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Do you have short hair and always wonder how to curl short hair with a flat iron? People with long hair have a myriad of styles to play with. They can create beautiful curls, waves and braid their hair.
With short hair, you may think that curls are only achievable for long hair but that is not the case. Curls add some pizzazz to your look and the length of your hair should not dictate your choices.
The beauty of curls on short hair is amazing and the good thing is that you don’t need a curling iron to achieve the curls. Your flat iron not only straightens your hair but is also capable of making amazing curly hairstyles on your short hair.
By following the right technique and using the right tool, you can transform your short hairstyles using a flat iron. It would help if you had the following to achieve beautiful curls on your short hair:
- Flat iron
- Dry shampoo
- Pin / hair clip
- Styling spray
How to Curl Short Hair with Flat Iron: Step by Step Guide
Related: How to Use a Flat Iron
Start with Freshly Clean Hair
To create long-lasting curls in your short hair, start by cleaning your hair. Freshly clean hair is fuller-looking, and it impacts fullness with thin fine hair without weighing the hair down.
Dry Your Hair
The other step after cleaning your hair is drying it. You can opt to blow dry your hair or air dry it with a towel. Some people opt to wash their hair at night to air dry it, and when they wake up they will start styling the hair. If you air-dry your hair and it is full of tangles, brush it first to remove all the tangles.
Spray Dry Shampoo
If you don’t have time to wash your hair and you need to create curls, start by spraying dry shampoo to your hair. Remember not to use too much shampoo as it can affect how your hair holds the curls later. Once you have finished spraying the roots, backcomb your hair to add some extra lift.
Related: The Exact Way To Use A Wet To Dry Flat Iron
Prep Your Strands
Before you start using the best flat iron for short hair, it is best to protect your hair from heat damage. Mist your hair all over from root to tip with a heat protectant. Comb through the heat protectant to avoid any concentrated spots of spray on your flat iron.
A heated spray protects your locks from heat damage, calms frizz, and seal moisture and shine to your hair. The heat spray also gives you long-lasting curls.
Section Your Hair
Even with short hair, it is important to section the hair for easier ironing and create even curls. Section the bottom half of your hair and secure the top hair with a pin or hair clip out of the way. Use a clip or pin that catches your hair strand well not to slip or leave dents. Sectioning your hair makes curling short hair effortless.
Grab Your Ideal Flat Iron
The best flat iron to use on short hair should distribute heat evenly, and it should not have super wide plates. A flat iron that has a narrow width of ½ to 1 inch is the best. Plugin the flat iron and select the lowest temperature suitable for your hair type.
This will prevent you from burning your hair while styling it. If your hair is extra-fine and thin, use the least temperature as possible to avoid heat damage.
Start Curling Your Hair
Start with the bottom half of your hair and pick a section of the hair about one inch or so. Place your flat iron at the root and rotate it half a turn away from your face and glide to the end. You can opt not to curl near the ends of your strands to create a messier curl look.
Related: How to Flat Iron Natural Hair Like a Celebrity Hair Stylist
Repeat the Process
Continue picking small sections of hair and repeating this process to achieve curls on all hair on your half bottom. There are different techniques on how to use a flat iron on short hair. You can alternate the direction of rotation of your flat iron to create a more texture look.
Unclip the Top Section
Unclip the top half section of your hair and continue curling. When working on the top half section, you should be extra careful because your hair is short, and you will be working closer to your scalp.
You also need to determine how your curls will lie so that they can blend with the curls you made on your half bottom section to create a more natural look. Repeat the curling steps until all your hair is done.
Brush out the Curls
Once you have curled your whole head, it’s time to brush out the curls for a more natural look. You can use a detangling comb or run your fingers through the curls to separate them depending on how much you want to loosen the waves.
Style Your Hair
You have endless options on how to style your hair once you have achieved the curls you desired. You can opt to wear it down, use a clip or a headband; it’s all about how you like it. Once your hair is styled, finish with a setting spray, and voila! You are good to go.
How to Make Your Short Hair Hold Curls?
- Avoid using Excess Styling Products- Having excess styling products in your hair can weigh down and shorten the life of your curls.
- Dry Your Strands Fully- Working with strands that are not fully dry can make your short hair not hold curls for long. Also, allow your hair to cool enough once you have dried it with a blow dry so that it can keep curls for long.
- Use the Right Size of Flat Iron- Flat irons come in various sizes and shapes of plates. For short hair, use a flat iron with narrow width plates so that your curls will stay intact for long.
Conclusion
Having short hair shouldn’t stop you from rocking beautiful curls. This article highlights how to curl short hair with a flat iron, and following this step-by-step guide and practicing a few times will give you stunning curls without going to the salon.