If you’re anything like me, you’re a slave to your flat iron. With thick hair that would otherwise take hours to straighten, I can’t really afford to go without one. Many years ago I dubbed it the Beauty Purchase That Changed My Life, and that is no joke. Of course, back then I only knew of its straightening powers.
Today I’m consistently thrilled by the many cool tricks my flat iron can do, the least of which is giving it a smooth, sleek look. Here are nine fun flat iron hair tutorials you can achieve with this versatile tool and a little time.
1. Hit the beach.
Ah, beach hair. Who doesn’t love a carefree sundress, relaxed sandals, and hair that looks perfectly imperfect? You can easily create loose, beachy waves with a flat iron. All it takes is the quickest flick of your wrist.
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2. Did you ever bevel?
If you haven’t beveled with your flat iron, you’re missing out on a trick that could potentially give your hair a more voluminous appearance. Here’s how to run the flat iron over hair to achieve a look that’s a lot more flattering than simple, flat strands.
3. Lose the curling iron.
Why bother with a curling iron when you can use a flat iron? Turns out this multipurpose tool can create some incredible curls—exactly the type you’d achieve with a curling iron. In my experience, a flat iron creates even quicker curls than a curling iron (and they seem to last longer, too).
4. Add a little lift.
Of course, it’s pretty easy to use a flat iron to achieve smooth, straight locks. But what about hair with a little bounce? It’s totally possible with this simple tutorial.
5. Get Pippi style.
The last time you wore braids, you were six. You may not be revisiting that look anytime soon, but braiding your hair before flat ironing can give you cool, effortless waves you’d typically have to really struggle to achieve. This is really simple and oh so effective.
6. Short hair don’t care.
If your hair is short, you may not think you have a ton of use for a flat iron. This tutorial shows just how useful a flat iron can be for a less lengthy mane. With a few simple maneuvers, you can achieve a little body, a little curl, a little volume.
7. Flip out.
There’s more to a flat iron than straight strands and big curls. You can also achieve a retro-inspired, sweet flip that embraces your inner girly girl (without looking too froufrou, of course).
8. Turn up the volume.
We typically associate flat irons with, well, flatness, but you can create plenty of volume with the right tools. All you need is the almighty iron and a round brush to give your hair a healthy, shiny look.
9. Go retro.
Make like a glamorous screen siren and show off a little of your inner movie star with this surprisingly easy look. With just a few twists and turns, you can create retro pin curls that look downright gorgeous.
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