| History of the curling iron. Is there such a thing or | | | | used for rolling. Technology to hold hair in place |
| is the curling iron just a modern invention? Each | | | | was advanced in 1960 when L'Oréal |
| generation is the same. We think we have | | | | laboratories introduced a polymer hair spray to |
| invented something new when perhaps all we | | | | serve as an invisible net. |
| have done is to modify "old inventions" by | | | | The curling iron has remained a favoured tool in |
| applying modern technology. Let us begin to | | | | spite of all the chemical inventions. We have |
| investigate the history of the curling iron or, as it | | | | moved on from the metal rods heated by |
| is also known, the curling tong. | | | | insertion into hot coals or heating on gas or |
| Let us begin with the definition of a curling iron. It | | | | electric stoves. With no control of the heat of the |
| is a tool, a cylindrical metal appliance, used to | | | | iron there must have been many cases of singed |
| change the structure of the hair by applying heat | | | | hair, not to mention burnt fingers and scalps! |
| to a lock of hair that has been curled around it. It | | | | Modern day styles demand more control and |
| is natural to think with a modern mind and | | | | flexibility of hair style with hair looking loose rather |
| assume that the heat is generated by electricity. | | | | than "glued into place". Electrically heated and |
| However, the curling iron goes way back before | | | | electronically controlled irons and tongs are now |
| the introduction of electricity. | | | | available. The barrels come in varying sizes |
| We only have to look at carvings from the | | | | enabling a tight curl or loose falling curl finish. Some |
| ancient world to see that people cared about the | | | | have a smooth easy-glide ceramic barrel to |
| style of their hair and that a popular style involved | | | | create a super smooth finish and you can also |
| creating curls. Babylonian and Assyrian men dyed | | | | purchase drop curl hair tongs with a cone shaped |
| their hair and square beards black and crimped | | | | tong to create loose, tumbling waves and tousled |
| and curled them with curling irons. Persian nobles | | | | curls. The fluctuation in hair styles from curly to |
| also curled their hair and beards, quite often | | | | straight and back again means manufacturers will |
| staining them. | | | | continue to dream up new innovations to attract |
| Egyptian nobles, men and women, cropped their | | | | both professional hair stylists and the consumer. |
| hair close but later, for coolness and cleanliness in | | | | So who "invented" the curling iron? Inevitably you |
| their hot climate, shaved their heads. On | | | | find many references to "invented" and "patented |
| ceremonial occasions, for protection from the sun, | | | | by" or "introduced by". The original inventor is lost |
| they wore wigs. The wigs would be short and | | | | in the mists of time but examples of the previous |
| curly or long and full of curls or braids. The | | | | sentence are: |
| Science Museum has an example of curling tongs | | | | In1866, Hiram Maxim, who designed the machine |
| used by rich Egyptians to prepare their wigs. | | | | gun bearing his name, applied for and obtained the |
| In classical Greece it is known that the upper | | | | first of many patents at age 26 for a hair-curling |
| classes used curling irons. | | | | iron. |
| Through time there have been many methods | | | | Four years later in 1890 two Frenchmen, Maurice |
| devised to curl hair and to keep the curl in place. | | | | Lentheric and Marcel Grateau, used hot-air drying |
| For example, in 1906 Charles L. Nessler, a German | | | | and heated curling tongs to make deep, |
| hairdresser working in London, applied a borax | | | | long-lasting Marcel waves. |
| paste and curled hair with an iron to produce the | | | | The Straightening comb however, is actually |
| first permanent waves. This costly process took | | | | credited as first being invented by the late 19th |
| twelve hours. Eight years later, Eugene Sutter | | | | century French hairdresser, Marcel Grateau, who |
| adapted the method by creating a dryer | | | | also, invented the curling iron, the permanent |
| containing twenty heaters to do the job of | | | | wave and later the Gillette safety razor which |
| waving more efficiently. Sutter was followed by | | | | became popular in Germany after World War I. |
| Gaston Boudou, who modified Sutter's dryer and | | | | In related developments, Rene Lelievre and Roger |
| invented an automatic roller. By 1920, Rambaud, a | | | | Lemoine invented an electric curling iron in 1959. |
| Paris beautician, had perfected a system of curling | | | | The pressing/curling iron was patented by Theora |
| and drying permed hair for softer, looser curls by | | | | Stephens on October 21, 1980. |
| using an electric hot-air dryer, an innovation of the | | | | In August 1987 the Wahl Clipper Corporation |
| period made by the Racine Universal Motor | | | | introduced to the professional market the ZeeCurl. |
| Company of Racine, Wisconsin. A significant | | | | This flat-barrel curling iron gave stylists a tool to |
| breakthrough came in 1945, when French chemist | | | | create new hairstyles with Z-shaped curls, adding |
| Eugene Schueller of L'Oréal laboratories | | | | texture and body to all types of hair. In 1988, |
| combined the action of thioglycolic acid with | | | | FrenZee, the consumer version, was added. |
| hydrogen peroxide to produce the first cold | | | | There is little doubt that fashion will demand and |
| permanent wave, which was cheaper and faster | | | | dictate new innovations to ensure continuation of |
| than the earlier hot processes. To control the | | | | the history of the curling iron. |
| amount of curl, varying diameter of rods were | | | | |