Styling your hair with heat can be damaging if you’re not using the right tools. When you’re working with heat styling tools like a curling iron or a hair straightener, it’s important to be careful not to leave the tool in one place for too long, making sure you keep your hair hydrated and use conditioners and heat-protecting sprays. You can also consider using hair styling tools with ceramic, infrared, ionic or titanium technology, which will better protect hair in the long run.

Selecting the best sized curling iron for your hair depends on two things: your hair length and how much curl you want. Curling irons and hair wands range from 3/8 inches to 2 inches wide, each size producing a different sized/shaped curl. Generally, the shorter your hair, the smaller the curling iron you should use.

Consider looking for hair curlers with a cool tip or irons with a cool shot button to help set your hair after you finish heat styling.

The two most well-known types of devices for curling hair are the curling iron and the curler wand. Generally, irons with clamps create tighter curls and more polished ringlets, while providing a little more control, but they are capable of creasing or kinking your hair. Wand curling creates more natural waves and polished ringlets, won't crease your hair and allows you to get closer to your roots.

Ceramic and tourmaline curling irons maintain a consistent temperature throughout the barrel. They release negative ions to smooth the hair's cuticle, eliminate frizz, and make hair appear smooth and shiny. Titanium barrels are good for coarse, hard to heat, or unmanageable hair, with the same negative ions that help reduce frizz and protect hair. Chrome barrels are another more cost-effective option. And at-home air-curling tools have emerged as a popular tool for curling hair without touching the hair to a surface at all.

Other hair curling tools that can be used in conjunction with, or instead of, curling irons and wand curlers include curling brushes, modernized hair curlers, and a wide variety of hair dryers in various styles and designs.