You have a big holiday party coming up, you’re broke and you want to do something different with your hair. All you have in your bathroom is mousse, hairspray, if that, and your straightener. You’re really in the mood for some curls and can’t afford to pay for a curling or a stylist. What do you do?
With teenagers in the house who always seem to be using my things, or misplacing them, I have been stuck in this situation often. Thank God I’m a stylist and know what to and how to use what I have. Here are some steps you can take to use your flat iron to curl your hair and jazz up that holiday hair.
1. When you get ready to dry your hair, do not use a brush. Running the brush or your fingers through your hair while you are drying it will obviously straighten it. Just blow it all over on warm heat, not hot. The outside of your hair shaft looks like a fish scale, and drying it straight will lay that down; we want it a little rough.
2. When your half way through and your hair is barely damp, apply your mousse. If your hair is holding too much water it can actually dilute the mousse and cause its holding properties to be less effective. Scrunch it in, don’t run it through or brush it. This will help create some natural body to the ends of your hair. Finish drying your hair, again with no brush or fingers.
3. When your hair is dry, spray it with hairspray, a light mist works best. If you have super hold hairspray or liquid, you can hold the container a little farther away; do not aim it at your hair, and aim it in the air in front of you. Spray it high enough that it’s taller than you and then step under it. It will give you a lighter mist and a softer hold.
4. When your flat iron is hot, take a small section of your hair. Sometimes when you’re done drying without a brush you can see or pull out small sections that have separated themselves. Do not drag the flat iron down the section. Instead, spin it lightly across the section in the direction you would like the hair to curl. Remember that if you drag or press too hard it will be straight or have corners. You can adjust the amount of curl or where it starts with the pressure of your hand as you run the flat iron on your hair, or the smaller the spin or swoop that you use with the flat iron. It may take some practice to get the idea so you may want to play, or practice it before the big day.
5. When you have the desired curls, spray it again with the hairspray. Don’t hesitate to spray while you are working if you have hard to curl hair. If you end up with a few corners, or bends, just soften then with a light spin of the iron on the desired spot.
