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Sears likes to vary the section widths to keep the look natural. “As you move up the back of the hair, you are going to slightly drop where you start to spin the flat iron as you want to keep the look natural,” she says. To use, all you have to do is spray 6-8 inches from your head covering the mid-shaft of your hair through the ends. Next, comb through your hair to distribute then you’re ready to start curling.
How To Curl Your Hair With Straighteners By The Pros That Know
“If you hold the flat iron nearly vertically, you can create big, bouncy coils,” Santiago says. When you’re finished, comb through to soften and then backcomb slightly to enhance the shape, resulting in a polished, glam look. A softer result can be achieved by keeping the iron horizontal and holding the end of each section taut as you slide the tool down its length. 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.
Step 1: Heat Styling Prep
Often, curling wands give a 'one size fits all' curl, depending on the barrel size. Thinner wands give a tighter, more coiled curl, whereas thicker wands give a looser, more relaxed curl. For perfectly polished S-waves, finish off with a glossy holding spray like Redken Shine Flash Shine Spray ($23).
Washing Your Hair 101: A Step-by-Step Salon Approved Guide
"It's simple yet looks like you just walked out of the salon," Villa says. He suggests wrapping the excess cord around your arm so the iron becomes one with your hand—we also like the idea of knocking everything off the counter a little less frequently. "For beachy waves, luckily you won’t have to worry thinking about going away or towards your face," says Kim. "It’s one of the easier versions of the flat iron waves." When it comes to creating a tousled beachy curl, there are two methods touted by these top stylists.
How to Create Beachy Waves With a Flat Iron:
Best Flat Irons: 15 Options for Every Hair Type - TIME
Best Flat Irons: 15 Options for Every Hair Type.
Posted: Sun, 31 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
"Using a hairspray or hot tool spray can help the style hold and last at least for a couple days. Texture spray adds thickness, volume, and hold for a tousled natural look," says Haygood. Next, use your fingers to twist the flat ironed section and let the curl set in place. Known for her iconic hair tools, we talked to Sarah Potempa, celebrity hairstylist and founder of The Beachwaver Co. about her routine for curling your hair with a flat iron. That being said, achieving this technique can be a bit challenging at first, so we asked top celebrity hairstylists to share a step-by-step guide on how to curl your hair with just a flat iron.
Tips for Curling Your Hair with a Straightener
For ringlets (or hard-to-curl hair), choose 1-inch barrels and smaller. For looser curls and waves, opt for 1.5- to 2-inch barrels. Whether you want to use a hair wand or a curling iron is totally up to you and the look you are after.
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Finish with a texture spray to give the waves a slightly tousled, effortless feel. Once you've softened up those curls into beach waves any way you like, finish with an extra spritz of hairspray and perhaps also a bit of dry volume spray for a boost of body and texture. The great thing about using a straightener over a curling iron is that a straightener can also, well, straighten the hair. Similarly, based on how you use it, you can get a whole manner of waves and curls out of the tool (unlike a curling iron, which will create waves based on the barrel size).
Step 1: Prep
There's no fancy twirling or extra movements involved – simply drag the straightener down the entire length of the hair. The plates do have a slight gap in between them, which can make it a struggle to grip hair at times, but the long-lasting results make it worth the hassle. Our first pair of ghds will always have a place in our heart, and the brand's original styler is an oldie but a goodie. Nostalgia aside, it makes styling a doddle and is seriously easy to use.
Avoiding temperatures above 400 degrees and only gliding along each subsection one time is going to help keep strands protected through the process. "Slow and steady will give the best results," says Ashley. "Clipping curls while warm and letting them cool clipped will hard set them, creating a maximum curl close to the scalp. This is the best way for someone with limp hair to extend this look," Grand says. This probably isn’t a surprise, but you’ll want to start with clean hair. Use any shampoo and conditioner set that works well for your hair type.
Follow this technique down the strand and across the entire head, alternating directions as you go. Below, freelance beauty editor Chloe Burcham walks us through her simple three step system of how to curl your hair with hair straighteners. The queen of understated but innovative hair, as well as holding the title of ghd UK Brand Ambassador, Irwin knows a thing or two about making your hair straighteners work harder. Once the hair is dry, turn your flat iron on at a low to medium temperature. With good tension, a straightening brush will help ensure that heat is being distributed to every strand in your subsections.
Santiago recommends pulling the sections of hair even more firmly and rocking your iron more rapidly to create the highest number of bends possible. Mist on your texturizer and follow up with an enhancer like Santiago’s fave, the Ouai Wave Spray. A more undone look can be achieved by pulling the hair slightly more taut and running the iron over each section faster so that you’re creating more waves. Finish with a texturizer like Fatboy Tousle & Go Texture Spray. Kim suggests working Ouai Volume Spray ($26) into the hair before blow-drying and following with Christophe Robin Hydrating Leave-In Mist With Aloe Vera ($39). If you want to set your curls while still allowing for natural movement, this is perfect.
You can vary the type of curl easily if you want tighter curls at the back. To curl your hair, clamp the iron halfway down a section of hair and turn the iron 180 degrees backward. For more pronounced curls, turn your iron 360 degrees as you guide it down your hair. “Prep hair with a heat protectant spray before you start styling,” suggests Syd Hayes, hair stylist and ambassador for BaByliss. The Platinum+ could just be ghd’s cleverest hair straightener yet. It detects the thickness of your hair and the speed you’re styling at, adjusting the power to deliver a consistent 185-degree heat.
Heating up in just 25 seconds, the ELLE team raved about how silky-smooth and healthy their hair looked after using the Gold Styler. The rounded barrel makes it easy to create curls, waves or straight hair, and it's lightweight, so easy to manoeuvre. You'll want to apply your protectant before any heat application, blow dryers included.
"If your hair is bleached or predisposed to damage, keep that protectant at hand and re-apply to your sections later before each pass of the flat iron," says Aronson. If you can't afford the time for an overnight treatment, simply follow up with a leave-in conditioning spray. This is beneficial to all curly hair types after proper conditioning so that the hair is detangled and easy to manage. "I recommend It's a 10's Coily Hair Mask ($40) after washing your hair and Miracle Leave-in ($25) before brushing it out," says Aronson. You'll first want to flip your flat iron upside down (the cord should be facing up). Then, gently clamp onto the individual section of hair that you're working with at the base of the hair shaft.
