Your guide to soft waves, smooth curls, and lived-in texture
If you’ve ever watched someone curl their hair with a flat iron and thought, “Okay, but how is their wrist doing that?” — welcome, you’re among friends. Curling with a flat iron looks weirdly advanced until you actually understand what’s happening. One slight turn in the wrong direction and suddenly you’ve created either a mysterious dent or a curl so tight it feels like it’s from a different decade.
But here’s the good news: once you get the technique down, a flat iron curls tutorial becomes life-changing—even more so for medium hair. Medium lengths have the perfect amount of weight for soft bends, the ideal surface for polished curls, and the flexibility to hold style without falling flat. It’s basically the sweet spot for curling with a flat iron if you know how to handle the angles and tension.
This is the curling hair with flat iron tutorial that finally breaks it all down in a way that feels doable — even if you’ve never curled a single strand with anything other than a curling iron. And by the end, you’ll be able to create multiple types of curls: relaxed waves, S-bends, ribbon curls, lived-in texture, and full glam spirals.
Why use a flat iron to curl medium hair?
Medium hair is secretly the MVP length for flat-iron curls. Here’s why:
1. It’s long enough to wrap and flip, without getting tangled. Short hair doesn’t always have enough length for a full rotation, and long hair can be heavy and awkward. Medium hair hits the technical sweet spot.
2. Curls hold longer. Because medium hair isn’t weighed down by length, curls last longer — especially when using a flat iron, which seals the shape more efficiently than a wand.
3. You get more styles out of one tool. A flat iron can create:
- soft waves
- tight curls
- beachy texture
- S-bends
- flicked ends
-
glam ribbon curls
(Curling irons can’t do half of that!)
4. It smooths as it curls. Flat irons press and heat simultaneously, leaving curls shiny, sleek, and polished.
5. It’s quicker than you think. Once you get the movement down, a full curl hair tutorial with flat iron can take less than 10 minutes.
Now that you’re convinced, let’s prep.
Tools, prep & heat settings for medium hair
Good curls start before the flat iron even turns on.
Choose the right flat iron
For medium hair, the best flat iron for curls has:
- 1" plates (perfect for wrapping and rotating)
- Rounded edges (no sharp corners that cause dents)
-
Floating plates (move with your hair instead of clamping harshly)
Heat settings
- Fine to medium hair: 300–330°F
- Medium to thick hair: 330–365°F
-
Coarse or hard-to-curl hair: 370–400°F
Go lower if your hair is color-treated or fragile.
Product prep
- Heat protectant (non-negotiable)
- Light styling cream or mousse to help grip
- Dry shampoo if roots are slippery
-
Flexible-hold hairspray for later — don’t apply yet
Sectioning
Even sections = even curls. Aim for:
- 1" sections for defined curls
- 1.5–2" for softer waves
FYI: Medium hair responds best when section sizes stay consistent.
Your flat iron curls tutorial (step-by-step)
This flat iron curls tutorial for medium hair uses a simple flip-and-glide technique—no wild wrist acrobatics needed.
STEP 1
Start with the front sections instead of the back—it makes the whole process easier, especially for medium hair. Take a one-inch piece around your face, place the flat iron near the root, clamp gently, and rotate the iron 180 degrees away from your face. This helps you get comfortable with the movement before you work your way around the rest of your head.
Think of it as your “warm-up curl”: it sets the direction, defines the overall look, and gives you a quick visual cue for whether you want tighter curls, looser bends, or something in between.
STEP 2
Once the iron is rotated, slowly glide it down the length of your hair. The curl forms from the initial twist, not from twisting the iron the whole way down, so don’t overthink the movement. A slow glide gives you a tighter curl, and a faster glide creates a softer wave.
Keeping the pressure light and the motion continuous is key; stopping mid-glide is the easiest way to create dents. As long as your iron keeps moving, the curl will look smooth and intentional.
STEP 3
To customize your curls, adjust the rotation and gliding speed based on the style you want. For classic curls, rotate the iron fully and glide at a steady, slower pace. For loose waves, rotate only halfway and move faster. For beachy texture, use a soft “twist and flatten” motion as you glide to create that lived-in S-shape.
To get sculpted ribbon curls, keep consistent tension as you pull through. And for a more modern look, start at mid-length and leave the ends out. With medium hair, these variations look especially good because the length hits in all the right places to show off curl definition.
STEP 4
Continue curling the rest of your hair in small, manageable sections, working from the top layers down. Medium hair typically needs one-inch sections through most of the head, slightly larger pieces on the top for softness, and smaller ones underneath for structure.
Alternating directions—one away from your face, one toward your face—keeps the curls from merging into one big wave and adds natural movement. By the time you reach the back, the technique feels much more intuitive, and your curls will naturally fall into a balanced pattern.
