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Whether you’re rocking a new curtain bang hairdo or you’re looking to kick your bang style up a notch, learning how to style curtain bangs with a flat iron is fast and easy. We’ll teach you all the insider tricks we know.
How to Style Curtain Bangs With a Flat Iron: A Summary
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All you need to style curtain bangs is a high-quality flat iron, a heat protectant, and some practice following the steps below.
- Choose your flat iron
- Use a protectant
- Blow-dry your hair
- Section your hair
- Apply your flat iron
- Add some flare
- Finish with hair spray
With that under our belts, let’s take a closer look at how to style curtain bangs with a flat iron. We’re sure that you’ll never want to return to your old styling ways again after giving it a try!
Read Next: What Are Curtain Bangs?
How to Style Curtain Bangs With Flat Iron in 7 Steps
Follow the steps below, and get ready for people to do a double-take when they see your flat iron-styled curtain bangs.
1. Choose Your Flat Iron
You’ll need to style your curtain bangs every time after showering and getting up in the morning. So, it’s crucial to use a high-quality flat iron so that you don’t have to worry about hair damage.
A study on how heat affects human hair showed that repetitive use of flat irons in curly hair resulted in a loss of natural curls and structural damage to the hair follicles. Depending on how you feel about your natural hair, this may make you uneasy or jump for joy.
Either way, protecting your hair with high-quality products will help decrease the possibility of your flat iron causing your hair long-term damage.
Qualities to look for in a flat iron include:
- Adjustable temperature
- Titanium plates
- Plate size
- Plate shape
Titanium is ideal for flat irons because this material has less of a chance of burning your curtain bangs. In contrast, the cheaper ceramic flat irons can do a number on your hair, although people with thin hair can sometimes get away with using them since they don’t need to apply the flat iron for as long.
The plate size is also important because you should aim to style your curtain bangs with a flat iron between 1 – 1.5 inches if you have thick or curly hair. In contrast, people with thin, straight hair can get away with narrower flat iron widths.
Finally, we recommend purchasing a flat iron with rounded edges. That way, you’ll have more flexibility to create beautiful styles with your curtain bangs than with straight-edged irons.
2. Use a Heat Protectant
Heat protectants are the other piece of the puzzle when protecting your curtain bangs from heat damage.
A study conducted in 2011 sought to determine if heat protectants worked on protecting hair when using flat irons over 200 °C, which is the point where hair keratin undergoes significant damage.
It concluded that hair treated with heat protectants had improved moisture restoration and water retention. However, to achieve these effects, which will reduce the amount of hair breakage, you need to ensure that you purchase a product with specific polymers, such as:
- Acrylates
- Lauryl methacrylate copolymer
- Polyquaternium-55
- Polyquaternium-28
Once you buy a suitable heat protectant, apply it to your hair following the instructions on the bottle.
It’s crucial not to go overboard on the amount of heat protectant you use. Otherwise, it could give your curtain bangs a greasy appearance.
Read Next: The 5 Best Heat Protectants in 2024
3. Blow-Dry Your Hair
Let’s set the record straight—you don’t have to take a shower before styling your curtain bangs with a flat iron. But we’ve included this here since there’ll inevitably be a time when you’ll want to style your bangs after showering.
To prepare your wet curtain bangs for styling with your flat iron, use a round brush as you use your blow dryer. Make sure to blow the heat in a downward fashion.
Furthermore, always address your curtain bangs before the rest of your hair. Since they’re thinner, they’ll dry first and can give you an extra battle to deal with by taking on their own shape.
While we’re on the subject of heat, you can save your hair from potential heat damage by using your hairdryer with a low-heat or even cool setting. Although hot air increases the evaporation rate of water from your hair, you’ll ultimately end with the same final product regardless of your blow dryer’s temperature—dry curtain bangs.
Furthermore, by using a 1-inch round brush when you’re blow-drying your bangs, they’ll land in your flat iron plates with fullness already built into them.
4. Section Your Hair
Since you have curtain bangs, you likely wear your hair parted down the middle. Therefore, take a comb and part your hair accordingly.
Then, gather the section on the right side of your head and collect all the hair that makes up the curtain bangs. Clip this hair back, and follow the same procedure on your left side.
Once you’ve clipped up your hair, it’s time for the fun to begin with using your flat iron.
