One pass and my dry hair curled itself

Okay so, I was getting ready to go out and I had nothing to work with. Second day hair, a little dry shampoo, been to the gym, walked the dog. Flat. I’d heard I could use the Shark FlexStyle multi styler drying system on dry hair and it would air curl it, so I figured I’d test that claim live and see what it looked like.

The first section I wrapped, I looked at it and said “that’s pretty good.” By the second, better section, I was at “wow, that’s crazy.” My hair had been straight the day before. This thing took totally dry hair and gave me curl in seconds. If you don’t know what this is, it’s a hair dryer where the pieces all come off, and one of the attachments sucks your hair in and curls it for you.

What’s in the box and what each piece does

The FlexStyle is a hair dryer at its core, and the whole point is that the ends swap. It’s got a diffuser, a concentrator, brushes, and the two auto-wrap curlers that do the magic. The dryer body itself weighs just over 1.5 lbs, so it’s light in the hand while you’re working. The curlers use Coanda airflow to wrap your hair around them without you having to twist anything manually.

Curling second-day dry hair in real time

The curl set fast, faster than I expected. I’d start it, wrap one side, and check the result before committing to the whole head. The trick I figured out on camera is that you can’t rush the release. When I see other people use it, they wrap it, hold it a beat, and then let go. If you pull it out while it’s still hot, you’re basically brushing the curl out as it leaves the wand. Let it sit, then release, and the shape stays.

There’s a button on the tool that switches between heat and cool. If I wanted the curls more pronounced and really full, I’d cool them down, turn it off and leave the curler in my hair for a second to lock the shape. I didn’t need that for this. I only wanted naturally wavy for the evening, and one pass gave me a lot of curl already. “This is phenomenal,” I said, and I meant the speed. Remember how straight my hair was? Gone.

The direction thing you’ll fumble on the first side

The one snag I hit: I went the wrong direction on the first side. There’s a curler for each direction, and if you grab the wrong one for the side you’re working, the curl wants to fall toward your face instead of away from it. I caught it mid-test, said “oh, you know what, I might have gone the wrong way for this side,” swapped my approach, and it looked right. It’s not hard once you clock it, but nobody hands you a diagram, so your first side is the practice side.

One more thing worth knowing: the curl is only as good as your patience with the hold. Rush it and it loosens. That’s the whole learning curve, and it’s a real one.

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Who this is really for

If your hair is fine, thinning, or just doesn’t hold curl the way it used to, I’m right there with you, and this is the tool I’d hand you first. Second-day hair, no prep, no curling iron warming up on the counter: I had soft waves in under five minutes. The low-heat airflow is the specific reason it matters for fine hair over 40; you’re not clamping direct heat onto a strand that can’t take it.

It’s also for the person who likes one tool doing several jobs. Swapping the attachment is nothing. You press the button on top, it pops right off, and the next piece clicks into place. That’s the easiest part of the whole thing.

FlexStyle curlers vs a regular curling iron

A curling iron clamps direct heat onto the strand and holds it there, that’s exactly what fine hair doesn’t need. The FlexStyle wraps with airflow at a regulated, lower temperature, measuring it 1,000 times per second, and I genuinely never felt the scorching edge I get from an iron. The curl came out faster and the movement looked like my hair decided to do that, not like I worked at it.

Where a curling iron still wins: control and a tight, defined ringlet. If you want super-pronounced spiral curls that read as styled-styled, an iron gives you more grip on exactly where the curl sits. The FlexStyle leans toward soft, wavy, effortless. For what I wanted that night, effortless was the whole point.

My tips before you start

Take smaller sections than you think. On my very first piece I grabbed too much hair, then went smaller on the next one and the curl came out cleaner. Match the curler to the direction you’re curling on each side so the wave falls away from your face. And be patient with the release, hold it hot for a beat, then let go, don’t yank.

If you want fuller, more defined curls, hit the cool button before you release, or switch the tool off entirely and leave the curler sitting in your hair for a few extra seconds. That locked shape holds noticeably better than skipping it. I didn’t bother for a casual evening out, but on a night I actually needed the curl to survive, I’d use it every time.

Pros

• Curled totally dry, second-day fine hair in seconds, no curling iron needed
• Auto-wrap curlers pull hair in and wrap it for you with airflow, not clamping heat
• Attachments pop off and click on with one button, fast to swap
• Cool setting lets you set fuller, more pronounced curls when you want them
• Light in the hand at just over 1.5 lbs while you work

Cons

• Easy to grab the wrong-direction curler on the first side until you learn it
• Curl brushes out if you pull the wand before letting it sit hot
• Softer, wavier result than a curling iron’s tight defined curl

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the Shark FlexStyle curl dry hair, or does it have to be wet?

Yes, it curled my completely dry, second-day hair with the auto-wrap curlers. I didn’t wet it or add product beyond the dry shampoo already in it. It’s designed to dry and style, so damp hair works too, but the dry-hair air curl absolutely worked for me.

Why does the curl fall out sometimes?

Usually because you released the curler too soon. If you pull the wand out while the hair is still hot, you brush the curl out as it leaves. Hold it a beat, then let go, and use the cool setting to set it if you want it to last longer.

Does it damage fine or thinning hair?

It’s built around low-heat, fast drying, measuring and regulating temperature 1000 times per second. I never felt like I was scorching my hair the way a hot curling iron can. For fine hair worried about heat, that’s the appeal.

How do you switch the attachments?

There’s a button on top of the tool. Press it, the attachment pops right off, and the next one clicks into place. It’s one of the easiest parts of using it, and swapping between the two curlers for opposite directions takes a second.

Which attachment curls the hair?

The 1.25-inch auto-wrap curlers do the curling. There are two, one for each direction, so the curls fall away from your face on both sides. It also comes with a diffuser, concentrator, and brushes for drying and smoothing.

Do I need to buy anything extra to get it working?

No, the drying and curling attachments come with it, so it works out of the box. There’s no app, account, or subscription to run it. You plug it in and go.

Is it good for short hair?

It’s designed for straight, wavy, curly, and coily hair across lengths, though very short hair may not have enough length for the curler to wrap. My hair had plenty to work with. If your hair reaches past your chin, the auto-wrap should catch it fine.

How long does the curl last?

It depends on whether you set it with the cool shot. For soft, naturally wavy movement I skipped the cool step and got a lot of curl anyway. If you want it to hold longer and read fuller, cool it down before releasing to lock the shape.

Get it now

Shark FlexStyle Multi-Styler

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