13 Things You Didn't Know You Could Do with a Flat Iron
By Brie Schwartz, REDBOOK.
1. Create beach waves
Want a sea-swept surfer look without ever having to touch the sand? Wrap one- to two-inch sections of hair around a flat iron's plates while simultaneously twisting the iron one full turn away from your head. (Think of curling a ribbon with a pair of scissors.) Continue this process until you reach the ends, and repeat over your entire head to get perfect waves, says Jenny Strebe, creator of the D.I.Y. site Confessions of a Hairstylist.
2. Fix a sweaty hairline
When you're running late from a morning workout and don't have time to wash your hair, you can remedy a damp hairline with a flat iron that works on wet hair. But be sure it has porcelain plates and not metal ones, or else hair will burn, says stylist Nunzio Saviano.
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3. Shine on
It may sound counterintuitive, but a flat iron can help temporarily perk up dull or damaged hair, says celebrity stylist Sacha Quarles. First, separate hair into ½- or one-inch sections and apply both a heat-protectant spray and a shine serum like Obilphica Shine Spray Serum ($54) to your whole head. Then lay a section of hair on one plate of the iron, but don't clamp it. Repeat, starting from your root and slowly moving through your hair, to get a lustrous look.
4. Say hello to mermaid locks
To get these chic bends in your hair, make three braids-one on each side and one in the back-then slowly run each braid through a flat iron twice. Let the braids cool for five minutes. When you release them, you'll have soft waves fit for a Disney princess.
5. Make bouncy curls
If you're traveling and don't want to pack both a curling and flat iron, clamp a flat iron close to your roots, then flip your wrist 180 degrees so the plate that was on the top of hair is now on the bottom. Next, gently glide the straightener through your hair for a smooth curl.
6. Add some color
Want to experiment with radical shades for just one night? Pick up your favorite color chalk, run it over some strands, and use a flat iron to seal in the new hue, says celebrity stylist Mark Hill. This is also a fun way to play dress-up with your kids without permanently dyeing their pure locks. Friendly warning, though: Don't try it on a rainy evening unless you want your clothes to be temporarily stained, too.
7. Get a '60s-style 'fro
For an experiment in going retro-glam, create figure eights with multiple sections of your hair around extra-large bobby pins, then secure in place with additional pins. Next, place the hair-covered pins between the plates of the flat iron and clamp down. Once you release the iron, let your hair cool for five minutes before releasing the pins to reveal tight ridges.
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8. Make a modern crimp
We're not talking about the '80s here. To create a sophisticated, loose crimp (think Game of Thrones), start by clamping your straightener around a small section of hair, then twist your wrist 90 degrees. Hold for a couple of seconds before moving the iron down the section, twisting the other way to get a Daenerys-worthy look.
9. Do good bedhead
To pull off this effortless style, spritz the ends of dry hair with sea salt spray. Then take one-inch sections and twirl them into little circles, as if you're rolling your hair up. Place twisted hair between the plates of a flat iron and clamp down on each twist for two seconds. Once hair cools, rake your fingers through it to achieve that just-woke-up look.
10. Seal in hair extensions
Human hair tape-ins, sometimes known as skin wefts, are all the rage among celebrities, says Quarles, who works with Sarah Jessica Parker. These small hair extension bundles have something like double-stick tape at the top. Sandwich your hair in between two adhesive pieces and use a flat iron to seal the bond, which adds instant volume or length.
Related: 17 Who-Knew Brilliant Ways to Use Dry Shampoo
11. Pump up the volume
For extra oomph, rest a section of hair on the bottom plate of your straightener. Then glide the flat iron up the hair shaft so it lifts strands away from the scalp. This creates soft, natural volume at the root and is perfect for revamping your style in between shampoos, says Hill.
12. Fake your way dry
No time to blow-dry? Spritz dirty hair with dry shampoo, focusing on the roots, says Quarles. Then use your flat iron as you normally would, except instead of going straight down, slowly rotate the iron down and under your ends. This gives you that perfect round-brushed look in a fraction of the time.
13. Or, use it as a real iron
You can de-wrinkle the hem of a dress or shirt collar in a pinch. Hey, it is an iron, after all.
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