5. Apply Your Flat Iron
Going back to the right side of your head, unclip your bangs and divide the section in half horizontally so that you have a top and bottom layer of the section.
Then, clip the bottom layer back. From there, apply the flat iron to the root of the top layer and use firm pressure and an even movement. Slowly move the iron from the roots to the tips of your curtain bangs.
As you perform this motion, gradually twist your wrist to form a large “C” shape with the flat iron. The “C” should point inward towards your face so that when you release it, your curtain bangs frame it.
Now, grab the bottom part of the bangs on your right side and follow the same procedure. After, perform this two-step process on the left side of your curtain bangs.
When using your flat iron, you may need or want to go over the same spot multiple times. For example, doing so is typically necessary for thick or curly hair.
Alternatively, you may want a re-do, feeling that you shaped your “C” too tightly or not tight enough. There’s nothing wrong with going over your curtain bangs again with your flat iron until you achieve the look you want.
However, we recommend waiting for ten seconds or so between each heat application to give your hair time to cool down. That way, you’ll avoid dreaded hair damage.
6. Add Some Flare
At this point, you could consider your curtain bang job complete and head out your door. However, leaving all your curtain bangs in a “C” shape can look a little too cookie-cutter for some tastes.
Therefore, use your hands to take some of the inwardly curved sections and pull the tips outwards. You can apply your flat iron to help hold this shape.
Alternatively, if you want messier-looking curtain bangs with more volume, grab the inward most portion of the right and left sides (the area closest to your middle part). Then, combine these sides into a single strand of hair and use your flat iron to create a wavy shape.
You can do so by moving your iron back and forth in short, quick movements with your wrist. Then, release the hold on your hair and let it fall back to its corresponding sides, giving it a little help with your fingers if needed.
Using a texturizing spray or gel is an excellent option if you have thin, flat hair. These products help hair naturally take on a fuller look. Even better, it’ll make it easier to hold your curtain bangs in an updo if you decide to toss them into a ponytail at your end-of-the-day workout.
Although you might feel tempted to let your beautiful curtain bangs bounce unrestrained around your face, don’t be afraid to tuck them behind your ears. Using the styling techniques we described here will ensure your curtain bangs look full and shaped regardless of where they sit.
7. Finish With Hair Spray
Although styling your curtain bangs with a flat iron will help them hold up well through a day sitting at the office, if you move around a lot or will be in a windy area, we encourage you to apply hair spray.
A medium-hold hair spray is ideal for maintaining the balance between keeping your curtain bangs in place and preventing them from losing their beautiful bounce. Make sure not to go overboard—a couple of sprays on either side should do the trick.
Alternatively, if you’re concerned about the environmental impact of aerosol sprays because of their chlorofluorocarbon content, there are some alternatives you can use instead.
Examples include:
- Mousse
- Hair gel
- Hair paste
Whatever product you end up using, just make sure to use it in moderation. If you overdo a hair-holding substance, you’ll end up needing to wash your curtain bangs and start from scratch.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Are you still trying to wrap your mind around how to style curtain bangs with a flat iron? If so, no fear—the answers below should help you out.
How do you swoop curtain bangs with a straightener?
To swoop curtain bangs with a straightener, apply the heat at the root and make turning motions with your wrist as you gently pull the flat iron towards the back of your head. You can also apply hair spray to hold your style in place.
How hot should my flat iron be?
Set your flat iron to 400 – 450 degrees Fahrenheit if you have thick or wavy hair. People with straight and thin hair can get away with hot iron temperatures in the 350 – 375-degree range.
Why do my curtain bangs curl inwards?
Your curtain bangs curl inwards because you made too sharp of a “C” shape when using your flat iron. Therefore, reapply your flat iron and form a more gentle curved shape as you move it from your roots to the tips.
What do curtain bangs do for your face?
Long curtain bangs can help give the illusion of a thinner and longer face for people with round faces. Alternatively, if you have shorter curtain bangs and keep them parted off-center, it’ll help narrow faces have a broader look around the forehead.
Are curtain bangs slimming?
Long curtain bangs can offer people with wide and round faces an attractive slimming appearance. That’s because these bangs narrow the look of the face by falling in front of the cheeks.
So, How Do You Style Curtain Bangs With Flat Iron?
Using a flat iron is an excellent way to style voluminous curtain bangs that will last you throughout the day. A high-quality straightener and heat protectant is all you need to keep your bangs styled, healthy, and brilliant.