STEP 5
Once everything is curled, resist the urge to touch, comb, or shake anything out. Letting curls cool is the single most important step for making them last, especially on medium hair that can loosen throughout the day. Cooling locks the shape into place, so give your curls two to three minutes to fully set. You can clip them up if you want extra longevity, but even just letting them fall untouched makes a huge difference in how well they hold.
STEP 6
When your curls are cool, go in with your chosen styling finish. For smooth, polished curls, use a wide-tooth comb or your fingers to softly break them apart. For fluffy, voluminous movement, shake out the roots only and leave the lengths intact.
For beachy texture, twist random strands with your fingers and mist on a little texture spray. Finish with flexible-hold hairspray so everything stays touchable but secure. This final step is where your curl personality shows up—soft, structured, undone, glossy, whatever you’re into.
Different curl styles you can create with a flat iron
Source: Chloe Swift Stylist
Medium hair is the perfect test canvas because curls hold shape without collapsing. Below are style options and how to get them using the same basic flat iron technique.
Loose everyday waves
Perfect for work, brunch, dates, or the days you want to appear “effortlessly styled.” How to get them:
- Rotate 90°
- Glide quickly
- Leave ends slightly out
- Comb through after cooling
Why it works on medium hair: The length sits beautifully at the collarbone or shoulder, creating movement that looks intentional but not overdone.
Modern beach waves
This is the “cool girl” wave that’s casual, textured, undone but not frizzy. How to do it:
- Use the S-bend technique
- Add texture spray
- Fluff with fingertips
Why it works on medium hair: Medium hair is ideal for this because the waves hit at the perfect place to frame the face without overwhelming your length.
Glam ribbon curls
Great for events or when you want high shine and structured shape. How to do it:
- Rotate the iron a full 180°
- Maintain consistent tension
- Glide slowly for maximum definition
Why it works on medium hair: Medium hair creates bouncy, uniform curls that sit beautifully on the shoulders.
Voluminous curls with lift
Ideal for flat roots or fine-to-medium hair types. How to get volume:
- Curl the top layer horizontally
- Curl bottom layers vertically
- Shake out from the roots only
Why it works on medium hair: Medium hair is easier to lift because the weight is balanced—not too long, not too short.
Troubleshooting flat iron curls on medium hair
Even with a solid curl hair tutorial with flat iron, a few things can trip you up. Here are some of the things our clients say in the salon about their curling woes:
💬 “My curls separate into weird chunks.”
Your sections are too big or uneven.
Solution: Stick to 1" sections for most of your head.
💬 “I’m getting random dents.”
This usually means:
- You're gripping too tightly
- You're pausing mid-glide
Solution: Light pressure + smooth, continuous motion.
💬 “My curls fall out fast.”
Common causes:
- No product prep
- Iron not hot enough
- Pulling too fast
Solution: Increase heat slightly, slow your glide, and don’t skip mousse or light styling cream.
💬 “One side looks great, the other looks… different.”
Welcome to the universal struggle.
Solution: Turn your wrist in the same direction each time—imagine you’re turning a doorknob. Consistency > perfection.
💬“The ends look dry.”
Medium hair can have fragile ends.
Solution: Leave the last ½–1" uncurled and add a tiny drop of serum.
💬 “The curls look too tight.”
Speed up your glide or rotate the iron only 90° instead of 180°.
How to make flat iron curls last longer on medium hair
Medium hair already has good curl retention, but here’s how to stretch your style even further:
- Curl on day-two or day-three hair for better grip
- Use a light mousse before blow drying
- Pin curls while they cool for extra longevity
- Sleep with hair in a loose silk scrunchie bun
- Refresh in the morning with a mini flat iron wave touch-up
Curls last longest when the hair cools in the curled shape, so avoid combing until completely cool.
Recommended tools (optional but helpful)
You don’t need fancy tools for this flat iron curls tutorial, but if you want results that look smoother and more consistent, here’s what helps:
- 1" ceramic or titanium flat iron with rounded edges
- Heat protectant (spray or cream)
- Wide-tooth comb
- Light mousse or styling cream
- Texturizing spray
- Flexible-hold hairspray
These products help medium hair hold shape without weighing it down.
Flat iron curls are easier than they look (we promise)
By this point, you’ve learned the basics, the techniques, the troubleshooting, and every trick in the book for getting medium hair to curl beautifully with a flat iron. The best part? Once you master the single rotation + smooth glide move, curling becomes second nature.
Medium hair is truly one of the easiest lengths to style—it’s lightweight enough to hold shape, long enough to create movement, and versatile enough to pull off every look from effortless waves to glam curls.
This flat iron curls tutorial is your starting point, but the more you play with angles, tension, and speed, the more you’ll discover your signature curl style. So grab your flat iron (we’d obviously suggest the TYME Iron Pro), practice a few sections, and enjoy entering your “I actually know how to curl my hair” era.