How to curl your hair with a straightener: 5 simple steps
Emma-Jade Stoddart
Beauty & skincare
Reading time: 5 minutes
Get beach waves or bouncy curls using just a straightener as a tool.
A curling iron seems like the obvious tool for creating voluminous curls at home. But, according to pro stylists, a straightener can deliver curls that are just as bouncy or beachy. All you’ve got to do is nail the technique.
Follow our five-step guide below, on how to curl your hair with a straightener or flat iron, including top tips from expert stylists. Once you’ve locked down the tricks, you won’t look back. And for extra guidance, watch our video tutorial below.
How to curl your hair with straighteners in 5 steps
1. Choose the right straightener for your hair type and length
2. Prep hair with a heat protectant, then brush through and section
3. Feed one to two inch wide sections of hair through your straightener, twisting them away from the face and sliding down
4. Apply hairspray
5. Clip your curls
Step 1: Choose your tool
With so many options to choose from, how can you know which straightener is right for you? What should you look for? These are the features to consider:
• Variable temperature settings are especially handy for protecting the health of your hair
• Cordless options are great for travelling
• Ceramic plates ensure even heat distribution. Titanium plates heat up faster – a good choice if you’re short on time
• Plate size – the wider the plate, the looser the curl
If you have short or fine hair or a fringe, try a straightener with narrow plates – they’ll provide that extra dose of precision you’re looking for – whereas if you have long or thick hair, wider plates are great for waves and speed.
For all hair types
Try: Dyson Corrale Cord-Free Straightener
• Manganese copper alloy plates
• Cord-free
• Heat-resistant travel pouch
• Three heat settings
For a straightener that offers impressive tech, look no further than a Dyson. Engineered to stay perfectly balanced in your hand for maximum control, the medium-sized plates work great for creating a wide range of curls, especially fuller-looking curls and waves.
For speed
Try: BaByliss Straight and Curl Brilliance Rose Gold Straightener
• Titanium ceramic plates
• Five temperature settings
• Heat protection wrap
If you’re partial to rose gold, this straightener is a stunner. But it has bags of substance as well as style. We love how quickly it heats up and how its longer plates help speed up the styling time.
For travel
Try: Revamp Progloss Liberate Cordless Ceramic Compact Straightener
• Ceramic and ionic floating plates
• Cord-free
• Three temperature settings
• Heat-resistant pouch
If you’re always on the go and want to take it with you, a compact and cordless straightener is a must. The Liberate’s ceramic plates are infused with keratin, argan oil and coconut oil to help make hair gloriously glossy and for more defined curls.
For waves
Try: Cloud Nine The Wide Iron
• For thick and long hair
• Ceramic plates
• Wide plates
• Variable temperature control
Love tousled waves? Create the type of texture that looks like you’ve stepped off a beach with this wide-plated straightener. Plus, its mineral-infused ceramic plates help to keep snags to a minimum.
Step 2: Prep the hair
“Prep hair with a heat protectant spray before you start styling,” suggests Syd Hayes, hair stylist and ambassador for BaByliss.
Domenico Casella, senior stylist at Neville Hair & Beauty, recommends using a texturising product, too. “A texturising spray will boost body, add volume and encourage the curls to hold.”
Next, brush your hair, working from the ends up, to detangle without causing breakage.
Step 3: Feed a one-inch strand into your straightener
Domenico says that to help make curling hair easier, especially if you have thick hair: “It’s a good idea to section the hair first.” Then, take a one-inch width of hair and start the curl wherever you fancy.
“Clamp hair with the straightener and twist the iron backwards, away from the face, before sliding it down in one fluid motion,” he adds. “Twirl the curl with your fingers, before going on to the next section.”
For a beachy, undone look, alternate the direction you curl the hair and leave the ends straight.
If you want to get creative, experiment with the size of the section of hair that you feed through your straightener. Start with a width of one to two inches, then feed through smaller or larger sections, depending on the size of the curl you’d like to achieve.
Step 4: Apply hairspray
Before fixing with spray, let the curls cool down first. “Apply a generous misting of hairspray all over to fix the curls in place,” says Domenico. For a glam Hollywood look, he suggests using a hairbrush or wide tooth comb to brush through and loosen the curls.
Step 5: Clip your curls
If you don’t want your curls to drop, hair styling clips can help keep their shape. Simply slide them into the bends of the hair and leave for five minutes (or until you’re ready to go out) before removing.
The results? Defined curls or waves that will last well into the day or night.
