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Your foolproof guide.
Aren't multi-tasking beauty products the best? Not only do they help us to condense out costs, but also helps us to save space on our bathroom shelves and in our makeup bags, as well as streamlining our regimes and saving us valuable time.
If, like us, you're having a huge lockdown clear out, a great place to start is your with hair tools. Not only are they cumbersome, they're not exactly great to look at and, most importantly, they could be totally unnecessary. It might be possible to condense your styling tool collection down to just one product - the humble hair straightener, due to its unique ability to deliver a range of hairstyles.
Ok, so it may not be new, nor the most exciting of beauty tools, but hair straighteners have a lot to offer - so long as you know how to use it.
While we all know how to use a hair straightener to create sleek, frizz-free and poker-straight hair, it's a little less clear how you can use it to craft voluminous curls or beach waves. According to celebrity hairstylist Patrick Wilson, it's worth learning how to work a straightener, "it helps to smooth the hair while you are also curling. It’s really quick to get through a full head of hair, once you know the correct technique to use." To help you get there, we've put together the ultimate step-by-step foolproof guide to how to use your straighteners to create the curls you want.
1. Choose your tool
The type of straightener you use will determine the type of curl you create. It's mainly down to two factors - size and heat. The wider the plate, the softer and looser the curl. So, if you're after very tight ringlets, you'll want to select a very thin-plated straightener, whereas if you're after a subtle wave, then you will want to go as wide as possible. On the heat front, if your tool is too cold, your curl will drop, and if it's too hot, it will damage your hair. The general consensus for hair tools is that 185 degrees Celsius is optimal. Or, you could get a smart device that reads hair and adjusts the temperature accordingly, like the GHD Platinum. "By having a sensor which covers the whole area of the heater, and algorithms which smartly predict what the heater needs to do next, this straightener can ensure definitive styling longevity and shine, without the damage," says Dr Tim Moore, GHD Vice President of Smart Devices.
2. Hold it right
If you were straightening your hair, you would hold the straightener horizontal to the direction of your hair, and pull down. When you're curling your hair, you want to hold the straightener at a slanted, downwards angle, so that the base end (where the wire comes out) is facing the ceiling in front of you. "Never try and start from the ends and curl up - it's not a good look," warns Patrick.
3. Clamp, twist and pull
Roughly section your hair into inch-wide sections and position the straighteners at the above angle with the section between the plates. "Place the tong in at the root, turning the styler 180 degrees," says Patrick. "Apply a light pressure and push downwards until you reach the ends of the hair. I think it’s important to alternate the direction of the curls when moving onto the back of the head to give your hair more volume and texture."
4. Release and set
Set the curl with some hair spray and then brush through with a soft bristle brush or a wide-tooth comb. "It’s really important for you to let the hair cool down before brushing and dressing out." The spray will help the curls last, while the brushing through will help create a more natural finish.
This article originally appeared on Glamour UK.
