Flat irons have been popular for years as a means to straighten, smooth and polish hair. They are used on curly, wavy and straight hair (to produce a straighter polished effect.) A good flat iron is even more versatile than that. Flat irons are beginning to replace the curling iron because they are also useful for curling hair. They create a curl that does not curl all the way over on it’s self, as a curling iron curl does. The ends of the curl can curve gently or remain straight.

Whether you are straightening waves or creating curls, before using your flat iron you must prepare your hair. Shampoo with good quality shampoo and always use a conditioner as well. Apply a spray-on heat protectant product to your wet hair along with styling mousse or hair gel. After thoroughly drying your hair, it is helpful to add hair cream – emulsified in your hands and stroked through – as an added barrier against the heat. Flat irons can get very hot. Even ceramic and tourmaline flat irons can burn your hair.

You can use your flat iron to style your long hair into big, sexy waves. To create a large S curl with a flat iron, you will need a narrow flat iron that is about one inch wide. Make sure that it is fully heated. Pick up a strand of hair. The amount of hair that you pick up will determine the amount of curl in your style. The larger the strand, the larger the curl. Holding your flat iron in a vertical position, clamp it high on the strand of hair – near your head .
Holding the hair tightly with the iron, rotate the iron half way around so that the hair is wrapped around one side of the iron and then slide it out to the ends of the strand. Keep the iron moving and slide it in a steady fluid motion.
To curl hair under or to create a flip, hold the flat iron horizontally in the area that you want the curl. Clamp the iron tightly onto the hair about an inch or two from the ends.(On short hair, start at the root area.) As you slide the flat iron toward the ends, turn it either up or under. Use your wrist to turn the iron so that it stays clamped on to the hair firmly. Use this method to curl any length hair – from short to long layered.
Hint, to get better curl: Use an ample amount of firm hold styling foam or gel. Too little styling product results in wimpy curl.

Hint, to prevent lines: Don’t stop in the middle of the hair strand while you are sliding the flat iron. It you do, you will create a horizontal mark in the hair at the point you stopped.