Spiral and Roller Curls

Technical #2 with Lottie Davies

In this lesson, we were looking at two different types of curls: roller curls and spiral curls. We needed to know how to achieve them and the difference in the final results.

Spiral Curls

Setting the curls

To start with, I sectioned the hair into half and then divided the one side again to make it easier to curl all the bits of hair equally. I then took the curling tong and wrapped the hair around the barrel vertically until it reached the head. To prevent burning the scalp, I practised using my plastic comb in between the head and the tong the protect the model. Each piece of hair should be curled the opposite way to the piece before - for example the first piece will be curled away from the way so the next should be curled towards the face. This is so the curls are not uniform as when they drop, otherwise they will all fall the same way and look unflattering. Once the hair had heated up, I released the clip and let the hair out. To set the curls, I used a hair grip to pin the curl together while it cools down. At this point, we were advised not to use any hairspray to keep the hair as natural as possible but to also prevent any whiteness appearing from a combination of mixing heat, hairspray and brushing. 

I continued this technique of curling, releasing and setting all around the half I was working on until it was all curled and cooling down. Once the hair was completely cool, I removed the pins and let the hair drop. The first image below is the hair when it first was released. The curls are loose and layered but are reasonably flat on the top of the hair (as a result of the way it is curled, without the emphasis being on the volume). The other images show the hair once it was shaken and had my fingers run through. The curls have more volume and have merged more. 

I feel with more practise I would be able to complete this task a lot quicker as it took me 30-50 minutes to complete one side of the head. The challenging part was releasing the hair from the heat and pinning it into place before the hair drops and I know the only way to make this easier for myself is the practise! This way of curling is new to me, as I use a curling wand usually, so using a barrel wand has allowed me to gain a new skill in curling and I now understand the most common way to curl so I will be able to confidently use this throughout my career. 

Roller Curls

To start the roller curls, I separated the hair once again and this time the curling barrel is turned sideways and the hair must be curled underneath itself so I creates volume once it has cooled. I pinned each piece again to set it horizontally and continued to curl each piece in the same direction, as this technique is purely about creating the volume and there is less focus on the direction of the curl. Each section of the hair is curled in uniform lines and the sections above and below should be in a bricklaying pattern - the curls should not be in a uniform line going up the head, they should be overlapping. This is so, again, the curls are more flattering but also create more volume. 

The first photo below shows all the layers roller curled and set with hair grips. The middle photograph demonstrates the hair once the pins are taken out - because of the technique of rolling the curl underneath itself, it holds it up and keeps the volume on its own. The final image is the head after it has been shaken and brushed out. Compared the the spiral curls, this hair is extremely volumised with defined ringlets in the hair. This technique would be excellent for Elizabethan hair as it will aid the method of creating buns or high hairstyles, as well as creating the tight curls that are very reminiscent of the 1500's.

As I completed this curling technique after the spiral curls, I had gotten to grips with working with a curling tong and managed to create tighter curls in a quicker time. As well as that, setting these curls were a lot easier and they held themselves up in the time I had to set them. I will continue to use and practise this hairstyle as it is another great technique to curl hair whilst having a lot of volume to work with in future - for example my final New Elizabethan look, an avant garde creation or a runway design.

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