Crepe iron: That became the former beauty hero for trend curls

What became of…
Crepes: The Y2K trending curls tool has a comeback chance

Ah, those were the days when colorful clip-in strands, gemstones and curling irons revolutionized our beauty world! But do they actually still exist, the heroes of our beauty youth? We go on a truffle hunt of former trends. This was made out of… crepe irons.

For some it inevitably belongs in the 80’s, for others it is a faithful companion of their youth in the 00’s: the fact is that the crepe iron was a big hit in the bathroom for a long time. The tool was invented by Barbra Streisand’s hairstylist in 1972, who used it to make “wild curls” possible for his customers. After some furore, the look later achieved cult status on the singer and became a signature hairstyle for an entire generation. Stars like Christina Aguilera followed suit, giving crimped hair a real boom in the early 2000s. Then they were gone.

00s trend crepe irons: A journey back in time

Thinking back to the hype surrounding crepe irons feels as nostalgic as it is absurd in 2022: Was wildly protruding hair in the look of rippled fries really once the pinnacle of coolness? Arriving at the next party after several hours of work with dead-dry (you didn’t know about heat protection yet!) but perfectly crimped hair used to feel like coming straight from Christina Aguilera’s or Paris Hilton’s star hairstylist – only cheaper . In fact, twenty years ago, you could hardly pick up a magazine without seeing ruffled manes on one of the style icons of the day: Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Tyra Banks, all sporting the zigzag curls.

But just as ’00s-it girls were only celebrated up to a point for skinny bodies, juicy couture, and wild parties, crepe hair has lost its appeal over time. Beauty trends that brought significantly more health to our mane were too strong. From then on, the crepe look was more likely to be seen at dress-up parties or bad taste parties. But are the special irons really a thing of the past?

The future of crimp hair

The answer is: no. Or not anymore! Because still many years in oblivion, crepes are actually fighting back. Oh yes, if someone had told us five years ago that low-rise jeans and Ed Hardy were making a comeback, we would have shook our heads. The situation is similar with the crepe irons. The conclusion today: Rarely have we been so wrong. Because the resurgence of trends from the Y2K era is in full swing. In the beauty sector, people are primarily chasing after nostalgia. In addition to zigzag partings and pigtails, heavily rippled hair is slowly making its way back onto the radar of trendsetters.

Part-time job for the crepes

Everyone whose hair stands on end at this revival, even without a crepe iron, can still take a deep breath, because the tool will not return to its old cult status. The rippled fries look of the hair looks a bit dated despite the nourishing heat protection, but is well suited for a little nostalgia feeling in everyday life. Compared to the past, the zig-zag curls are no longer tied into a high ponytail with a large scrunchie or waved through to the tips, but only worn in individual strands. Instead of absolute bathroom must-haves or dusty beauty relics, we crepe irons predict at least a part-time job in their own hair studio in the future.

Bridget