One-time heat styling

[Nymph]

I'm going to a historical ball and I wanted to make some curls in my hair.
Normally I never heat style, but I have a trim planned soon anyhow, and it's just for this one time, so I'm probably going to pop out the curling iron. However, the friend who lent it to me said that I should not use conditioner if I want to curl my hair because it will burn on the outside, while I read somewhere else that if you use oil, it might make the hair "boil" inside as it were.

Anyone has more advice on this?

[ScarlettAdelle]

If you're afraid of the heat styling & are going to a historical ball, why not rag curls? You can get the same curls with no damage! Added awesome: that's how they got those curls back in the day before curling irons were invented.

And my hairdresser senses start tingling when people ask product questions, so here goes.

If you ARE going to heat style:

Yes, use conditioner. It helps deminish the damage that will bw done.

Hair doesn't boil as it's not a liquid, however, it could accelorate the damage to use oil , it'd be more akin to frying, if anything.

Use a heat protectant! Liberally! They do their best to do what the name states.

After you take the iron out, roll the curl back up and pin it at the root with a bobby (loosely, you don't want to create a kink in the curl) or other type of pin until you're done ironing all of your hair. Then mist with hairspray and hit with a COLD blowdrier for a minute or so, this will cool the hairs and tell them they're to keep curled, or so help them God, you'll get the iron back out :) <- doesn't mean you will, but a little threatening won't hurt.

And when curling, don't forget; take little sections and comb them before curling! Small sections can be combed later and swirled around your finger to create bigger sections that will still hold.

If you want volume, swing by a beauty supply & snag some hair 'rats' or braiding hair instead of teasing your already heat styled hair. You would place this under your hair and pin your hair over them to hide them and give you the "what do you mean? My hair is silky AND voluminous! At the same time!!!!" Look.

Don't worry too much about the damage you're doing. It's only one time and you rarely heat style. Most of the heat style damage you hear about is from daily usage and using your tools improperly.

Most importantly: have fun and take loads of pictures!!

[gypsymoth]

^ I second that!

There are lots of alternatives to curling your hair without a curling iron! You can search "heatless curls" on youtube and get lots of different tutorials.

[xoxophelia]

article I wrote that might help you:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=200

For tighter curls just use one finger and make many coils