How to curl your hair with a straightener

For those not acquainted with this technique, using a straightener for curling hair may seem like a contradiction. Professional stylists however routinely curl hair with straightener stylers to achieve a variety of shapes – from beachy s-waves to glamorous, bouncy curls.

Included in fans of the curling with a straightener method are celebrity stylists Larry King, Kellon Deryck and Jen Atkin, who have been creating true curls and beach waves with a straightener for years. When Dyson conducted a Global Hair Care Study¹ in 2017, 18% or fewer participants aligned to curling hair with flat iron stylers. 5 years on, thousands of hair curling tutorial videos with straighteners have proven the multi-purpose ability of this hair styling tool.

If you’re new to this method – there’s good news: learning how to curl hair with straightener tools is just as simple as with a curler. Dysons’ Global Style Ambassadors and celebrity stylers share their expert tips for perfect shapes that hold every time.

Curl hair with a straightener the right way

In Dyson’s Global Haircare Survey, most participants did not find achieving loose curls or beach waves with straightener easy. The Dyson Corrale™ cordless straightener removes the obstacle of manoeuvring the straightener with the cord attached – allowing you to style the back of hair and with a range of movements for different results. As Celebrity Stylist Kellon Deryk says, “not being tethered to a wall while on set is a life saver”.

Alongside cordless versatility, the Dyson Corrale™ also protects hair from frequent styling. Where conventional straighteners use solid plates and extreme levels of heat to conform hair, Dyson’s straightener gathers hair into flexing plates, reducing the need for multiple passes through hair. Manganese copper alloy materials apply heat evenly, offering smoother, shinier results whilst protecting against damage like breakage and dulled colour.

Explore the Dyson Corrale™ cordless straightener.

Our four-step hair curling tutorial

To achieve seamless curls, Dyson’s Global Ambassadors walk through our simplified, 5-step routine. Learn how to curl hair with straightener tools below.

1. Prepare Hair

By blow drying and using product before styling, you’ll ensure the shape you achieve when curling hair with a flat iron holds throughout the day. As TT Hart – Dyson GB Lead Stylist explains, “to truly lock in a great style, it’s important to invest in your prep”.

To keep beach waves, C-curls and bouncy curls from dropping, apply a generous amount of mousse, volumising spray or holding product as directed to damp hair beforehand. Blow dry hair with the Gentle air attachment on your Dyson Supersonic™ hair dryer on the the low heat setting until hair is completely dry.

2. Set temperature control

Heat is a key component in styling hair – but each hair type requires different temperatures so as not to cause damage to the strand size. Celebrity Stylist Larry King uses a straightener for curling hair across varying levels of hair thickness. “As stylists, we work with lots of different clients with many different hair types, and the temperature of the plates is really important to create that perfect style.”

The Corrale^™ offers multiple precise heat settings to tailor the styler to your hair type and desired shape. To ensure controlled styling, in-built intelligent heat control regulates the temperature over 100 times per second. To curl hair with straightener stylers, use the following heat for your hair type:

• Fine, flat hair: a lower temperature of 185°C should be hot enough to achieve curls like beach waves with straightener.
• Thick, coarse hair: opt for the highest temperature setting of 210°C to achieve a set style without causing damage from extreme heat.

3. Work in sections

Just the same as with preparing hair beforehand, the time you take sectioning hair while styling will determine the result. The smaller the section you work with, the more manageable creating flat iron curls is. “Many are guilty of not sectioning the hair before styling in an effort to save time. However, this can be inefficient and also compromise the end style,” explains Guo Zijin, Global Styling Ambassador at Dyson.

For finer hair, larger sections should suffice. For those with thick, coarse or curly hair, smaller sections may be needed. Be aware that the smaller the sections, the tighter the curls will be. To create more natural and textured beach waves with the straightener, Larry King suggests alternating the direction of curls between sections. Achieve this by rotating the straightener towards your face for front parts of hair, and in the opposite direction for the back of hair.

4. Apply chosen technique

Using the right technology, you can achieve styles like beach waves with a straightener quickly and without causing damage to strands. “Instead of going through multiple passes on the same section of hair, just go through once in a slow and steady pace,” advises Kellon.

“Using a hair straightener is a good way to achieve a relaxed, beach wave look”, explains Celebrity Stylist Jen Atkin. To achieve this style, start at the top of hair and turn inwards, pulling down before tuning outwards and releasing. Continue with slow and even passes until complete.

For glamorous curls, start at the top again and rotate the straightener 360 degrees, before sliding through hair. When approaching each curl, Larry King suggests using the Dyson logo as a guide for the 360-degree turn, before gently gliding the straightener down through the hair. To further enhance each curl when released, “just twist it with your finger”.