Here’s How to Curl Your Hair With A Straightener: Curling Iron Who?

Just like not all mankinds are created equal, curls are not otherwise. There’s a particular technique to nearly every type of curly look you can picture—and abundant tools to go along with them. However, if there’s one iron to have in your collection, it’s a flat iron. Apart from keeping your hair straight, it is one of the easiest ways to produce various kinds of curls and coils. Check out 10 best hair straighteners 2023 that we swear by here.

Suppose you’re a beginner, curling your hair with a straightener can be a skill to master. Some say always be aware of how you are closing the iron, based on your end result.

So how precisely should you be wielding the thing for specific styles? Whether you’ve struggled and failed or never quite mastered the technique, we’ve compiled a foolproof guide on how to curl your hair with a straightener that ensures a 100% success rate. Ahead, acquire some pro tips for curling your hair with a flat iron, all the way from tous;ed beach tresses to bouncy curls and polished waves.

how to curl your hair with a straightener

Tips & Tricks on How to Curl Your Hair With A Straightener

Step 1

Beginning with a small section of hair, gently clamp down your straightener toward the top of the hair section.

Step 2

Pull the straightener down to the hair shaft as though you were going to straighten your hair. Nonetheless, when you reach the part of your hair where you’d like the curl to begin (middle-to-end of the section for a natural, beach look), stop and move on to step three. You want to move seamlessly from step two to three whilst moving your straightener along the way, which might take time to finesse.

Step 3

Pivot the straightener 180 degrees or a half turn away from your face and gently pull down straight through the rest of your hair. Repeat the same method for each section of hair. Once you’ve curled your entire hair, massage the roots with your fingers, which will help break up the curls and impart that beachy, undone look.

How to Use a Flat Iron for Beach Waves

how to curl your hair with a straightener

In terms of creating a tousled beachy curl, there exists two methods.

Simple Beach C-Waves

  • Section off the front and separate roughly an inch-wide per piece of hair.
  • Starting at the root, make a “C” shape using the rounded curve facing the outside. Depending on how many waves you want to put in, feel free to drag the flat iron a little longer or shorter when creating the C-shape wave.
  • Repeat the same motion in the opposite direction to create an “S”.
  • Continue down the length of the hair until you come to the ends—you’ll keep these a little straighter.
  • Shake the hair out with your fingers using either a texture or sea salt spray.

Beachy Pin Curls

  • Gather a small vertical section.
  • Twist the strand from roots to ends simply using your fingers,
  • Wrap the twisted section into a pin curl.
  • With a good amount of tension, press down on the pin curl using a flat iron for four seconds.
  • Repeat until the entire head is done.
  • Work a medium control texturizing spray such as the IGK Good Behaviour 4-in-1 ($29) into the hair for undone, beachy waves.

How to Use a Flat Iron for Bouncy Curls

Bouncy curls have a lot to do with lift and volume. We recommend working Ouai Volume Spray ($26) into the hair prior to blow drying and following with Christophe Robin Daily Leave-in Hair Cream with Sandalwood ($26.98).

  • Starting approximately one inch away from the root, hold the iron vertically and slightly tilted away from the face and press down.
  • Twist the iron a half and a turn away from the face.
  • With a good amount of tension, hold the ends of the hair as you glide the iron halfway down the length.
  • Twist the iron another length, turn away from the face, and glide the rest of the way using light tension.
  • Repeat this process twice per strand for additional bounce, or use larger sections for a looser look.

How to Use a Flat Iron for Polished Waves

Similarly, there are two ways you can make this happen, you can either repeat the beach waves (C-curl method), but make the ‘C’ shape much wider and curvier and round at the ends. Alternatively, you can use the following techniques to achieve more variation in the waves.

  • Create a one-inch vertical section and bring the iron to the root.
  • Smooth the root down, or for more volume, go outward.
  • Pivot the iron a half-turn away from the face and gently pull down for roughly an inch and a half.
  • Make a tiny dip where the first wave left off, making a lengthened “C”. Ensure the more round edge is on the inner side, close to your face.
  • Repeat these steps down the length of the hair and finish with rounded ends for a polished look. 
  • Rake through your hair using either a large-toothed comb or your fingers, and apply a light-hold hair spray and hair serum for added shine.

Other Curl Methods to Opt for With A Straightener

Five-Second Touch Up

When you’re in a rush, try this quick hit with an iron through the ends that adds a touch of style that makes you look fresh and modern. Pick up a few strands organically and press the iron down as you turn under. 

Alternate the direction you curl the hair to increase dimension and texture. Simple yet gorgeous as though you just walked out of the salon. 

Hollywood S-Waves

The quintessential Old Hollywood, S-waves are elegant, sleek, and full of volume. There are two ways of creating this nostalgic style using a flat iron.

To achieve tighter waves, Villa suggests creating alternating “C” shapes down the length of the hair. Start on the side of the head one inch from the root, use fingers to pinch the hair, and push up towards the root to form a ‘C’ shape. Hold it in place. With the iron held horizontally, tap the ‘C’ three to four times. Secure a clip in the center of the “C” and begin again one inch below the clip, this time, twist the hair in the opposite direction to form a backward “C”. Follow this technique down the strand and across the entire head, alternating directions as you go.

To create loose S-waves, you may start with an inch-wide horizontal section of hair. Lightly tap the flat iron down on your hair whilst you make a continuous ‘S’ shape from root to ends. You can even do this from ends to root, it’ll make gorgeous, effortless waves. Also, depending on how wide the curves are, it can either come out looser or tighter.

To achieve perfectly polished S-waves, finish your work off with a glossy holding spray like the Redken Shine Flash Shine Spray ($23).

Celine So

Celine So

Be mindful of your words as they are impactful, which also explains why I'm fond of writing.

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