You couldn’t open up a hair magazine or turn on the television during the 1980s without seeing someone sporting a crimped hairstyle. This new take on wavy hair grew so popular it was impossible to not follow the trend. Even today, many celebrities have brought back the 1980s style. If you’re thinking about crimping your hair, read on to find out what you’ll need and how to maintain your crimped ‘do.

Crimping your hair is a great way to spruce up long, stick-straight locks. Crimped hair has a lot of body and volume, which is ideal if you’re looking to pump up your hairstyle. There are two ways of getting your hair crimped: using a crimping iron or braiding your hair.

Crimping Irons

Like regular curling irons, crimping irons use controlled heat to create the crimped style. You can purchase a crimping iron at any beauty supply store. Keep in mind that there is more than one type of crimping iron so choose the one that will give you the type of crimps you want. For bigger waves, look into getting a crimping iron with ridges that are set further apart. A tighter crimped look can be achieved using a crimping iron with ridges that are set close together. You can either wash out your crimped hairstyle or use a straightener to smooth out your hair. Some crimping irons even come with flat iron attachments.

Section off your hair and crimp a small strip at a time. To protect your hair from heat damage, use a little thermal styling spray on the strip before crimping. Once the crimping iron has been clamped down on your hair, wait a few seconds before releasing it. Start close to your scalp and gradually work the crimping iron down to the ends. Once you’ve finished doing your entire head, check in the mirror for any missing strands and run your fingers through your hair or use a pick. Do not use a brush or fine-toothed comb because this can cause your hair to look frizzy.

Braids

Don’t want to use heat to get a crimped ‘do? Then crimp your hair naturally by braiding it. Small, tight braids result in a more crimped look, while large braids give a wavier look. For the best results, have a friend braid your hair for you. Use rubber bands or hair ties to secure the end of each braid so it won’t get fuzzy at the ends. Once the braids are in place, shampoo your hair and towel dry but keep the hair damp. This will help the curls set in better. Sleeping with the braids overnight will give you a head full of wavy or crimped hair in the morning. After removing the hair ties, undo your braids and use a hair pick to comb your crimped hair under control.

The best way to maintain crimped hair is to only use your fingers or a wide-toothed comb or pick to run through your hair. This will avoid the “bed head” look. To control flyaways, spray your hair with styling spray or add some pomade to make your crimped hairstyle sleek and shiny. Crimped hair usually lasts for a few days before they need to be redone.

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