A good hair straightener is a worthwhile addition to any styling kit. I was recently able to try out the ghd Platinum styler and it has proven to be quite a nifty little thing. When it comes to styling tools, a lot of jargon gets thrown about. You know, heating technology this and patented that. All very important things I’m sure but it usually just goes straight over the top of my head. The main things I want to know are: is the product easy to use, will it turn me into a hair styling guru (probably not but with some practice here’s hoping), and will it be something that I end up using time and time again? So far the ghd Platinum ticks those boxes. I’m not one to wear my hair pin straight so instead I’ve been using it to create a ‘do with a bit more movement. You know, those loose effortless waves that actually require some effort to create. It’s like the hair equivalent of no-makeup makeup. Read on to see how I’ve been using my ghd platinum styler.

How To Create Loose Waves With a ghd Platinum Styler

1. Start with clean, straight hair (either blow dried or straightened), making sure you’ve applied a heat protective spray before any heat styling. Go for a heat styling product with curl enhancing properties for best results.

2. Now, the curling part is the bit that requires some practice. I watched many YouTube tutorials and tried and failed countless times before one day I miraculously just ‘got it’. The best way I can describe the action is to: grab a section of your hair, clamp the styler down, turn it on itself and rotate 180 degrees, then pull the straightener towards the end of the hair shaft, creating the curl. When you release it you should have a curl that looks something like in the third photo above. I probably should have made a video instead but, you know, hindsight etc.

3. Pin the curl up to help it hold its shape. Repeat the process in sections until you’ve worked all the way around your head. I start on the bottom half of my head and make my way to the top, pinning as I go. Let the pinned curls cool completely before releasing them. Then I usually work my fingers through to break up the curls and finish it off by brushing the waves out. A bit of hairspray probably wouldn’t go astray either.

My hair notoriously can’t hold a curl and they drop out quite easily, but I’ve found that pinning the curls while they cool really helps them hold their shape. I also swear that brushing the curls out with a paddle brush gives them a much nicer, more ‘natural’ finish. Other tidbits/lessons I’ve learned the hard way are:

Always Use Protective Products

For a while there I’d just skip using heat protective products. Either because I didn’t have any handy or I just didn’t like putting lots of product in my hair. These days though I always use a heat protective spray as it not only helps prevent damage but it also leaves my hair looking much sleeker after styling. I don’t have a particular one to recommend as I’m always trying out different products (if you have any favourites let me know so I can try them out). 

Work in Sections

As tempting as it is to go completely gung ho on your hair, a little bit of patience goes a long way. I’m a sucker for a shortcut and I’ve been known to just work away at my hair haphazardly and as quickly as possible. However, over time I’ve come to the realisation that working in sections is not only more effective but efficient as well.

Have a Backup Plan

Nobody likes a bad hair day. I’m sure I’m not the only one to have ever put a lot of effort into my hair only for it to look completely rubbish at the end of it all. So I always have a quick-fix backup plan. Did those planned beachy waves turn out to be a frizzy mess? Rub on some smoothing serum and turn it into a tousled low bun. Hair end up too straight? Work in some volume boosting powder to give it a bit more oomph, etc. Worst comes to worse, always leave enough time to start over.

[The ghd Platinum styler in this post was gifted. All content was based on my experience using the product]