How to curl your hair using a hair straightener

While it might seem counterintuitive, many Celebrity Stylists have been using a hair straightener to curl hair for years. More and more women are also now embracing hair straightener's multi-purpose abilities and using it for curling their hair.

Even if you're late to the party, you don't have to be a stylist to master the art of curling with a straightener or to understand the benefits of investing in the right hair care technology. Also, the Dyson CorraleTM Straightener recently introduced its gift edition in a red colourway in India, joining the multi-hued Dyson hair care range which offers enhanced styling with its cord-free versatility.

Whether you're after soft, bouncy waves or relaxed, flowing curls, Dyson has curated a five-step guide to achieve the desired curls with a hair straightener.

A five-step guide to curling hair with a hair straightener

Prepare your canvas

When it comes to curling hair, the drying and styling process combined takes the majority of men and women between 11-30 minutes. While the initial effort might add time, it's important to invest in your prep to truly lock in a great and lasting style. To keep your curls and waves from dropping, add a generous amount of volumizing spray or mousse to damp or towel-dried hair before blow-drying using a hair dryer with a Gentle air attachment.

Set the temperature

Heat is the key ingredient for styling hair, so it's important to identify your hair type and set the temperature of your hair straightener to create a perfect style.

A hair straightener that offers multiple, precise heat settings will allow you to tailor the temperature to not just your hair type, but the desired style too. For thick, coarse hair with a natural curl, set the temperature to 210˚C – the highest setting of the Dyson Corrale™ hair straightener. If you have straight and fine hair, a lower temperature of 185˚C should suffice for curling. Whatever heat setting you opt for, intelligent heat control as found in the Dyson Corrale™ regulates temperature 100 times per second to ensure your selected temperature isn't exceeded.

Opt for cordless versatility

Whether your biggest obstacle is manoeuvring the straightener to create nicely defined curls or being able to style those hard-to-reach places like the back of the hair, a hair straightener with cordless versatility can really enable that free movement.

Work in sections

No matter what size curls or waves you're hoping to create, working with smaller sections of hair at a time is only going to make the job more manageable. Not sectioning the hair before styling in an effort to save time can be inefficient and also compromise the end style.

Throughout the curling process, experiment with section size to see what works best for your hair type and helps create the look you're trying to achieve. For thick, coarse or curly hair, try taking smaller sections, and for finer hair, try larger sections. In any case, the smaller the section, the tighter the curls will be.

Sectioning hair is also important for creating texture. To create a more natural and textured look with varied curls, Larry King suggests alternating the direction of curls between sections. Rotate the straightener towards your face on the sections between the front of the face and ear, and then in the opposite direction for the back sections of the hair.

Enjoy enhanced styling with half the damage

It's no secret that regular use of heated styling technology leaves your hair more susceptible to heat damage. Those with thick hair also leave their straightener for much longer than they should to get the look they desire. Unlike conventional flat iron straighteners with solid plates, a hair straightener with flexing plates that shape to gather hair reduces the need to do multiple passes on the same section of hair. The Dyson Corrale™ was engineered with manganese copper alloy plates that apply even heat and tension to hair strands in every pass, offering more control for enhanced styling while protecting against hair breakage1.

Tips and tricks for locking in style

Using a hair straightener is a good way to achieve a relaxed, beach wave look, explains Jen. Gather the hair at the top and then turn inwards, pull down and turn outwards, then pull down before releasing it. Continue with slow, even passes repeating throughout the hair.

For softer curls resulting in a more glamourous look, start at the top of a strand of hair and rotate the Corrale 360 degrees. Then slowly glide through the hair. Continue this throughout the hair. When approaching each curl, Larry suggests using the Dyson logo as a guide for the 360-degree turn, before gently gliding the straightener down through the hair. To further enhance each curl when released, "just twist it with your finger".

With the right technology and technique, you don't need to apply much pressure, nor should you need to spend time repeatedly attempting that same curl. "Instead of going through multiple passes on the same section of hair, just go through once at a slow and steady pace," advises Kellon.

Dyson Corrale™ Straightener

Suitable for all hair types, the Dyson Corrale™ straightener features pioneering flexing plate technology, engineered to apply heat and tension evenly across hair strands in each pass, and reduces the reliance on heat. It is also engineered to reduce colour fade for colour-treated hair by reducing hair's exposure to excessive heat through increased control provided by the patented plates. Moreover, the combination of materials used in the flexing plates provides the optimum flexibility, strength and thermal conduction. The plates are incredibly thin, and this allows them to shape and flex perfectly around the hair.  

Equipped with intelligent heat control, the Dyson Corrale™ straightener has a dynamic heater system with an integrated sensor that regulates temperature 100 times per second. This technology communicates with a microprocessor which in turn controls the heating system to deliver precise, accurate heat. With three heat settings – 165°C, 185°C and 210°C, the temperature options allow users to tailor the settings to suit their hair type, length and desired style. Combined with Dyson's 4-cell lithium-ion battery technology, the Dyson Corrale™ straightener delivers cord-free performance, making it the perfect tool for those who want to care for their hair by reducing heat damage without compromising on style.

The gift edition will be available at Dyson Demo Stores as well as on Dyson.in for ₹38,900. You can also buy it from Amazon, Flipkart, Nykaa, Myntra, Tata Cliq and Tata Cliq Luxury.