When it comes to hair, it seems like we always want what we don't have. As a kid, I made my mom spend hours putting foam curlers in my super fine, straight hair before I went to sleep so that I could wake up looking like Shirley Temple. As I got older, my hair thickened, and now I have a natural wave pattern. And of course, now I covet smooth, straight hair!

If you have straight or wavy hair, and you're dying for voluminous, tight curls, you don't have to get out your mother's foam rollers. Try this tutorial, How to Get Natural Looking Tight Curls, by Luxy Hair that uses a 1/4-inch curling wand to get natural looking curly tresses.

We talk about how to achieve loose waves and curls all the time, but what about those more dramatic, tight curls? If you’re looking to create a striking hairstyle, loose curls or waves sometimes just don’t cut it. We’ve teamed up with our friend Ana to show you how to achieve dramatic yet natural looking tight curls. To amp up the look even more, Ana uses her Ombre Blonde Luxy Hair extensions to add even more volume to an already volumized look. Go big or go home, right?

Different Types of Curls

First, let’s talk about different types of curls and waves. Curly and wavy hair is created according to the shape of the follicle that your hair grows out of. The more oval shaped the follicle, the more curly the hair will be. Likewise, if the follicle is more circular, the hair will grow straight. Most curly and wavy haired women have a mixture of textures on their head, which explains why some sections of your hair carry a beautiful wave, while others only have a slight bend and need to be fixed with hot tools.

So, wavy 2A, curly 3A, 3B, 3C...what does it all mean? Hair texture is classified by subcategories of letters and numbers. Straight hair is classified as a 1, wavy hair is a 2, curly hair is a 3, and kinky or coily hair is a 4. These categories can be further classified according to the diameter of your curl pattern. A’s have the widest curl pattern, while C’s have the tightest. This classification system makes it easier for you to understand your hair type and texture, so that you can choose the right products for your hair and communicate more clearly with hairdressers and stylists.