Insights | Hair | 31 March, 2025
How to Make Curls Last Longer
By using the correct tools and attachments, any hair type can achieve and retain polished, voluminous curls. Straight and fine hair will require different styling methods to wavy, thick and curly hair types – so knowing how to make curls hold in hair depends on tailoring your routine to those needs.
Informed by the science of hair, Dyson’s engineers have developed hair care tools that style while protecting hair structure from extreme heat and preventing breakage. Ahead, see how our commitment to hair health has enabled us to design tailorable attachments for everyday versatile styles.
Dyson Corrale™ straightener and Dyson Airwrap™ curls are created using advanced engineering in place of extreme heat. From straight to curly hair, we’ve provided a step-by-step routine to make curls last longer below.
First, know your hair type
Before you can build a hair care routine to keep curls from dropping, it’s important to understand what hair type you have. Hair is categorised into types and texture. Textures like fine or thick hair describe the diameter of each strand. Thin hair, which is often confused with fine, reflects fewer strands on the scalp. The shape of hair is separated into 4 types, each with their own subtypes:
- Hair type 1. Straight (poker straight to slight waves)
- Hair type 2. Wavy (loose S waves to distinct S waves)
- Hair type 3. Curly (loose spiral curls to tight corkscrews)
- Hair type 4. Very curly to coily (tight coils to Z-patterned kinks)
Whether you want to create loose, beachy S-curls or tight, full ringlets, or the perfect bouncy blowout, there is a Dyson hair tool that that’s right for your hair type and hair length.
6 steps for how to make curls last longer
You can use both a styler and straightener to curl hair, and certain tips can help you master how to make curls hold throughout the day. Dyson’s haircare tools create versatile hairstyles across all hair types by focusing on control instead of extreme heat. See how to make curls last longer with the right hair styling guides below.
1. Prioritise hair health
Damaged hair can’t be repaired. To remain intact, strong and light-reflective, strands require the right moisture balance. In terms of how to make curls hold, healthy hair is essential here too.
To strengthen your strands, implement the right cleansing and conditioning products for your hair type. These steps remove stressors to purify the scalp and help to reimplement moisture back to hair. Paired with styling tools which protect hair against heat damage, dehydration and frizz, healthy hair is better able to retain shapes like curls for longer.
2. Prep hair for the right tool
Whichever Dyson hair styling tool you use, it’s important to start with clean hair to get the best results. However, your choice of styler will dictate whether you style on damp or dry hair.
Curling with the Dyson Airwrap i.d.™ multi-styler and dryer
- To make your curls hold, always use your Dyson Airwrap™ barrel attachments on damp hair so the hair is more malleable. Dry hair won’t have the same staying power.
- Curly or wavy hair types may need to straighten before using the styler. Use the Fast dryer attachment to pre-dry wet, freshly washed hair.
Curling with the Dyson Corrale™ straightener
- Hair should be completely dry before curling with the Dyson Corrale™ straightener.
- Use the Dyson Supersonic™ hair dryer to pre-dry your hair. This hair dryer delivers precise, powerful airflow to quickly dry hair and maintain natural shine.
3. Use a pre-styling product
One of the key steps for how to keep curls from dropping is to apply a styling product first. This gives hair greater hold to preserve the shape of curls for longer.
The Dyson Chitosan™ Pre-style cream tames frizz, maintains natural-looking shine, and gives hair 2x longer hold without crunch – so you can enjoy natural movement that lasts.
You can choose your Dyson Chitosan™ Pre-style cream based on the natural shape and thickness of your hair. Variants include straight to wavy, curly to coily and rich or light conditioning. The Pre-style cream is engineered with heat protectant technology to help maintain healthy hair when styling.
4. Work in sections
It can be easy to overlook this step, but sectioning your hair before styling is going to contribute to longer-lasting curls. As Guo Zijn, Global Styling Ambassador at Dyson explains, “Many are guilty of not sectioning the hair before styling in an effort to save time. However, this can be inefficient and also compromise the end style”. The size of your sections should depend on the thickness of your hair; the finer your hair, the smaller your sections can be (and vice versa). This keeps you from overwhelming the tool with hair.
5. Employ the right technique and heat settings
If you’re struggling with how to make curls hold, it might have something to do with your styling technique and the heat settings you’re using for your hair type. Fine, straight hair needs less heat to be styled, whereas thick, coarse strands typically require higher heat to be manipulated into curls.
When it comes to long-lasting curls, technique matters – and it’s going to differ between a straightener or hair styler. Let’s break down the techniques you can use to make curls last longer.
Curls with the Dyson Airwrap™ multi-styler and dryer
- To make curls hold with the Dyson Airwrap™, we recommend using new Conical™ barrel, which has been engineered to create tighter, closer curls at the root.
- Use high airflow and high heat, then hold on the section of hair until completely dry.
- To set the curl, press the cold shot for 10 seconds.
- To set the curl, hold the cold shot button for 10 seconds.
- For extra hold, you can also fasten curls in place using curlers, clips or bobby pins as you style.
Curls with the Dyson Corrale™ hair straightener
- Adjust your heat settings for your hair type. For thick, coarse hair: use the highest temperature setting of 210°C. For fine, flat hair: use a lower temperature of 185°C.
- Straighteners can deliver a range of versatile shapes too, and you can alternate angles to create different styles of curls. The Dyson Corrale™ hair straightener is cordless, which gives you total flexibility of movement.
- Working in sections, rotate the straightener at your desired angle. Take your time through each piece of hair so you only do one pass. Curl sections inwards and outwards for added volume.
- Let each section of hair cool completely.
6. Shake out and loosen curls
Once your hair is set, our final tip for how to keep curls from dropping, is to shake out your curls rather than brush hair with a short-toothed brush. To do this, use your fingers to gently loosen out sections. You can also use a wide tooth Detangling comb.
Complete your curly style with the Dyson Chitosan™ Post-style serum to smooth, enhance and define your finished look.