Asian woman with curly hair smiling

Easy Styling Hack: How to Curl Hair Using a Flat Iron

Who would’ve thought that a hair straightening tool could also be used for making waves? Here’s how.

Did you know that you can curl your hair using a flat iron? It may sound silly, but yes, you can do that! Of course, you can always use hair rollers or heatless hacks like making sock curls. But if you know how to curl your hair using a flat iron, imagine all the hairstyles you can create even if you have just this trusty tool on your dresser. It’s easy, and we’re here to show you how. 

Simple Steps to Curl Hair Using a Flat Iron

1

Start with clean hair.

It’s fun to experiment with different hairstyles, but not when your strands are caked with dirt, excess oil, and grime. Start with freshly washed hair and use a shampoo that can help make your strands soft and smooth to make styling easy.

How to curl hair using a flat iron: Step 1 - Start with clean hair

Don’t know which shampoo to use? Try TRESemmé Keratin Smooth KERA10 Shampoo. It is formulated with KERA10 Protein Complex that can penetrate your hair up to 10 layers deep. It gives your hair 10 salon benefits in one wash! Aside from making your hair soft and smooth, this shampoo calms frizz, detangles knots, provides heat protection, helps in strengthening your hair, and tames flyaways, among others.  

Bottle of TRESemme Keratin Smooth KERA10 Shampoo

After shampooing, don’t forget to condition your hair using Keratin Smooth KERA10 Serum Conditioner. Aside from KERA10 Protein Complex, it also has oleo serum that helps in deeply moisturizing and nourishing your hair.  

Bottle of TRESEMME Keratin SMooth KERA10 Serum Conditioner

Once you’re done washing your hair, let it air-dry. You can also use a blow-dryer. Just set it to its coolest or lowest heat setting to minimize heat damage.

2

Clip your hair.

Brush your hair to smoothen and detangle it. Then, divide your hair into two vertical sections. Clip one side of your hair so it stays in place while you curl the other side.  

Asian woman clipping one side of her hair
3

Roll your hair straightener.

Get a small section of hair from the unclipped side. Hold your flat iron horizontally, clamp the section of hair, and roll the flat iron towards you. Keep rolling until you reach the mid-lengths of your hair. Then, hold the flat iron vertically and release your strands.  

Asian woman curling her hair with a flat iron
4

Repeat.

When you’re done curling all sections of your hair, do the same on the unclipped side.  

Asian woman curling her hair with a flat iron
5

Style.

Finger-comb your curls to make them loose and laid-back. Then, apply a drop of TRESemmé Anti-Frizz Shine Serum. It adds shine, makes your hair soft, detangles knots, calms frizz, and tames flyaways, leaving your curls smooth and sleek.

 

Asian woman applying hair serum to her curly hair
Bottle of TRESemmé Keratin Smooth Shine Serum

Final Look

Asian woman with curly hair smiling
Enjoy your soft curls! Credit: Hariono Halim

See how easy that is? Now, add that to your bag of flat iron tricks! This skill comes in handy when you’re traveling since you no longer need to bring another styling tool. Just a flat iron is enough for your straightening and curling needs. How convenient!  

Wavy and Curly Hairstyles You Can Wear Every Day

Now that you’ve learned another way to curl your hair, you can now experiment with different kulot hairstyles. Check these out.

1. Curly Tips

Asian woman with long hair with curly tips
Got limp hair? Curl the tips to give it movement. Credit: Hariono Halim

Elevate your casual ‘do by curling the tips of your straight hair. All you need is your flat iron clamped to the tips of your hair and follow the steps for creating basic curls. Easy, right?

2. Wavy Layers

Asian woman with long layered hair with waves
Get bouncy hair with wavy layers. Credit: Michelle Pedron

Got thin hair? This hairstyle will give it volume and movement. Part your hair on the side, too, to make it look thick.

Tube of Dove Keratin Repair Conditioner

Editor’s tip: Using heat-styling tools frequently can leave your hair extremely damaged. Nurse your hair back to its healthy-looking state with Dove Keratin Repair 1 Minute Serum Conditioner. It has keratin-infused serum capsules that go deep into your strands to repair dryness and damage from within. It leaves your hair recovered, beautiful, and resilient in just one minute! 

3. Mid-Way Curls

Asian woman touching her wavy hair curled using flat iron
This hairstyle gives your everyday look just the right amount of flair. Credit: Natasha Estelle

Try curls that start halfway down your hair. It’s simple but chic and sophisticated, and you can wear it to any occasion.

4. Spiral Curls

Asian woman touching her short hair curled using flat iron
Get ready to party with this curly hairstyle. Credit: Hariono Halim

You can make tighter-looking curls using your flat iron. To do this, clamp a section of hair near the roots, turn the hair straightener to the opposite side, and gently glide it along your hair shaft until it reaches the tips. Twist your hair a little bit to make the spiral shape more defined. Do this to all sections of your hair, and that’s it! You can spritz hairspray all over your hair to make your curls last for hours.

5. Soft Loose Waves

Asian model is wearing a jacket and she looks great with light curled hair using flat iron
Light curls and soft waves look great. Credit: Shutterstock

Hair looking flat? Add texture by creating loose waves. You can do this on long, medium-length, and short hair, and you can wear this ‘do from day to night.

6. Crimped Hair

Asian woman with crimped hairstyle
Here’s a hairstyle that’s a blast from the past. Credit: This is Sun from Pexels

This chic and funky style entails creating a series of zigzag-ish waves using a flat iron, giving your locks a playful, textured look. So grab your flat iron, and create a beach-wave up and down movement to create this ‘do.

7. Big Curly Waves for Layered Hair

Curly-haired Asian woman with dress and camera
Ready to bring the beach to the city? Go for big curls! Credit: Tuấn Kiệt Jr. from Pexels

Achieving this style is surprisingly simple – after prepping your hair with heat protectant, use a flat iron, holding it vertically, to create loose curls by gently twisting it as you glide along each section of your hair. The layered cut amplifies the curls’ volume and movement, resulting in a full-bodied, youthful hairstyle.

8. Bouncy Curls for Short Hair

Asian woman with curly hair and white dress
Who said those with short hair can’t rock curls? Credit: Hải Nguyễn from Pexels

With a flat iron and a little technique, you can bring a fresh twist to short hair by creating bouncy curls. Simply use the flat iron to twist sections of your hair, moving down (make this fast if you want big waves!) from roots to ends, and watch your short locks transform into a playful, curly masterpiece.

9. Curls for Peekaboo Color

Asian woman with blue-black hair curled using flat iron
Curls add dimension to colored strands! Credit: Chuotanhls from Pexels

Want to make your colored strands pop even more? Using a flat iron, you can skillfully curl your hair to reveal the burst of peekaboo color in each swish and bounce. This technique visually enhances the depth of your hair, allowing those hidden hues to take center stage once the curls are in full swing.

See? When you know how to curl hair using flat iron, you can create gorgeous curly hairstyles even if you don’t have a curling wand. Enjoy!