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How to Curl Hair with a Straightener: Get Salon-Quality Curls at Home

Who doesn’t love a good, multi-purpose tool? These days, people are turning to flat irons to do far more than just straightening their hair. The trend these days is to use a straightener to achieve beautifully buoyant curls in no time flat. You may be wondering how exactly to curl hair with a flat iron, so we decided to break it all down in just a few foolproof steps.

How to Curl Hair with Flat Iron 

Curl Your Hair with Flat Iron

Learning how to curl your hair with a straightener is truly a game-changer. If you plan on changing looks on a trip, it makes packing easier, too! The type of curls it makes is more similar to a curling iron rather than a hot wand, however.

Curls will be focused on the lower portion of hair. Once they are shaken out with the fingertips, however, you’ll achieve the most natural look.

Before you learn how to curl hair with a flat iron, making sure you’re using a quality tool is key. Being forced to use a cheap curling iron is no fun and the same goes for straighteners.

Find the Right Tool

Not all flat irons are created equal. Avoid products that are too cheap, but bear in mind that you don’t need the most expensive flat iron, either. When searching for a good tool that will curl as well as straighten, look for a ceramic flat iron with really high heat. The ceramic quality ensures the tool will get really hot, which is essential for using a flat iron for straightening.

Look for one that gets up to 400 degrees or higher, as well. This way you can curl hair with flat iron because the outside also gets pretty hot. Just be careful not to burn yourself!

Curling hair with Flat Iron 

hairdresser working on creating curls using flat iron

Follow these steps for perfect curls, every time! 

  1. To create the best flat iron curls, you’ll first want to wash hair and give it a fresh blow-dry. A blow out is ideal so you can begin curling with smooth, frizz-free hair.
  2. Next, you’ll need to section off the hair. Pin all of your hair up, minus the first layer of hair closest to your neck.
  3. Take one part of the section and run a brush through it to be sure there are no knots.
  4. Close to the head, clamp down on the hair and give the tool one full twist so hair is wrapped once around the front of the iron and once around the back. The rest of the hair should be between the plates at this point.
  5. Leave it there for a moment, then slowly pull the flat iron down to the tip of the hair. You can twist the tool as you pull down to give hair that much more curl. This will require you to switch hands as you move down the hair. 
  6. Work section by section, taking portions of hair down each time so that you have plenty of room to work with hair. 

Once each section is complete, you can continue to twist it by wrapping it around the finger to set the curl. Afterwards, you can apply a touch of hairspray and use your fingers to casually loosen and separate the hair. 

There are so many different methods to choose from when it comes to curling your hair with a straightener, but this method is by far the easiest. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll be curling your hair quickly and perfectly every single time.