The hair crimper was invented in 1972 for Barbra Streisand and peaked in the 1980s, and the modern version is a wide-barrel waver. Here are four wavers, the tools and sprays that help and the prep that protects your hair.
The Hair Crimper Is Back, Now Called a Waver
The modern crimping iron is credited to Geri Cusenza, who invented it in 1972 for Barbra Streisand's hair, and by the mid-1980s it was everywhere. Before irons, the zigzag came from braiding damp hair and letting it dry, which is exactly the look the iron was built to imitate. Crimped hair turned up again on a Paris runway in 2007, and today's hair crimper is really a waver, with fat, rounded barrels that make soft S-shaped waves instead of tight zigzags. Tara Simich started Mermade Hair in Perth in late 2019 because she wanted a bigger, more modern version of her old 90s crimper. She ordered 1,000 wavers, expecting them to last a year, and they sold out in two weeks. The Pro Waver is the one that made the brand, and the Double Waver makes a tighter pattern. BaBylissPRO goes back to two Paris stylists who created the brand in 1961, and its Nano Titanium deep waver is light and quick to heat. BondiBoost's three-barrel wand sits somewhere in between. Clamp for a few seconds per section, working from the root down.
Smaller waves, and the sprays
Mane is Jen Atkin's tool brand, launched in 2023 out of her Mane Addicts site, and the Triple Ripple is a mini waver for tight waves on any length, including short hair. T3 was started by a married couple, Dr. Julie Chung and Kent Yu, and its Switch Kit swaps between barrels for waves from loose to full-bodied. The two sprays are for days without heat. Ouai's texturizing wave spray is salt-free and hydrating, and JVN's air dry spray gives soft, natural beach waves. Scrunch either into damp hair and let it dry on its own.
Prep, texture, and the skip
Any hot tool needs a heat protectant first. Mizani was started in Chicago in 1991 by Terri Gardner for textured hair, and its Heat Screen works on all textures. Ceremonia's Guava Rescue, from Babba Rivera, the daughter of a hairdresser, is weightless and made without silicones. For the finish, Amika's Un.Done adds texture, and Unite's Texturiza is a dry spray for volume and hold from Andrew Dale, who started his brand in his garage. What I would skip is waving the same section twice. Go once, let it cool completely, then shake it out with your fingers.
Getting the shape right
Start at least an inch from the scalp, and line up each clamp with the end of the last one so the pattern stays continuous. Brush through gently for a softer finish, or leave it defined. Use the lowest heat that holds your hair. A quick blast of cool air from the dryer sets the pattern for the day.
