Big soft waves in hair are the hottest thing in hair fashion right now
You have to go back many generations since curls and waves have been as much a part of fashion as they are today. Curls of all sizes are popular, but particularly popular are the beautiful wavy curls that look great in both medium and long hair.
You can do them a round straightener if you have good arm muscles, because it requires you to be able to stand with your arms above your head at weird angles.
You can also get an effect like waves if you have a big coil of over 35 mm for your curling iron.
But for the fastest and best results, use a wave iron that transforms your hair from straight to beautifully wavy, section by section.
The wave iron is one of the latest hot hair styling tools, but there’s no doubt it’s here to stay – and if you haven’t already decided on one, read on to learn a lot more about wave irons.
What is a wave iron?
If you haven’t heard of a wave iron before, that’s because it’s one of the newer things in hair styling tools.
It has already created so much hype in the hair styling industry and with women worldwide that there is no doubt that the wave iron is here to stay and belongs to the standard equipment in a bathroom along with a blow dryer, a curling iron and a straightener. And if you’re just crazy about curls then maybe a crepe iron too.
A wave iron makes waves in your hair instead of real curls. You can therefore get a more tousled look like beach hair look or you can get beautiful falls in your long hair, depending on how you use your wave iron and how you style your hair afterwards.
A wave iron is built around 3 tubes that heat up when you turn on the wave iron. Two on one jaw and one on the other jaw. When you close the jaws of the wave iron together around your hair, the single tube on one jaw fits perfectly between the two tubes on the other jaw. This gives you the beautiful waves in your hair.
Making waves in your hair is incredibly easy because you don’t have to roll your hair up on a wave iron. It can therefore also be used in page or shoulder-length hair.
If you’d like to know more about how to use a wave iron, I’ve created a detailed guide further down the article.
Difference between curls made with a wave iron vs. a crepe iron, curling iron or straightening iron
The love of curls isn’t something that only emerged in the 2020s. In fact, the curling iron was invented way back in the 1870s, as the first of the hot hair styling tools that we love today. With a curling iron, you get big soft round curls or spiral curls, depending on how big the coil is.
A hundred years later in the 1970s, the crepe iron arrives, creating tiny, tight waves in hair. Today, the crepe iron and the crepe hair effect are mostly used in the first cm of the innermost layers of hair to give more body to the hairstyle.
The straightening iron was invented in between, namely in 1909 but for many years the straightening iron was square on the outside and therefore not to be used to create curls. Today, more and more straighteners are curved on the outside, so you can create soft spiral curls or big curls in your hair.
To achieve the wave effect, people used to resort to methods such as braiding their hair while it was wet, etc., but it wasn’t until the 2010s that the wave iron saw the light of day. The wave iron, as its name suggests, produces the coveted waves in the hair.
The curling iron was invented in the 1870s by Marcel Grateau
The straightening iron was invented in 1909 by Isaac K. Shero
The crepe iron was invented in the 1970s by Geri Cusenza
How to choose the best wave iron for YOUR hair
We use our hair styling tools a lot, so it’s important that we choose the right one so we don’t have to fret daily over hair styling tools that don’t work properly or are a hassle to use.
I will now go through the things that you should pay attention to when buying a wave iron for your hair. Keep these things in mind when you make your choice to avoid boring mistakes
Fast heating
When styling your hair, you may have just used your hairdryer or had something else plugged in, so for many it’s important that you can plug the wave iron in and it’s ready to use in no time.
If you buy a quality corrugator, the corrugator should be hot within a minute. In fact, some are ready as quickly as 25 seconds.
Temperature settings thermostat 120 – 230
You should choose a wave iron with thermostat, which allows you to choose several temperature settings. It’s important not to overheat your hair.
If you have fine hair, you can get beautiful waves in your hair at between 120 and 150 degrees. If you have thicker hair, you may need to turn up the heat to approach 200 degrees.
For example, if you have worn bangs, you should turn the heat way down. If you want your hair to look its best, you should therefore choose a wave iron that allows you to control the heat as needed.
Many people mistakenly believe that the higher the temperature setting used, the better the waves in their hair. This is not correct. You should adjust the temperature according to your hair type. Even strong hair should not be exposed to temperatures above 200 degrees according to the experts.
Ceramic coating less wear teflon coating
There is no doubt that we damage our hair when we use hot hair styling tools like wave irons, straighteners, curling irons and blow dryers. Therefore, it is also important that we always remember to heat protect our hair before we start styling it.
However, when choosing a wave iron, straightener and curling iron, you have an opportunity to further minimise damage to your hair if you choose a model with a ceramic coating. Both ceramic coating and Teflon coating are far more gentle on you hair than traditional materials.
Ergonomic handle
It may sound silly that it’s important that the wave iron has an ergonomically designed handle, but you actually spend a lot of time with your wave iron in your hand if you look at it for long periods of time and why not make the hair styling experience as comfortable as possible.
Weight
Many people regret it if they have chosen a corrugator that is too heavy. It can be hard enough to keep your arms up. As with the ergonomic handle, it’s not the features that affect the curl or the quality of the wave, but it does affect the user experience.
