How To Curl Your Hair Three Different Ways With The Same Tong At Home

Since lockdown began searches for curling tongs online have rocketed and, always here to provide, we thought it was high time we showed you how to make the most of one. Here, beauty editor, Annie Vischer shows you how to achieve three different styles of curl with a single tong. Watch the video for the lowdown and scroll on to shop the products used.

Watch: How To Curl Your Hair Three Different Ways With The Same Tong At Home

The Glamorous Curls

These are those glossy, shiny, bouncy masses of curls that hit the red carpet season after season. Here's to lock down the look.

1. Curl Away From Your Face - Take a section of hair around 1-2 inches thick and wrap it evenly around the tong write to the very end as you curl it away from your face. Curling away from your face ensures the sections that frame your face take on a flattering shape. The first curl will end up lying between your cheekbone and temple, which gives the illusion of lifted features.

2. Cradle The Curl - Hold on the heat for a few seconds then free from the tong, cradling the coil of hair in your hand as it cools. This sets that round curl into place.

3. Brush Through - Proceed through the rest of your hair, leaving the curls separated until they're fully cool. Next take very gently brush through to separate. That's how you get that glamorous waterfall effect.

4. An Optional Finishing Touch - I like to create a centre parting and secure the very front sections of my hair, about 2 inches back into my parting, down behind my ears with grips, then brush the rest of my hair back towards the crown of my head for maximum root lift. Finish with a light-hold hair spray to maintain shine and movement. I love Moroccanoil's Luminous Hairspray Medium Hold, £17.25.

The Beach Waves

The aim of the game with these ones is to create curls that look natural, loose and undone. Here's how it's done.

1. Alternate Curl Direction - Change up which way you curl each section of hair. Curl some away from your face, some towards. This keeps things looking natural.

2. Don't Curl It All - Leave 2 - 3 inches right at the very end of each hair section uncurled. This stops the style looking too 'done' and gives it a modern edge.

3. Get Pulling - Instead of cradling each section once it leaves the tong, let it drop and give it a little pull. This loosens the curl and makes it look wavy and kinked as opposed to perfectly round.

4. Give It A Tousle - Once you've gone through each section of hair with the tong and it's all cooled down, tip your head upside down and tousle it through with your fingers. This adds a bit of natural-looking volume and gives it a bit of texture.

5. More Texture - If you're after even more texture, reach for a texture spray. My go-to is Hair By Sam McKnight's Easy Up Do Texture Spray, £27.

The Blow-Dry Waves

You know the look, that soft, bouncy, crazy shiny, salon-fresh effect. News flash - you don't always need a blow-dry appointment to achieve it. Here's how you can fake it with tongs.

1. Take Bigger Sections - Bigger sections mean a looser, softer curl and that's exactly what you're after. Select chunky sections of hair, 3-4 inches thick, and wrap the whole length around the tong, away from your face for maximum root lift. (Note - to properly prep for this style, spritz a volumising spray like Color Wow's Raise The Root Spray, £21.50, through hair, focusing on the roots, before drying upside down).

2. Pin Curl Back - Once free from your tong, wrap around your finger in a loose loop, as if around an invisible roller, and pin back on your head. If you can, try and get hold of flat hairdresser clips to avoid kinks, otherwise bobby pins will do.

3. Leave To Cool - The longer you have to keep your pin curls in, the better. You want the soft curl to really set in.

4. Brush Through - Once everything has cooled down, gently remove your hair from its pin curls, softly brushing through as you go.

And there you have it! Three very different styles of curl, with just a single curling tong. Shop all the products involved below.

READ MORE: These Are The Best Curling Tongs To Buy Right Now

READ MORE: How To Curl Your Hair With Straighteners At Home