Hair crimping

Hair crimping is a method of styling usually straight, long hair so that it becomes wavy, often in a sawtooth / zig-zag fashion. In the Southern United States, it is usually referred to as crimping, but also can be called crinkles or deep waves.

Hair being styled with a crimping iron in a salon.

Hair crimping is usually achieved by treating the hair with heat from a crimping iron (also referred to as hair crimper) or by braiding the hair, often in multiple strands, then undoing the braids after a couple of hours. A crimping iron has parallel heated plates designed with a flat S-shaped repeating groove.

In 1972, the modern crimping iron was invented by Geri Cusenza, the original founder of Sebastian, for Barbra Streisand's hair.[1][2][3][4]

Crimping peaked in mainstream popularity during the mid-1980s. In 2007 at a Chanel runway show crimped hair was shown on a model, and it became more popular throughout late 2007 and 2008. Crimping's popularity has a tendency to return in ten-year cycles, although it is often seen in fashion and hairstyle shows due to its visually striking effect.[5]