Flat Iron Styles - Creating Curls

Do you ever wonder how celebs get those beautiful, bouncy curls? It's easy if you have a flat iron. Curls with a flat iron? Yes! I'll show you how anyone can achieve that carefree curly look. It just takes a little practice, patience, and the right tools!

The Tools: Flat Iron, Heat Styling Protectant, Hair Clips, Styling Cream.

The Perfect Blowout
The first step to any great style with a flat iron is The Perfect Blowout. Creating a super smooth canvas of hair before you style will not only allow you to create those sleek straight looks, it's also essential for creating curls. A great blowout also helps smooth the hair cuticle, providing a perfect base for creating long lasting, frizz-free curls.

Section, Section, Section
To begin, you should section off your hair into manageable 1 to 2 inch pieces. The sections you create should be easy to work with, and small enough to fit into the flat iron you are using. But which flat iron should you use?

A Flat Iron that Curls??
Hmmm, let's face it, when you think of flat iron, you don't normally think of curls. But it's time to change your mind! Today's flat irons are so versatile, they are perfect for creating a variety of styles, in addition to straightening. When choosing a flat iron, it's best to determine your styling needs, and if curls are on your list of styling necessities, you need to find an iron with curved edges. It is essential that your flat iron's plates aren't, well, flat. The curved edges will allow you to coax your hair into those curls you crave.

Healthy Protection
Now that you have a flat iron with curved edges, you're ready to create your first curl. Before you start styling, it's a great idea to coat your hair with a thermal protectant to protect your hair from the high temperature of the iron, and to also add volume and shine. Protecting your hair from excessive heat is not only important, it will also add structure and support to the curls you create.

Ready, Set, Curl!
Beginning with the first section of hair about 1" wide, and holding it at the ends, place the iron vertically over the piece. Gently closing the plates and lightly gripping the hair make sure to rotate the iron slowly as you glide the iron down toward the ends. If you want bigger curls, take larger sections of hair, and use the same rotating motion. This is why it's so important to use an iron with a rounded barrel and plate design to create the perfect curl. If your iron doesn't have rounded plates it will create unnatural dents in you hair. The rounded plates are what give you the smooth, flowing curls. Unnatural dents? No thanks!

Oops, That's Not a Curl
If you don't get the curl right on the first try, don't worry! Just let the section you were working on cool down for a few minutes before you try it again, and move on to the next section while you are waiting. It takes a little while to get the hang of creating curls with a flat iron, but with a little practice you will achieve those perfect, bouncy, glamorous curls. Patience...Virtue....get it?

Curl Number Two
For the next section of hair, repeat the same rotating motion as before but this time rotate the iron in the opposite direction to get a more natural look. Alternating the way you rotate the iron as you style around your head gives you the natural carefree appearance curls usually have. The back of the head is the hardest, but don't worry if you have trouble here and cannot reach your roots, just try get as close to the roots as possible. Continue this process, moving throughout each section of your hair, remembering to alternate rotations, until you have completed curling all of your hair. Remember to spritz each section first with a heat protectant as you move around your head to enhance the curl definition and add volume.

The Bouncier the Better!
To create curls with extra bounce, don't start too close to your roots, this creates too much volume near the top of your head and the curls won't be soft and bouncy. Instead, place your iron in at the root and glide the iron gently down the first one to two inches of hair before you start rotating the iron. Starting the rotation further down the section will create the nice bouncy look you want.

Extra Texture
Now that you've created a whole head of curls, make sure they have staying power. To finish your look, place a little curl cream on your fingertips and work through your hair to give each curl maximum hold, definition and shine. The separation of each curl will give your style added depth, dimension and movement.

See, that's all there is to it - perfect, bouncy curls with a flat iron! Give it a try, it's easier than you think!