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Welcome to the lazy girl's guide to swishy hair Hair Straightener Parts
How to curl your hair with straighteners is one of those curious beauty questions that gets asked again and again. Why? Because if you can get the technique right, you can transform your hair straighteners into curling tongs without having to splash out on another hair tool.
It takes a bit of time, but once you've got the simple technique down it'll be the easiest way to add movement and beachy texture to your hair without reaching for the curlers.
We called upon the expertise of pro hairstylist and creative director at John Frieda Salons, Zoë Irwin, to teach us how to get the perfect curls with a pair of hair straighteners. The queen of understated hair, Irwin knows a thing or two about making your hair straighteners work harder.
Read on for all the pro tips and tricks for how to curl your hair with straighteners and make one hair tool a 2-in-1 situation...
Zoe's Top Tip: The angle you hold the straightener at determines how tight the curl is.
The OG of straighteners, is it any wonder that ghd came out on top? Heating up in just 25 seconds, the ELLE team raved about how silky-smooth and healthy their hair looked after using the Gold Styler.
The rounded barrel makes it easy to create curls, waves or straight hair, and it's lightweight, so easy to manoeuvre.To keep things simple in the mornings, there’s just one temperature setting, which is set at 185 degrees (like all ghd straighteners). Oh, and it automatically shuts down after 30 minutes — so no more burning the carpet (we’ve all been there).
If it takes you ages to straighten your thicker, longer hair (tiny violin at the ready), consider the size of your plates; the wider they are, the more strands you can style in one swipe.
This tool straightens hair in a flash and successfully keeps frizz at bay. It helps keep styles intact for longer, with many of our ELLE testers enjoying a diamond-like shine.
Launched hot on the heels of the rule-breaking Dyson Supersonic hair dryer, these cordless straighteners are every bit as innovative. A ‘flexing’ plate gathers every last flyaway hair, applying heat evenly so you can straighten sections in one simple stroke. It comes with a charging stand and heat-resistant travel pouch (ideal if you’re a last minute packer like us).
Flight mode temporarily disables the battery and the variable temperature is clearly visible on the OLED screen. And just in case you were in any doubt, it plays a helpful little sound when it hits the selected temperature. These additional features mean it’s a touch heavier than some others we tried, but with quick heat-up and styling times, it's still a worthy investment.
Drew Barrymore has rightfully earned her place on our hair inspo board – from the 90s blonde bob to the ethereal loose waves she nails to this day – so it feels apt that she’s come out with her own brand of hair tools. But the beauty world has been inundated with celeb brand launches, so of course we had to put these to the test to see if they really worked. Spoiler: they absolutely did.
We were impressed with how easily these straighteners create their desired style – whether that be poker-straight ends or tight curls – leaving them with shinier, silky-smooth tresses. It's quick and easy to achieve a final look too, with none of that dreaded snagging.
If you’re wondering why your hair needs infrared tech (yes, those light waves we can't see), it’s meant to balance moisture and seal your hair’s cuticles.
Sure enough, this straightener helps boost shine and banish frizz. According to our ELLE testers, flyaways were pretty much non-existent after styling, while locks stayed intact for longer.
If you’re not a morning person and always seem to run out of time when it comes to your hair, this tool is going to be your new best friend. It eliminates the need to use a hair dryer, due to a unique ‘moisture sensor’ that automatically measures your hair's water content and adjusts the temperature accordingly, to help prevent damage – nifty right?
Our ELLE testers with bleached or damaged hair said this tool left them with shinier, healthier-looking locks, while those with afro hair types reported glossy lengths without any frizz in sight. It worked fast too, with our team saying they were happy with the time it took to style their hair, making it a great option for when you’re tight on time.
In Britain, living with frizz is a given (hello constant rain), but this tool is a game-changer. It aims to give you salon-worthy results in just one swipe and features ‘Rapid Heat IQ Technology’, which claims to keep the device at the same temperature throughout your whole styling session and provide even results.
How did it do? Our ELLE testers said these straighteners managed to keep frizz at bay, and found the smoothing results lasted from day to night.
Thinner and lighter than other models on our list, the Steampod is unique in that it uses an integrated water tank to steam hair straight.
With the help of a built-in comb (which can be removed if you prefer), the steam leaves tresses feeling more hydrated and healthy, with styles lasting throughout the day. A particularly good option for curly and afro hair.
The Platinum+ could just be ghd’s cleverest hair straightener yet. It detects the thickness of your hair and the speed you’re styling at, adjusting the power to deliver a consistent 185-degree heat.
Basically, it knows what your hair needs better than you do — no wonder it's a firm ELLE beauty team favourite. Quick to heat up with large grippy plates, we can't get enough of the smooth, soft results. Rest assured, it has the same turn-off function as the Gold Styler, too.
This tool claims to leave you selfie-ready in just 10 minutes, thanks to its vibrating plates, which have an impressive 11 heat settings. The straighteners also aim to seal any vulnerable cuticles to prevent damage, while allowing you to get through strands quicker.
Styling time is minimal with smoother-looking locks as a finished result. Our ELLE testers with afro hair types were also impressed with its speed, leaving them with a healthy, shiny finish.
The plates do have a slight gap in between them, which can make it a struggle to grip hair at times, but the long-lasting results make it worth the hassle.
Keeping things fuss-free and costing just over £20, these straighteners also claim to heat up in just one minute – a total bargain if you ask us.
Although we did find it took longer than a minute to reach the maximum temperature, our ELLE testers loved how straightforward and lightweight they were to use. The end result? A salon-worthy style and seriously shiny finish.
Sure, we're big fans of our hair straighteners but why not just use a curling tong to get the job done? 'Because the hair passes through both plates of the straighteners (there is a plate either side) hair is left smoother and with more shine,' says Irwin. 'I feel that because of this the curl lasts really well,' she continues.
The genius bit about curling your hair with straighteners? You can create endless amounts of different looks. Whether you're going for a loose, cool girl wave or a more polished finish, your trusty straighteners can achieve a multitude of looks. The key is in the technique.
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'If you do the same motion as before but whilst lifting the hair up, you'll get a tighter curl,' explains Irwin. 'If you do it running down the hair, you'll get a looser curl.' Et voila! Two types of curl with one pair of hair straighteners. Now that's what we call multi-tasking.
Not when it's done correctly. 'In actual fact it has been proven that because the straightener closes the cuticle, it actually can prevent wind damage and further broken ends,' says Irwin.
'So if you use a heat protect cream or lotion and don’t curl your hair more than once a day, it's completely fine for the strength of your hair. I use GHD Heat Protect Spray or Color Wow Dream Cocktail which will give a bit of a shine and strengthen hair whilst protecting it from the heat.'
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Hair Iron Medina Azaldin is the beauty editor of ELLE and Harper's Bazaar UK, working across print and digital features. She has more than seven years journalism experience and has previously written for Red and Good Hoousekeeping. When she's not demystifying the latest skincare ingredient, sniffing out the next big perfume trend or uncovering the science behind wellness practices, you'll most likely find her in Hatchards Piccadilly or watching a crime series with her cats. Oh, and she's a competitive cheerleader, too.