TYME Iron Beginner's Guide - Part 2

Read Time: 3 min 36 sec

In the TYME Iron Beginner's Guide - Part 1 article, we introduced you to the TYME Iron and taught you how to prep your hair. In Part 2, we are discussing proper sectioning and teaching you the technique for curling and straightening your hair with the TYME Iron!

Check out our new guide with everything you need to get started effortlessly here.

How To Section Hair and Hold The TYME Iron Correctly



Holding the Iron Correctly

1. Start by picking up your TYME Iron. You always want to hold it in your right hand with your thumb behind the power button. This is going to be your hand position for both curling and straightening.
2. Get in the habit of setting your iron down with the curved side facing the counter. This will guard your counter and allow you to pick up the iron and use it without having to adjust.

Sectioning

1. To break the habit of using clips, which can be time consuming, we like to start in the very back by splitting your hair down the middle, and working your way forward. This allows you to cut down your curl time, and helps you go through your sections easier and without missing any strands!
2. When you’re grabbing your section, make sure to grab it vertically, long top to bottom. Keep your section small enough to fit inside the irons plates.
3. Prep your section by brushing it forward so it’s already laying in the direction we are going to move with the iron. You will get a much smoother curl all the way through.
4. When you put your hair in your iron try to keep it as fanned out as possible so it’s evenly heated and your curls will last longer!

How to Curl on Your Right Side

1. For the right side, start with the iron in your right hand, with your thumb behind the power button.
2. Start with cord end of the iron towards the floor and the curved side towards your scalp. When in this position your fingers should be in towards your scalp and thumb up towards the ceiling.
3. Gently close your iron, rotate back by turning your knuckles back then push forward with your iron keeping the tip of your iron up towards the ceiling. We like to think of this movement as a push towards your mirror instead of pulling down, forward, or out to the side.
4. Maintain a “rooftop line” (90º) angle to start. You can switch this up once you become comfortable with the technique to achieve different curls!
5. How much curl you get depends on how much you rotate your iron. A quarter turn is going to be loose, a half turn is more defined, and full turn is going to be a tight ringlet.

How to Curl on Your Left Side

1. For the left side, start with the iron in your right hand, with your thumb behind the power button.
2. The main difference between curling the right and left sides is that you will be starting with cord end of the iron towards the ceiling on your left side. As usual, the curved side will be towards your scalp. When in this position your fingers should be in towards your scalp and thumb up towards the ceiling.
3. Gently close your iron, rotate back by turning your knuckles back then push forward with your iron keeping the tip of your iron down towards the floor. We like to think of this movement as a push towards your mirror instead of pulling down, forward, or out to the side
4. Maintain a “rooftop line” (90º) angle to start. You can switch this up once you become comfortable with the technique to achieve different curls!
5. How much curl you get depends on how much you rotate your iron. A quarter turn is going to be loose, a half turn is more defined, and full turn is going to be a tight ringlet.

Common Mistakes While Curling

1. Grabbing the iron backward, with your thumb behind the temperature lights instead of the power button.
2. Entering your section with the straightening side instead of the curved, curling side.
3. Using two hands to turn your iron as you would with a flat iron or traditional curling iron.
4. Using too much tension (closing too tight) when you curl.
5. Taking too thick of sections. (Start small, you can always grab larger sections once you are achieving the curl you want!)
6. Twisting or pinching your section instead of allowing it to be fanned out on the plates.

Straightening with the TYME Iron

1. Hold the iron just as you would when curling, in your right hand with your thumb behind the power button.
2. Instead of the curved side going towards your scalp, hold the iron horizontally and the exposed plate side closest to your scalp (but not touching it, the plates are hot!)
3. Start with manageable horizontal sections since that is the same direction your plates are laying.
4. Make sure your plates are laying flat, parallel to your hair section instead of coming in at an angle. The thinner the horizontal section, the closer to the scalp you can get.
5. You can roll the iron under to create a bend in, or out to create a bend out
6. If your hair is flat you can build a little volume by pulling the hair up and shaping the hair up and out at the scalp with your iron. (Time stamp 1:25 in “How to Straighten” video)
7. For thick or naturally curly hair we recommend leading your iron with a paddle brush.

Common Mistakes While Straightening

1. Starting with the exposed plates directly on your scalp. (Please remember the plates are hot!)
2. Clamping too hard when you first close your iron which can cause creasing.

Everyone has different learning styles and takes away different tips and tricks from each of our tutorials. Click here for the full break down on how to get started. Enjoy!

Still need help? We are dedicated to making sure you love your TYME products! We offer FREE HangTYME (fun and interactive group learning sessions with inventor & CEO, Jacynda Smith) and StyleTYME (one-on-one sessions with a stylist available upon request) appointments with every purchase! tyme.as.me

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