low settings are usually too cool to be effective). Look for a flat iron that also has beveled or curved edges rather than squared edges. The rounded edges will help create a smoother curl. You can also use a curling wand to give your hair waves, and the process will be quite similar.
To begin, comb through your hair with a wide-toothed comb. Tie back the top two thirds of your hair and begin working with the bottom section. If any hair is too short to curl with the iron (less than an inch (2. 5 cm) long), simply tease it to give it volume and move on to a section that has hair long enough to work with. [3] X Research source
Start with the one-inch strip of hair that frames your face. Hold the flat iron vertically and grab your hair with it close to the scalp. Twist the flat iron 180 degrees toward the back of your head, and then gently pull the flat iron down the shaft of your hair, keeping the plates closed the whole time. It may seem counter-intuitive to use a flat iron to create a curl, but it works similarly to when you use the blade of a scissor to curl a piece of ribbon. When you reach the end of that strip, take a moment to see if you’ve achieved a basic curl. If not, repeat this with the same strip until you achieve a curl. When you’re satisfied with the curl, let it cool and move on to the next strip. Repeat the same process.
Starting about an inch from the scalp, wrap your hair around the wand as many times as you can. With short hair, you may only be able to wrap it around once or twice. Hold the tip of the hair as you hold the hair on the wand for two to five seconds. Release the tip of your hair and pull the wand out. Let the curl cool and move on to the next strip of hair. Make sure to alternate the direction that you wrap your hair around the wand. This will help to add volume and body.
When you get to the top section, part your hair as you normally would before curling your hair.
As you comb through the curls with your fingers, apply a styling product that will help keep the waves in place, such as wax or pomade. Use these products sparingly, especially when your hair is short. Too much product will just weigh down your hair. You can also apply a texturizing product or hairspray near the root of the hair underneath the curls. This will give your short hair even more volume. [5] X Research source
With a soft, absorbent towel, dry your hair to remove any excess moisture, then let your hair air dry until it’s just a bit damp.
Braids can give you the tightest waves, twist braids will give you looser curls, and buns will give you the loosest, most relaxed waves.
Braid your hair: For tight waves, braid your entire head with small or medium braids. For looser and more relaxed waves, divide your hair into four or six sections and braid each section into a large braid. Make two twist braids: part your hair down the middle. On the left side, grab two medium sections of hair from the top front of your head. Twist them, and as you twist them again, incorporate a bit of extra hair into the front section. Twist again, and again incorporate more hair into the front section. Repeat until you have fully twisted all the hair on the left side and tie the twist at the end with an elastic. Repeat on the right side. [7] X Research source Depending on how short your hair is, you may not be able to make more than a few twists. Make two buns: part your hair in the middle. Gather all the hair on the left side of your head into a ponytail at the bottom left side of your head. Twist all the hair together and then wrap it around the ponytail to form a bun. Tie it off or secure it with bobby pins. Repeat on the right side. If your hair is too short for a bun in the back, make the bun on the side of your head.
When you’ve wrapped your hair, you can either tie the scarf to secure it or tie it with an elastic.
You don’t have to do this overnight, but you will have to wait several hours for your hair to dry if you’re doing this during the day.
At this point, you can add any styling products you like.
