How To Curl Your Hair With A Flat Iron

If you’ve been wondering how to curl your hair with a flat iron, then you have come to the right place. Your hair straightener is the real MVP in your hot tools arsenal. It can do far more than the name implies. Think of this flat iron as the Swiss army knife of hair styling.

There are endless flat iron curling tips to create every curl you can imagine. The hair straightener is a master at styling quite a few of the most popular curly looks. Are you looking for voluminous loose waves, snatched ringlets, I woke up like this curls, beachy waves? Your hair straightener can do it all, but there are different techniques to achieve these fantastic results. 

Get ready to advance your street style, work style, and every style. Our salon pros spilled the tea on the best techniques to style the most trend setting, influencer-worthy curls and waves. 

How to straighten hair with a flat iron is almost intuitive, but how to curl hair with a flat iron is not. It just takes a little practice and the right tools to make perfect. 

When choosing your flat iron, the size is critical. 1 inch is perfect for creating most curls and waves. It’s also ideal for straightening your hair. 1 inch is versatile and easy to use when creating most styles. The Megastar is our go-to, complete with 1-inch floating plates plus an added infrared light strip and ion booster, this is one hard-working iron.

Choose a flat iron made of top quality materials. A tourmaline ceramic coating is best for keeping your hair healthy and making curls last. Avoid flat irons with a thin ceramic coating, the tourmaline ceramic should be thick and substantial. 

Floating plates make all the difference. When a flat iron has floating plates, they move and form to your hair. This keeps you from accidentally gripping strands too tight, protects against hair breakage, and helps hair glide effortlessly to create beautiful curls. If you use a flat iron without floating plates your hair becomes more oily.

 

Gather All Essential Tools Before Styling:

Clips & Hair Ties

These will be useful for sectioning off hair as well as setting curls. 

 

Comb & Brush

To get perfect flat iron curls and waves, you need a smooth foundation. Use a universal brush like the  Easy Brush  to detangle hair and create a silky surface for the hair straightener to glide through. Have a sturdy wide tooth comb on hand as well, like this  Curl Comb.  you’ll need to comb or toss through your curls after they are set to give a more natural look.

 

Finishing Spray

Once your curls are set, using a light burst of finishing spray can be the difference between all day curls and a style that falls too soon.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

Now you have all tools ready and your hair is prepped, dry, and ready to go. Take a few practice passes through a section while the hair straightener is unplugged and cool. 

Master the 180• and 360• turn with these pro tips. Start by sectioning your hair into 3 tiers. Use clips or a hair tie and section off the base (from top of the ear down). Section off the middle (from the temples down). Section off the crown (from temples up) Start styling with the bottom section at the nape of the neck using 1 inch pieces and work your way up.  

Half Turn

This will feel most natural and is best for a looser curl or wave. 

• Holding the flat iron, close the hair straightener on the 1 inch section of hair, 2-3 inches from your scalp. Hold the end of the section with your other hand. 

• Rotate your wrist toward you.

•  Pull the flat iron all the way through to the desired curl length. You can pull it all the way through to the end so the whole length is curled. Or you can stop a few inches from the bottom to create a more natural look for beach waves.

 

Full Turn

This one doesn’t feel quite as natural as the half turn, but it’s easy once you get the hang of it. The full turn gives you a tighter curl

• Place the section of hair between the plates 1-2 inches from the scalp while holding the end of the section with your other hand, and close.

• Rotate your wrist toward you.

• Use your other hand to wrap the length of hair hanging out around the flat iron 1 additional time. 

• You can pull it all the way through to the end so the whole length is curled. Or you can stop a few inches from the bottom to create a more natural look for beach waves.

Now you’re a master of how to curl your hair with a straightener! Let’s get into some amazing styles you can create with these techniques.

BEACH WAVES

Let’s get into how to do beach waves with a flat iron. These are loose, alternating curls and waves with some straight ends. For the best beach waves use the half turn.

• Start with the bottom section using 1 inch pieces. Do your half turn and stop 2-3 inches from the ends. Hold the curl in your hand for 10 seconds while it cools. Repeat this for each section working your way up to the crown.
• Use a wide tooth comb to separate and toss curls to perfection.
• Apply a few light bursts of  Finishing Spray  to the length and toss with your fingers to set.

FULL VOLUME CURLS

These are curls that are a bit tighter coil and curl all the way through to the end. The result will be high volume and natural. For this look use the full turn.

