Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Style and beauty

Looking for style advice? Chat all about it here. For the latest discounts on fashion and beauty, sign up for Mumsnet Moneysaver emails.

Original poster

Curling hair with straightening irons - why can’t I get the hang of it?

69 replies

Marie2023 · 05/12/2023 19:26

I have watched all the You Tube videos, bought all the products and invested huge amounts of time into curling my hair with straightening irons, but I just can’t get it to work.

Does anyone else struggle, or is it just me? The hairdresser can style my hair beautifully with straightening irons, so it’s not my hair, it’s me 😔.

OP posts:
Strokethefurrywall · 06/12/2023 01:59

I literally had my spin n curl delivered this weekend (apparently it's the US version of the glamorizer thing in the link) because I'm a fucking dud when it comes to curling my hair.

Seriously I tried the spin and curl and my hair was full of bounce in about 40 mins (I have very thick hair). Total game changer, no contorting my hand in awkward positions, no ending up with one side well curled and the other side sticking up in shite angles.

It's great, highly recommend! 👍🏼👍🏼

Original poster
Marie2023 · 06/12/2023 04:51

I’ve bought a Kitsch curling rod. I’ll let you know how I get on.

Curling hair with straightening irons - why can’t I get the hang of it?
OP posts:
ApolloandDaphne · 06/12/2023 05:49

I can't do it either. I end up burning my ears. I've embraced the straight hair.

Guineapig123 · 06/12/2023 06:09

i can curl dd’s hair with straighteners but if I try to do mine it doesn’t work at all so I end up using a wand like straightening the bits I tried to curl 🙈
I also have the kitch heartless curler but only have shoulder length hair so it doesn’t really work on me…

StamppotAndGravy · 06/12/2023 06:16

If you need more, men's socks work nearly as well as soft and you can wash the hair spray off

Pluviophile1 · 06/12/2023 06:19

Fedupbeingworriedallthegoddamntime · 06/12/2023 00:20

I can’t do it either, when I try my straighteners don’t glide effortlessly down my hair, it sort of stops and starts and I just get weird dents, I use ghd’s the same as the YouTube tutorials, must be my weird hair.

Same. My hair won't glide through smoothly.

Myridiculousstomach · 06/12/2023 06:35

Fedupbeingworriedallthegoddamntime · 06/12/2023 00:20

I can’t do it either, when I try my straighteners don’t glide effortlessly down my hair, it sort of stops and starts and I just get weird dents, I use ghd’s the same as the YouTube tutorials, must be my weird hair.

This is the problem that i encounter every time too. It just doesn’t work for me.

declutteringmymind · 06/12/2023 06:37

It's all about the tension. Pull the end of the hair as you pull the straightening iron through.

piscofrisco · 06/12/2023 06:51

I was coming on to say heatles curling rod thing. Mine works a treat and it's easy to put in.

Sexlivesofthepotatomen · 06/12/2023 09:06

I've mastered this and I think the trick is not to pull your hair too tight. I start at the root, clamp the hair lightly and turn/twist the straightener as you pull down and then turn/twist again halfway down. Works brilliantly

Sexlivesofthepotatomen · 06/12/2023 09:07

and make sure you regularly clean the plates on your straighteners, they pull through much easier. If they snag on your hair, it means you're pulling too tightly

Sexlivesofthepotatomen · 06/12/2023 09:13

This is after I've curled and then brushed through, if I want curlier, I hold the straighteners a little tighter

Curling hair with straightening irons - why can’t I get the hang of it?
Original poster
Marie2023 · 06/12/2023 10:04

@Sexlivesofthepotatomen your hair looks fab!

OP posts:
Sexlivesofthepotatomen · 06/12/2023 10:17

Marie2023 · 06/12/2023 10:04

@Sexlivesofthepotatomen your hair looks fab!

Thank you! It did take me a while to get the hang of it but I do it all the time now, bigger chunks of hair for looser curls/waves and smaller for tighter curls

marthalovescheese · 06/12/2023 11:49

Fedupbeingworriedallthegoddamntime · 06/12/2023 00:20

I can’t do it either, when I try my straighteners don’t glide effortlessly down my hair, it sort of stops and starts and I just get weird dents, I use ghd’s the same as the YouTube tutorials, must be my weird hair.

That's what happens to me. When the straighteners eventually judder their way to the end, I am left with a sort of limp Brillo pad.

shearwater2 · 06/12/2023 14:14

I can't get the right angle to do it on my own hair.

Brumbies · 06/12/2023 16:29

Anyone used a wand for curls?

thenightsky · 06/12/2023 16:33

Brumbies · 06/12/2023 16:29

Anyone used a wand for curls?

I borrowed one to see how I got on before spending out on some. Useless. I continually burnt my fingers and ears. Now I just twist hair up in a bun and secure with a clip. Blast with a dryer and leave it up until I get make up on, dressed and about to go of the door.

alloalloallo · 06/12/2023 16:34

I can’t do it to my own hair. I can’t make it glide smoothly down my hair and end up with weird lines and kinks in it.

I can do it to my daughters’ hair fine, but just can’t get the angle right I guess when doing it to myself.

Im a bit cack-handed when doing anything to my hair in a mirror. My brain can’t cope with it for some reason.

Gandalfsthong · 06/12/2023 19:16

Absolutely think it looks like a sex toy too 👍🏻

Duh · 06/12/2023 19:54

Ok I get that the Glamouriser looks a bit like a sex toy but it really is for your hair! For everyone who struggles to curl their hair it is an absolute godsend.

Anyone I have recommended it to who has bought one absolutely loves it and now has fabulous hair.

VQ1970 · 13/12/2023 23:19

Having read this thread last week, I ordered the Glamouriser recommended by Duh

I used it today and I absolutely love it! I have fairly thick hair just down past my shoulders. I've tried curling it with straighteners and can't do it, I've used curling tongs and end up looking like Diana Ross on a bad day and used heated rollers that do nothing but the Glamouriser gave me amazing curls and was so easy to use. It took about 15 minutes. It wasn't perfect for a first time use but it was just so easy. I had washed and blow dried my hair straight before I used it.

Curling hair with straightening irons - why can’t I get the hang of it?
BarelyCoping123 · 13/12/2023 23:46

I can't do it either OP.
My SIL can do it perfectly - I once asked her to show me how she does it, she just said "well you just do it!" This was no help to me

Duh · 14/12/2023 09:12

@VQ1970 I’m so pleased you love the Glamouriser! It’s a great tool that should be better known in my opinion.

It looks like you did a fantastic job with the curls and you’ll get it down to five minutes in no time. Really happy for you 😃

MapleSyrupWaffles · 14/12/2023 09:15

How does the Glamouriser compare to the Curl Secret, anyone know? They look like kind of similar tools.

I also can't curl with a straightening iron, though I have the cloud 9 one with curved plates. My ends just end up always looking scraggly and the curl doesn't stay. It's a shame as I have naturally wavy/frizzy hair, but when I straighten it to get it smoother, the curl won't stay. I've had no success with the many many curl/wavy potions, so it needs to be straightened and then re-curled, but I can never really get it looking as nice as the hairdresser does!