This is the trick to curling your hair with a flat iron

For some women, hair talent comes naturally, for others (myself included), we need to watch teenagers on TikTok to learn to do our hair. One technique, in particular, that has plagued me for years, is the (in)ability to curl my hair with a flat iron.

As a result of a rather bleak last few years, I have kept my yearly goals within reach. Rather than travelling the world and meeting new people, I would learn to curl my hair with a straightener and spend less time on Instagram (the latter of which has yet to be accomplished).

After binging my fair share of YouTube and TikTok explainer videos, I learned the perfect beachy flat iron curls require three things:

1. You need to separate your hair into small portions (for lack of a better word). If you’re used to curling your hair with a curling iron, it’s easier to start off with lesser amounts of hair when using a flat iron. Too much hair in one go and the curl won’t stick.
2. Use two hands. Because you need to keep the straightening iron closed, it’s easier, especially on your non-dominant hand, to have one hand at the base of the flat iron and the other holding it closed (without burning your hand, of course).
3. After applying heat, don’t touch your curls until applying hairspray. While this rule also applies to a curling iron, because a straightening iron produces wavier curls, they’re quicker to loosen if you play with them too much.

For a visual explanation of how to curl your hair with a straightener, watch the video below. Trust me, it’s easier than it looks. Godspeed, curl-searchers; you’ll do just fine.