How To Curl And Wave Hair With Straighteners

Despite their name, hair straighteners are not just for straightening hair. Curling with straighteners can save time, especially on busy mornings or when you’re heading somewhere after work. You don’t need to be a pro, either.

Cloud Nine styling tools are designed with versatility in mind, so you can style your hair straight, curly, or wavy, depending on your mood – while still taking care of your hair health.

Our guide to hair curling with straighteners is perfect for beginners. With our quick and easy hair curling hacks, we’ll explain how to curl hair with hair straighteners and master the art of creating full, voluminous curls or effortless waves at home.

Tutorial: How to curl hair with straighteners

Hair curling with straighteners doesn’t get simpler than this twisting technique. You may want to use a protective glove, as you will need to handle the outside of the straighteners with your free hand.

Let’s learn how to curl with straighteners:

Start with a heat protectant: Spritz your hair with our Magical Quick Dry Potion before styling for a boost of moisture, shine, and protection.
Section your hair: Use Croc Clips to divide your hair into even sections. This will make it much easier to curl your hair.
Start with a small section: Pick up a section of hair to curl. The bigger the section, the bigger and looser the curl will be. Close the Cloud Nine Contouring Original Iron around your hair where you want the curl to start. For high-volume curls, start near your scalp. For a more relaxed, beachy look, start curling partway down your hair.
Glide and turn: Begin to gently glide the straighteners down the length of your section of hair, pivoting your straighteners 180 degrees (a half turn) away from your face, while keeping the plates closed carefully around your hair. Move as smoothly as possible to avoid kinks or creases.
Repeat for each section: Repeat steps 3 -4 for all of your hair, unclipping sections from the Croc Clips as you go. Glide and twist until you have curled each section.
Dress your curls: Use our Luxury Dressing Brush to gently separate your curls for a looser style, or leave them to drop on their own for a more defined finish. Spritz with a mist of lightweight hairspray to keep your curls defined for longer.

Tutorial: How to wave hair with straighteners

S-waves are soft, ripple-like waves that bend back and forth in the shape of an “S.” They’re a super easy way to add movement and a bit of glam to your hair without committing to a defined curl. Learning to wave hair with a straightener can take some practice, but it’s worth it.

Here’s how to wave hair with straighteners:

Start with a heat protectant: Apply our Magical Quick Dry Potion to help keep your hair safe from heat, ensure your waves shine.
Begin with a small section: Take a small section of hair, no more than 1 or 2 inches wide. Place the Cloud Nine Contouring Original Iron at the top of the section, near the scalp, and gently glide the along its length.
Twist as you move: As you smooth the ceramic plates over the hair, gently twist the straighteners in your hands and outwards, in a ‘C’ motion. Immediately, while the straighteners are still moving, twist the tool back towards your head – in the opposite direction – to complete your ‘S’ shape wave.
Alternate the waves: As soon as you’ve created your first ‘S’ shape, twist your straighteners back the other way to create a ‘C’ shape once more, then twist to create another ‘S’ shape and so on until you reach the end of that section.
Repeat for the other sections: Continue repeating steps 2-4 until you have created ‘S’ waves throughout your hair.
Set with hairspray: A few spritzes of a lightweight hairspray will help set your waves in place without weighing them down. If your hair is prone to frizz and dryness, smooth a little Magical Remedy throughout for an extra sheen.

Top tips for curling with straighteners

When curling or waving your hair with straighteners, keep these tips in mind:

Prep and protect: Always apply a heat protectant spray like our Magical Quick Dry Potion to shield your hair from heat. The formula also contains natural ingredients to nourish your hair and encourage a healthy shine.
Start with dry hair: For best results, make sure your hair is completely dry before using straighteners. With its three heat settings and Ionic Technology, the Cloud Nine Airshot Pro hair dryer gently dries your hair, ready for styling.
Section your hair: To make styling easier, divide your hair into a few sections using Croc Clips.
Choose a gentle brush: For detangling and styling your hair during styling, try the Cloud Nine Luxury Paddle Brush. Its firm but soft bristles are designed to smooth out kinks during styling.
Use the right temperature for your hair type: Fine or damaged hair may need a lower temperature, while thick or coarse hair can usually handle a bit more heat. Not sure what temperature setting to use? Head to our Temperature Calculator to find out the perfect temperature for your hair type.
Choose a straightener with customisable temperature control: We recommend the Cloud Nine Original Contouring Iron, with its unique curved Sericite®-infused plates for gentle straightening, waving, and curling. For longer, thicker hair, the Cloud Nine Contouring Wide Iron is a dream tool – its thicker plates mean more hair coverage in less time, which speeds up styling and keeps your hair healthy.

Choose the best curling straightener

In theory, hair curling with straighteners is possible with any straightener, but the tool you use can impact the resulting curl or wave.

Choosing the best curling straighteners for your hair type can make curling or waving quicker and easier, and give you smoother, longer-lasting results. From plate size to heat settings, your tool choice can have a big impact on how your curls or waves turn out.

All Cloud Nine hair straighteners come with Customisable Temperature Control and Sericite®-infused plates to leave you with smooth, silky curls or waves.

We recommend:

The Contouring Original Iron: Best for curling medium hair types

The Contouring Original Iron is designed with curved plates that make it easy to switch between sleek, straight looks and smooth, flowing waves. Its versatile plate shape helps create natural-looking S-waves or soft curls without leaving lines in your hair.

The Contouring Wide Iron: Best for curling thick hair types

Just like the Contouring Original Iron, the Contouring Wide Iron has curved plates for super versatile styling. However, its plates are wider, providing a larger surface area for more efficient curling and waving of thicker, longer hair. It’s also great for producing bigger, looser curls and waves, giving a more relaxed, beachy finish.

The Slim Iron: Best for curling fine hair types

With slim plates built for precision, the Slim Iron is great for creating tighter curls or styling high-volume curls from close to the roots. It’s lightweight and easy to manoeuvre, making it especially suited for shorter or finer hair that can be tricky to style gently with bigger tools.

Curling hair with straighteners: FAQs

Can you curl hair with straighteners?

You can curl hair with a standard hair straightener, but it does take some practice. A tool with curved plates, like the Cloud Nine Contouring Original Iron, makes the curling and waving process easier.

What type of straightener is best for curling and waving?

Straighteners with curved plates are best for curling and waving, like our Contouring Original Iron. If your hair is on the longer or thicker side, the Cloud Nine Contouring Wide Iron is ideal, as its wider plates can create bigger waves and cover more hair in less time. For short hair, straighteners with slim 0.5-inch plates are a great option – try our Slim Iron.

Does curling hair with straighteners cause more damage than using a curling wand?

As long as you use a heat protectant and
the right temperature for your hair type, using a straightener to curl is just as healthy as using a curling wand. Head to our Temperature Calculator to work out the perfect temperature for your hair type.

What temperature should I use for curling or waving my hair with straighteners?

The best way to check which temperature is perfect for your hair is to use our Temperature Calculator. The ideal heat setting for your styling tools depends on your hair type, texture, and whether it’s been coloured or bleached. By answering a few easy questions, we’ll tell you which temperature to set your straighteners to for optimum styling.

Whether you’re a hairstyling novice or salon-worthy pro, with just a few simple techniques, you can master how to curl hair using straighteners to create soft, bouncy curls or gorgeous, glossy waves.