The six curl types at a glance
- Tight Shirley Temple spirals come from a small-barrel marcel curling iron.
- Springy tendrils come from a conical curling wand, and loose, voluminous curls from a medium-sized barrel.
- Two tools on the chart are not curling irons at all: a flat iron for cascading body waves and hot rollers for loose, natural-looking waves.
- A three-barrel curling iron gives what the chart calls “not-so-’80s crimped hair”.
- The graphic is by the editors of TotalBeauty.com and gives no barrel sizes in inches or centimetres.
Types of curling irons and the curls they make
Header: “How to get any type of curl. TotalBeauty.com editors break down which hair tools you need for these six curl styles”. Each section names a curl style, the tool to use, a photo of a lock of hair styled that way and a photo of the tool. The sections run from the tightest curl to the loosest wave.
| Section | Curl type (as printed) | Tool (as printed) | Hair sample shown | Tool pictured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tight, Shirley Temple spiral curls | Small-barrel marcel curling iron | Tight, coiled spirals | Hot Tools iron with a clamp |
| 2 | Springy tendrils | Conical curling wand | Bouncy, defined twists | Tapered wand with a teal handle |
| 3 | Cascading body waves | Flat iron | Soft, even S shaped waves | Black flat iron marked Hot Tools |
| 4 | Not-so-’80s crimped hair | Three-barrel curling iron | Small, even ripples | Conair triple barrel iron |
| 5 | Voluminous, loose curls | Medium-sized barrel curling iron | Broad, gentle bends | Revlon iron with a copper coloured barrel |
| 6 | Loose, natural-looking waves | Hot rollers | A soft, subtle wave | A roller with two clips |
Brand names are read from the product photos; the chart does not name or recommend the brands in its text. The footer shows the totalbeauty.com logo.
How the tools differ
Curling irons, also called curling tongs, vary by the diameter, material and shape of the barrel and by the type of handle [2]. Barrels range from about 0.5 inch (1.3 cm) to 2 inches (5.1 cm) across. Smaller barrels typically create spiral curls or ringlets, and larger barrels give shape and volume [2]. That is the pattern on this chart: a small barrel at the top for tight spirals and a medium barrel lower down for loose curls.
The barrel can be a cylinder, a cone or a reverse cone, and some irons have two or three barrels [2]. The conical wand in section 2 is the cone shape, and the three-barrel iron in section 4 is the triple type.
Handles also differ. A marcel handle, the type in section 1, is worked by pressing the clamp by hand; a spring-loaded handle uses a spring to work the clamp; and a clipless wand has no clamp, so hair is simply wrapped around the rod [2]. Most clipless irons come with a heat resistant glove to avoid burns [2].
Flat irons, crimpers and hot rollers
A flat iron is mainly a straightening tool [2], but the chart uses one to make body waves. Crimping irons are a separate tool with ridged plates that press hair into a sawtooth pattern; crimped hair was popular in the 1980s and 1990s [2]. The chart’s section 4 gets a crimped look from a three-barrel curling iron instead, which is why it calls the result “not-so-’80s”. Hot rollers, in section 6, are the loosest option on the chart.
TotalBeauty’s article around the graphic makes the same point in its own words: use hot rollers for loose, tumbling waves, a curling rod for full, bouncy curls, or a flat iron for natural-looking texture [1].
Notes on this infographic
- No sizes. The chart describes barrels only as “small” and “medium-sized”. It gives no measurements, so the barrel size for each look is the reader’s choice.
- Heat. The chart says nothing about heat settings or protecting hair. Wikipedia’s article on hair irons notes that overuse of these tools can severely damage hair [2].
- Data date and source. The graphic was published with TotalBeauty’s article by Hayley Mason [1]. The product photos show the models sold at the time; the curl and tool pairings do not depend on the brand.
Questions about types of curling irons
What are the different types of curling irons?
The chart shows a small-barrel marcel iron, a conical wand, a three-barrel iron and a medium-barrel iron, plus a flat iron and hot rollers. More generally, curling irons differ by barrel diameter, barrel shape (cylinder, cone, reverse cone, double or triple) and handle (marcel, spring-loaded or clipless) [2].
What are the different types of curls?
The chart names six: tight Shirley Temple spiral curls, springy tendrils, cascading body waves, crimped hair, voluminous loose curls and loose, natural-looking waves.
What curling iron do you need for tight spiral curls?
The chart recommends a small-barrel marcel curling iron for tight, Shirley Temple spiral curls. Smaller barrels typically create spiral curls or ringlets, while larger barrels give shape and volume [2]. A marcel handle is worked by pressing the clamp by hand [2]. The chart gives no barrel measurements, so the exact size is up to the reader.
Can you curl hair with a flat iron?
Yes, the chart uses a flat iron to create cascading body waves, shown as soft, even S shaped waves. A flat iron is mainly a straightening tool [2], and TotalBeauty's article suggests one for natural-looking texture [1]. The chart says nothing about heat settings, and Wikipedia notes that overuse of hair irons can severely damage hair [2].
Sources
- TotalBeauty, The Curling Tools You Need to Get Every Type of Curl, by Hayley Mason. The original post for this graphic.
- Wikipedia, Hair iron.
Last reviewed 29 October 2026
