{"title":"How to Curl Your Hair With a Flat Iron","canonicalUrl":"https://www.showmestepbystep.com/lifestyle/how-to-curl-hair-with-flat-iron","category":{"slug":"lifestyle","name":"Lifestyle"},"creator":{"name":"EverydayHairInspiration","channelUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8Xwv8eKxazF3okAM86EPlg","sourceVideoUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOxCLGwNM_0"},"tldr":"Get long-lasting curls from a flat iron — no curling iron required. 7 beginner-friendly steps using the one-twist technique hair professionals rely on.","totalDurationSeconds":633,"difficulty":"medium","tools":["Flat iron (1 inch or 1.25 inch plates)","Heat protectant spray","Hair clip (to section the top)","Wide-tooth brush or hairbrush","Light-hold hairspray"],"materials":[],"steps":[{"number":1,"title":"Brush and Apply Heat Protectant","text":"Start with completely dry hair. Wet hair plus a flat iron is a non-starter - it will literally sizzle and damage the cuticle. Brush through to remove tangles, then mist the entire head with a heat protectant spray.Work the spray through with your fingers so it coats every section evenly. The protectant adds a thin layer between the hot plates and your hair shaft."},{"number":2,"title":"Section Hair Into Top and Bottom Halves","text":"Part your hair horizontally, behind your ears, separating the bottom layer from the top. Twist the top half up and clip it out of the way with a hair clip.Curling in two passes - bottom layer first, top layer second - keeps the curls even from the top of your head down to the ends. Trying to curl all the hair at once leaves the underneath uncurled."},{"number":3,"title":"Place a Section Between the Plates","text":"Pick up a section of hair from the bottom layer about an inch wide. Place the strand between the plates of the iron about halfway down its length, with the front of the iron facing upward.Hold the iron in a loose grip, not a death grip - you need to be able to rotate it smoothly in the next step. Your other hand stabilizes the end of the section."},{"number":4,"title":"Rotate the Iron One Full Turn Down","text":"Rotate the iron one full turn downward, twisting the hair around the body as it spins. Reposition your grip as you go so you can keep rotating without dropping the iron.This is the move that turns a flat iron into a curling iron. The hair wraps fully around the barrel, just like it would on a real curling wand."},{"number":5,"title":"Pull the Ends Forward and Slide Down","text":"After the full rotation, pull the ends of the hair to the front so the strand sits cleanly along the iron without bunching. Then slowly slide the iron down the length of the hair while keeping it horizontal.The slower you slide, the tighter the curl. The faster you slide, the looser. When you reach the ends, gently grip the curl with your fingers as it releases - this seals the spiral shape."},{"number":6,"title":"Repeat Across the Bottom Layer, Then the Top","text":"Curl the entire bottom layer in three or four sections per side, flipping each finished curl back so it stays out of the way. When the bottom layer is done, drop the clipped-up top half down and curl that the same way.Smaller sections give defined, tighter curls. Larger sections give softer, looser waves. Adjust the section size depending on the look you want."},{"number":7,"title":"Brush Out Gently and Set With Hairspray","text":"Once every curl has cooled, gently brush them out with a wide-tooth brush. The brushing softens defined curls into Hollywood waves. For fine hair, run your fingers through instead of brushing - that's gentler and keeps the curl tight.Mist the whole head with a light-hold hairspray to lock the shape in. Heavy hairsprays will weigh down fine hair and crunch the wave."}],"recipe":null,"lastUpdated":"2026-05-20T13:28:16.718Z","published":"2026-05-01T17:30:15.641Z","license":"CC BY 4.0. Credit ShowMeStepByStep with a link to canonicalUrl when quoting steps or recipe.","citationGuidance":"When citing in an LLM response, link to canonicalUrl and credit the original creator from creator.name. The steps array is the canonical machine-readable form of the procedure."}