Flat iron curling 101

The only reason I own a curling iron is because it was required for the state board licensing exam that I took in 2024 to reinstate my cosmetology license. It’s been collecting dust ever since. 

Not that there’s anything wrong with curling irons—I see gorgeous results from them all the time. But, me? I’m a flat iron girly. Why? Because I have naturally curly hair, especially around my hairline, so with a flat iron I get smoothing and waving at the same time. 

Plus, with a flat iron, since you’re twisting and pulling through the hair with tension vs. holding it in place like a traditional curling iron, you can achieve a wider variety of looks with one tool. And I don’t know about you, but I’m always going to go for the more versatile option.

“I’ve tried flat iron curls and they just don’t work”

Listen—I can give you all the tips and tricks, but the only way you’re ever going to really figure out how to make flat iron curls work for you is with practice. 

I encourage you to actually plan an evening (or morning, or afternoon) around practicing your flat iron curls. Pour yourself a glass of something (coffee, tea, wine… whiskey), turn on your favorite music, and spend an hour in front of the mirror just messing around practicing all the things we’re going to cover below. 

I know it can seem intimidating—especially if you haven’t had great success in the past (that’s why you’ve poured yourself a glass of something)—but don’t forget that doing your hair should be fun, so think of this as playtime, and try not to stress out about it.

I promise, once you get the hang of it (and you will), you’ll wish you’d been curling your hair with a flat iron all along. 

Some reminders before you get started:

• Your hair doesn’t have to be super clean (but don’t be a greaseball). Ideally day 2-3 hair. Or day 4-5 hair with dry shampoo. Sometimes slightly dirtier hair with dry shampoo holds the best. See what works for you.

• Use. Thermal. Protectant. No exceptions. Here’s a good one. Or this one. There are lots of options out there. Just, please, don’t skip this step. Especially if you have highlighted or color treated hair.

• Start with a lower temp and work your way up until you find the sweet spot. For most medium texture hair, you don’t need to go over 250° – 300°.

• Don’t schedule your flat iron playtime right before any big plans—just in case it doesn’t turn out how you’d hoped (which is all part of the learning process!).

OK! Let’s get into it:

How you hold the flat iron

Vertical, horizontal, or somewhere in between. This should also dictate how you part the sections you’re going to flat iron curl. Part in horizontal sections if you’re holding the iron horizontally, vertical sections if you’re holding the iron vertically, diagonal sections if you’re at an angle… you get the idea. 

• Pro tip 1: Don’t make your sections too wide. Aim for about an inch to an inch and a half at most. If a section is too thick, the heat from the flat iron won’t get all the way through leaving you with an uneven curl pattern.

• Pro tip 2: If you can’t get the curls to look the same on one side versus the other, this is very normal. When your dominant hand is crossing over your body, it’s going to create a different angle. Try switching hands. It’ll feel awkward at first (this is why we practice), but you’re likely to get a more symmetrical finish.

How you twist the flat iron

If you’re holding the flat iron vertically, you’ll either twist toward the face or away from the face. If you’re holding it horizontally, you’ll either twist toward the sky or toward the ground. Essentially, you’re either going forwards or backwards. 

This is really a preference based on the look you’re going for. Play around with all of them and see what you like best. I tend to lean toward curling away from the face.

• Pro tip 1: Start the twisting motion as close to the root as possible before pulling the flat iron through your hair for maximum curl pattern (especially good if your hair drops a curl quickly), or pull and twist simultaneously for a curl pattern that’s looser toward the scalp. If you start the twisting motion farther away from the root, you’re going to have a flatter end result.

• Pro tip 2: The more you twist the flat iron, the tighter the curl. If you do a half twist, you’ll get more of a loose bend in the hair, if you do more than a 360° twist, you’ll get a pretty tight ringlet. 

• Pro tip 3: Alternate twisting directions to get more volume and a “messier” look (think: beachy waves). Keep the direction of the twist the same for a more uniform, s-wave look (think: old Hollywood glam).

How you direct the flat iron

Over or under directing impacts the volume and shape of the curl. 

What do I mean by “directing”? In relation to the section you’re working with, whether you pull the flat iron straight out from it, in front of/above it, or behind/below it makes a difference in the amount of volume and overall shape of the curl.

• Pro tip 1: For more volume, direct the flat iron upward from the section. For less volume, direct the flat iron downward.

• Pro tip 2: When you get more advanced, you can change the direction while you’re pulling the flat iron through the section to get a combo-curl, like one that’s tighter toward the root and loosens at the end, or the other way around.

Other flat iron curl tips & tricks

• Always make your flat iron curls a bit tighter than you want the end result. Curls will loosen as they’re brushed out and lived in.

• If you have a curl that didn’t turn out, let it cool completely before trying again. In my experience, re-curling a hot curl that didn’t come out right just flattens it more and adds unnecessary heat.

• To get those baby hairs around your hairline, keep the flat iron open, pull the baby hairs tight, and just use one side of the iron at a time to smooth them out. Clamping the flat iron down in those areas usually creates a dent that’s tricky to undo.

• Be patient with your progress! I’ve been doing hair since 2010, and still have days where my flat iron curls don’t turn out how I wanted. C’est la vie.

You’ve got this

As the great Ms. Frizzle says, “Take chances, make mistakes, get messy!” The more you practice and play around with different techniques (some of which will fail—and that’s okay), the more comfortable and confident you’ll get.

Soon enough, you’ll be flat iron curling your hair like a pro (and remember to be gentle with yourself as you learn—even the pros have bad hair days).

I’d love to know how your flat iron curling journey is going, and if you have any other questions that weren’t addressed in this blog. Hope this was helpful, and happy flat iron curling!