It seems to be human nature that we always want something we don’t have. Case in point- people with curly hair want to have straight hair, and people with straight hair want to have curly hair! Humans are clever, so more often than not they find a way to get what they want!
The first hair curling devices date back to 1500 BCE when ancient Egyptians wrapped their hair around wooden dowels to bend it into the desired shape, beginning a technological journey that would eventually bring us the automatic hair curler of today! Once the denizens of the Nile’s shores had their hair wrapped up, they would use the sun’s heat to set the curls in what could only have been a long, uncomfortable process.
The ancient Greeks invented their own hair curling device, the calamistrum, a hollow iron tube warmed in wood ashes that the hair was rolled around. They then applied beeswax to make the curls set, thus inventing curl cream as well.
We will now jump ahead to the 19th century when hair rollers began to evolve into something resembling those in use today. These modern rollers were made of metal and coated with leather to make them feel more comfortable. The rollers were applied before bedtime and removed in the morning to reveal the now curly hair.
The first actual curling iron as we know it was invented in 1872 by Marcel Grateau, a French hairstylist. The iron was heated by holding it over a gas burner, which made it difficult to control the temperature. This resulted in a lot of singed and burnt hair! This rather unpredictable curling iron was dangerous enough that only professional salon stylists were allowed to use them. And so, the quest for curly hair went on!
In the year 1930 Soloman Harper invented the first electric hair rollers, a much safer alternative to the gas-heated devices, but still a bit tricky to use. The device continued to be updated and the kinks ironed out into the 1960s when the ability to have one’s hair curled relatively safely saw a boom in the style, with women lined up to sit in the salon with the electric hair rolling device attached to their heads.
In the 1980’s the permanent, or “perm” came into play, a way to set hair into curls that would last until the hair naturally grew out. Despite this advance, the procedure was time-consuming and involved a distinctively unpleasant smell from the chemicals involved. Many women without the time to spend in a salon instead turned to foam rollers to create the large waving curls popular in that decade.
Today hair curlers are still evolving as new, improved methods and devices appear and are put to work making your hair curl. If you are seeking a salon to have your hair curled at, make sure they are registered with your region’s local government so you will be guaranteed a safe, hygienic experience. We hope your hair stays as straight or curly as you want it to be!
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