How to Use a Round Brush to Curl Hair

Want to curl hair with a round brush and don’t know where to get started? Always wondered how to achieve gorgeous round brush curls? Check out our round brush blow dry guide.

Check out the video below for a visual guide of how to use a round brush to curl hair. Round brush blow dry requires a bit of skill and practice. Take your time to get the hang of it – it will be worth it. I find prepping hair with round brush curls out lasts using direct heated tools like irons and tongues. This is because the hair reforms shape from wet to dry and also when hair gets hot to cold, combining the two factors with a round brush and a hairdryer will give longer lasting curls.

Heat + tension = curl

Blow-drying your hair with a round brush and a hairdryer creates a tension and heat. The perfect technique to manipulate the hair to curl.

It’s basically how your irons and wands etc work too. Mold the hair in a form with tension and heat and you get curls, kinks and volume in the hair. Round brushes tend to give a looser airy curl in your hair. If I’m honest, it’s how we prep hair for photoshoots and catwalks. (For those curly looks) Setting hair properly gives the curl a longer life and better volume. So, if you want longer lasting style, get acquainted with creating round brush curls.

Product for round brush blow dry

Think about what you want to create with your round brush curls. To use a round brush to curl hair the right product goes a long way. You need something light with hold.

Theres a lot to choose from! I personally like mousses in my round brush curls. The whippy airy product doesn’t weigh down the hair helping achieve bouncier curls. For frizzy readers that are scared of mousses (it’s understandable – I lived through the 90s) a light flexi-hold cream. Maybe layered with a light conditioning mousse for condition and hold If you can bypass the mousse fear. My main rule for this is lightweight so avoid heavy oils and gels.

Tips to round brush on smooth straight hair

Smooth straight textures need extra power. If your hair is struggling for volume and hold, I have a few tips with your round brush curls.

Check out your haircut, if it’s one length and heavy at the ends, you’re not encouraging the hair to have movement and lift. Mattify – Silky straight hair has a tendency to sit flat. You need some grip. Maybe try blow drying a light sea salt spray in too. This will help rough up your texture for extra hold. I love a bit of dry shampoo to hold curly styles in so add a little spray for grippy purposes. Rolling the curls and pinning up to set after round brush blow drying your curls, and also, I spray hairspray onto my brush and roll it in for a flexi-hold.

How to use a round brush on curly hair

So, you want polished relaxed round brushed curls instead of your kinky natural curl. If your super curly, you may need to focus near the root.

I REALLY find round brush blow drys have way more volume if we take some of the water weight out first. Leave it wrapped in a towel and let it be 75% dry. Then, go in rolling ends first. Then when you have achieved a smoother curl on the ends of your section, really work at stretching the curls out of your root, make sure its DRY. Ends follow roots so it’s important to get that area sitting right. Any damp will cause you frizz. Roller it all together at the end and choose out of the two twist or clipped techniques to set.

Products for round brush blow dry on curly hair

You probably have a cupboard full of styling products if your naturally curly. You have volume but you need a smoothing hold. Round brush blow dry can go so well with a curly texture.

Naturally curly hair holds volume well I find, and blow dry with a round brush can get beautiful bounce. You need to worry more about frizz, moisture in the air and smoothing with a light hold. There’s a lot of nice conditioning light mouses on the market that smooth and hold. There’s also a lot of anti humid/anti damp for lasting hold on curls. If you don’t like mousses, maybe a light cream for flexible hold. Plus, an added hold with a brush through of hairspray.

Products for round brush curls

So maybe your neither curly or silky. Your somewhere in the middle. Well, I have good news, that’s probably the best texture to have for a round brush curly blow dry.

Your texture will be easier to manipulate, no fighting frizz or adding matte, you just need something with a light hold. I’ve mentioned mousses a lot and they are my number one go to for a curly blow. Find a flexible medium hold to help use a round brush for blow dry. It’ll add a little power to your malleable hair, giving extra hold and a bit of volume – fabulous stuff.

How to use a round brush to curl hair

Go in on semi dry hair. Use a good flexi-hold lightweight product. Roller ends first. Stretch out roots. Choose to either twist into itself or roll up and clip.

You want the hair around 75% dry, this helps create lift and stops the water weighing it flat. Choose a good product from my advice above – I always recommend professional quality. Work on rollering the ends and follow the brush with a nozzle on the dryer. Stretch roots out with good tension and the roller the whole section. Then choose from one of the techniques listed below –

How to use a round brush to curl hair twist technique

This technique offers a looser look. The hair is blow dried with the round brush and twisted into place to cool.

This is nice on hair that is maybe a bit easier to blow dry with a round brush. It is stretched out and you roll your brush around whilst following with a hairdryer. The hair dryer should be facing down wards. You dry mid-ends first and then go in on roots. Once dry, roller it all and use the twisty technique shown in the video to help it set curls in place while its cooling. I like to brush in a little hairspray once cooled to add a light hold.

How to round brush to curl hair and add extra volume

This technique is for those with difficult hair that needs extra power, straight and curly falls in this category.

Same principle with the round brush, mid-ends first. Then roots. Consider applying product to each section for a good saturation. Then, once the section has dried, go in and roll the hair and clip in place to cool and set. You might want to consider using a smaller round brush to get tighter curls from your round brush blow-dry.

A few extra tips on how to use a round brush to curl hair

So many factors go into a round brush curl blow dry, and I want you to get it right so you don’t need to put direct heat tools on your hair.

A smaller brush = tighter curls, for difficult hair types this might be better. The cold button on your dryer can help set, once your dry and fully rolled in the brush, give it a shot of cold air. Use a nozzle. This condenses airflow, you get way more power when drying and smoother shiny hair. Follow the brush in a downwards motion this dries the hair in position. Rolling or leaving in twists helps it last longer. Practice makes perfect, keep at it. It will become second nature at some point.