How to Curl African American Hair With a Flat Iron

Using a flat iron to curl hair takes practice, and coarser hair can be even trickier to curl and even more difficult to avoid damaging. However, once you master using your flat iron as a curler, you're on the way to perfect curls and healthy hair.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Take a section of hair and place it between the tongs. For a medium-size curl, take a 1" section. For a looser curl, take a larger section; for a tighter curl, take a smaller piece.

2. Holding the tongs tightly, pull them away from your head until you create enough tension that any further pulling would cause the tongs to move down the length of the hair. Hold the hair tight between the heated barrels.

3. Allow the tongs to move down the tightly pulled hair at an angle by moving your wrist slightly up and away from the straight line formed by your tightly pulled hair. Compare your movement to the way you would curl ribbon with the flat blade of a pair of scissors. Preserve the tension of the hair as well as the angle, to be sure you are not just straightening the strands.

4. Repeat as desired on additional strands, and finish with hairspray.

Tips & Warnings

• Use a product to prevent heat damage to hair before curling; apply evenly to hair and follow instruction on the package

References

• "Using Flat Irons for African American Hair"