• Start with the bottom section using 1 inch pieces. Do your full turn and pull hair straightener through to the ends. Hold the curl in your hand for 10 seconds while it cools. Repeat this for each section working your way up to the crown.
• After each section is curled, gather your curls in that section and secure them close to the scalp with a medium to large clip so they can set while you curl the other sections.
• After all sections are curled, release your clipped sections and turn your head upside down. Using your fingers, separate the curls and fluff for more natural looking volume.
• With the head still flipped, add a few bursts of finishing spray to the length. Flip hair back to standing up and you are ready to slay.

HOLLYWOOD SOFT WAVES

These are polished, uniform waves that resemble ocean waves cascading down. For these waves use the half turn.

• Start with the bottom section using 1 inch pieces. Do your half turn and pull hair straightener through to the ends. Hold the curl in your hand for 10 seconds while it cools. Repeat this for each section working your way up to the crown.
• When all curls are set, take a few passes with a wide tooth comb all around your head to loosen curls into the polished wave pattern.
• Add a light dusting of finishing spray to hold your style in place.

 

SET YOUR HAIR UP FOR SUCCESS

Let’s get into some pro tips for styling the best curls from these techniques. You need to start with a proper foundation to curl your hair with a flat iron.

Cleanse 

Shampoo and condition your hair with high quality products. Drug store hair products are damaging to the hair. Using a hair straightener on dry, brittle hair is never a good idea. 

Shampoo 

A shampoo’s job is to wash out all of the dirt, oil, and build up on the scalp and strands. Shampoo doesn’t discriminate between beneficial oils and the oil we want to wash out. That’s why using high quality shampoo matters.

Salon quality shampoo and conditioner contains nourishing oils, vitamins, and minerals to infuse hair with their strengthening power. They make hair supple and strong by adding nourishment back to the hair and scalp while cleansing out impurities. 

Hair curls best on day 2 or 3 hair from your last wash. If your hair is too slick from a fresh wash, use a few blasts of dry shampoo to add grit

Conditioner 

A high quality conditioner is equally important. The right conditioner does more than detangle and lightly moisturize, it gives smooth, elegant, nourished tresses. This is a step we often take for granted and don’t get the most out of. For the best curls, go very light with the conditioner.

A great conditioner infuses hair with positive ions, fatty alcohols, oils, and humectants. The proteins bind split ends and offer a necessary layer of protection that makes heat styling much easier on hair. Avoid your scalp area when using conditioner. Apply a small amount of conditioner to your wet hair from ear lobe height down to the ends.

Your handy dandy wide tooth comb will make sure no strand goes without this glorious moisture. Comb through your conditioned hair to evenly spread the product throughout. Twist the length into a loose bun and secure it with a clip.

You have the rest of your shower routine to allow the proteins and oils to infuse your hair with the necessary protective properties. Let the conditioner soak for 10 minutes, then rinse with cool water.

When learning how to curl hair with a flat iron, the best look comes from having a healthy foundation. Great products offer protection and create the perfect environment for heat styling.  

PRIME • PREP • PROTECT

The best time to apply some of your hair care products is when your hair is still damp. The water allows them to saturate hair easily as well as to lock in moisture before drying.

Hair Primer

We’ve all heard the word primer. We prime when painting. We prime before makeup. We even sometimes prime in cooking. Well, it comes as no surprise, that a hair primer like  Rise and Prime  offers undeniable benefits, and for the very same reasons we prime anything else! Think of a primer as creating the perfect blank canvas.

When you curl hair, some strands will inevitably respond differently from others if left untreated. Without using proper salon quality products, some curls may hold well, while others fall within an hour. Some strands may be more sensitive to the temperature from hot tools than others.

Hair primer ensures that all of your hair responds the same to styling. It offers ample heat protection as well as nourishing, conditioning properties for added strength.

Hair Serum

Even if you are very good to your hair, you still need a  hair serum.  You blow dry on cool, you brush starting at the ends, you use an awesome hair mask… Yes, the serum is going to add so much hydration and protection. The benefits are absolutely irresistible. 

If you have brittle, dry hair, a serum will add fatty acids and vitamins to each strand. If your hair is already luscious and amazing, a hair serum will only make it more amazing, not weigh it down. 

To curl your hair with a flat iron, you need maximum nutrition and hydration. Hair serum isn’t noticeably oily or dense like some other hair products need to be. It’s a light infusion of proteins and fatty alcohols that penetrate deep into the hair. This is a necessary step that adds weightless moisture to the hair cuticle. 

Heat Protectant 

Temperatures of your flat iron will range from 250°-400° so a heat protectant like  Watch Me Werk  creates a protective barrier between the iron and your hair. It protects from damage, strengthens hair, seals in moisture, and fights frizz and flyaways.

 

Now you are ready to watch your hair live its best life. Take these beautiful curls out on the town and watch heads turn! 

Drop us a line and tell us which of these flat iron curling tips is your favorite!