Foot
Keep an eye out for the model you’re looking at that has a small foot so you can put your iron down while it’s hot. This can be super handy so you have both hands free to make sections in your hair or when you need to grab the next tuft of hair.
A wave iron gets very hot and can do nasty damage to your bathroom countertop or sink depending on what it’s made of.
Wiring
A cord tends to get in the way or be too short, so you have limited freedom of movement. I would recommend you to choose a corrugator with a long cord. Preferably 2.5 metres and always under 1.5.
If you can find a cord that rotates where it’s attached to the corrugator itself, then you won’t have to contend with a cord that curls and gets in the way.
Special features
The range of corrugated irons has grown considerably in recent years and you can now also get models that have features a little out of the ordinary. For example, infrared technology eliminates static electricity in the hair. This is a great anti-frizz feature for those with hair that tends to frizz or become electric.
How to make beautiful loose curls and waves with a wave iron
A wave iron is super easy to use and anyone can get great results. In fact, I’d venture to say it’s a lot easier to do than a curling iron
If you still want to know how to get the best results with a wave iron, read my detailed guide here.
Do the legwork with a shampoo and conditioner for curly hair
If you want a super-good result where the curl stays in your hair for a long time, it pays to start when you wash your hair.
If you wash it in a curly hair shampoo and a curly hair conditioner respectively, your hair will get the moisture and care it needs to look shiny and healthy, but it will also be infused with properties that make your waves in your hair more bouncy and make them last longer in your hair.
It’s easiest to curl 2nd day hair
You can curl freshly washed hair if it’s 100% dry after blow-drying. But freshly washed hair has a harder time holding the curl.
If you can, it pays to wash and dry your hair in the evening and use the wave iron the next morning.
Use heat protection so you don’t damage your hair
A wave iron gets hot, so it’s important to make sure you protect your hair with a heat protectant spray.
If you don’t protect your hair before blow drying it and using a straightener, wave iron or similar, you will damage your hair, making it porous, easily broken and dull and dull looking.
A curling cream helps give definition to waves
It pays to use a curling cream on your hair before you start curling it. If you use curling cream, take a small amount and rub between your palms to distribute it evenly throughout the lengths of your hair.
If your hair has become damp from the curling cream, give it a few minutes to dry out before putting the wave iron on your hair. If your hair is damp when you use a wave iron, curling iron or other hot styling tools, you’re doing extra damage to your hair.
A salt water spray is perfect if you’re going for a beach look
If you want those messy waves that make your hair look like you’ve spent all day at the beach, you can get extra-good results by using a saltwater spray even before you blow-dry your hair. It gives your hair more texture.
Blow-dry your hair
It’s super important that you comb your hair thoroughly before you start using the wave iron. If your hair is filtered or the strands are not parallel, you will get a very uneven result. Therefore, comb through each strand of hair again just before applying the wave iron.
Divide hair into sections
If you have long and/or thick hair, it can be very helpful to divide your hair into sections first. That way, you won’t miss any clumps of hair that don’t get curled.
I personally tend to divide my long hair into 6 sections, 3 on each side of the head. That way I find it much easier to deal with.
Start at the neck and move forward
Start by curling your neck. Choose a tuft of hair (it shouldn’t be too thick) and place the wave iron as high on the hair as you want the waves to start. Squeeze the jaws together around the hair and count to 10 and loosen the jaws again. Then move the wave iron further down the lock of hair so that you hit the end of the previous wave.
It may sound difficult, but it’s not and you’ll get the hang of it quickly. Continue in this way lock by lock, finishing one section and moving towards the face.
Curl the locks around the face at the end
I get the best results when I curl/wave the curls around the face at the end. When the rest of the hair is already full of waves, I find it easiest to place the wave iron correctly on the front locks so that they fall perfectly in relation to the rest of the hair.
Use dry shampoo or hair powder for extra body
If you want to go all out and get as much body in your hair as possible, you can use a dry shampoo or a hair powder.
If you sprinkle dry shampoo or hair powder on your scalp and then fluff up your hair with your fingers, your hair will almost magically rise from your scalp and give you a lot of body, making it look like you gave yourself a blowout before you started curling your hair.
Hair spray for curly hair or a curling spray
Once you’ve finished styling your hair and are happy with the result, you should fix the waves in your hair. You can do this with a hair spray for curly hair or a curl spray as it is also called.
In addition to giving the hair hold so the curl does not “slip” out, it also provides a quick protection against moisture, which is otherwise what can quickly cause curls and waves in the hair to disappear.
Have you figured out which wave iron should live in YOUR bathroom?
Then there’s not much more I can tell you about corrugated iron or how to use it. If you haven’t tried using a wave iron before, I know you’ll love how simple it is to use and how great the results are.
I haven’t had space for all the product information on each of the corrugators I’ve introduced you to here, but I’ve included links directly to the retailers. That way you can search for more information yourself. It is also on the dealers’ pages that you can make your purchase.
We all like to make a bargain and I have given you every opportunity by making prices visible between dealers.
Enjoy your new wave iron.