Mention a hair crimper and most people picture 1987: sharp zigzags, a scrunchie, possibly a shoulder pad. That tool has quietly become something else entirely — the most effective volume device most of us do not own, used in a way that is meant to be invisible.
Crimping the underneath layers at the root lifts fine hair by a measurable amount and holds it for the best part of a day. Crimping the mid-lengths gives you the soft mermaid texture that has replaced the old corrugated look. Neither requires the hair to look crimped at all.
Why a Crimper Beats a Curling Iron for Volume
The mechanism is genuinely different, and it explains everything about when to reach for one.
- A crimper puts multiple bend points into every inch of hair. Each bend behaves as a small structural anchor, holding the strand up and away from the head. The volume is architectural.
- A curling iron creates one long spiral. Volume comes from the strands separating, and gravity works against it from the moment you finish.
In practical terms: root crimping produces up to around 80 per cent more lift, holding for six to eight hours, while a curled set typically starts deflating within three or four. If your hair is fine, flat by lunchtime, or simply refuses to hold a blow-dry, this is the tool that changes that.
Best of all is the hybrid: crimp the roots for structure, then curl the mid-lengths and ends for polish. You get lift that lasts and curls that look intentional.
The Hidden Root Method
This is the technique worth learning, and it takes about four minutes.
- Completely dry hair. Crimping damp hair causes breakage — the plates trap steam inside the strand.
- Heat protectant through the mid-lengths and ends, and a light mist near the roots. See our guide to heat protectant spray for the dose.
- Clip the top half up so the under-layers at the crown are exposed. Nothing you crimp now will be visible.
- Take half-inch sections and clamp only at the root — the first two or three centimetres.
- Hold for two seconds on fine hair, up to five on thicker hair. Then move on. Do not run the crimper down the length.
- Keep an inch clear of the hairline; the baby hairs there are the most fragile on your head.
- Let it cool completely, then drop the top layers down. The surface looks perfectly smooth; the hair underneath is holding it up.
Expect roughly a third to a half more visible volume, lasting most of a working day. And skip the hairspray at the roots — it weighs down exactly what you have just lifted.
Temperature, Section Size and Clamp Time
| Your hair | Temperature | Clamp time |
|---|---|---|
| Very fine or bleached | 138–150°C | 1–2 seconds |
| Fine to normal | 150–165°C | 2–4 seconds |
| Medium and healthy | 165–190°C | 5–8 seconds |
| Thick or coarse | 190–210°C | 8–12 seconds |
Fine hair is thinner than you think — around 50 to 70 microns — with a porous cuticle that gives up moisture quickly. Going above about 160°C on it does not produce a better crimp, only a more brittle one.
Plate width by hair length
- Short hair, bobs and pixies: a mini crimper with 1.5–2.5cm plates. Work in small subsections and concentrate on the crown.
- Medium, chin to shoulder: a standard 2.5–3cm plate. Match the section width to the plate.
- Long hair: a wide 3.8cm+ plate, which cuts the styling time by up to 40 per cent — expect 15 to 20 minutes for a full head across 8 to 12 sections.
- Fringes and face-framing pieces: a 9–15mm micro plate, which is also the best tool for hidden root lift.
What to Buy in the UK
| Crimper | Price | Plate | Max temp | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BaByliss The Crimper 2165CU | £24.99 | 3.8cm | 208°C | Best all-round; ceramic, 37-second heat-up, auto shut-off, cool tip |
| BaByliss Pro Attitude | £29.76 | 3.8cm | 205°C | Daily use; note there is no temperature control |
| BaByliss PRO Spectrum Mini | £33.29 | 2.5cm | 200°C | Root lift, fringes, travel — the lightest at 310g |
| Remington Ceramic Crimp 220 | £59.00 | 3.5cm | 210°C | Safety features — auto shut-off, plate lock, heat glove included |
| Gamma+ Donna Volume | £112.00 | 4.2cm | 215°C | Professional build; very thick or very long hair |
The honest verdict: the £25 BaByliss tops the UK rankings, and unless you have very thick hair or crimp daily, spending four times that buys you build quality rather than better crimps. Do prioritise adjustable temperature if your hair is fine or coloured — a fixed-temperature crimper at 200°C is too hot for a lot of heads.
On plates: tourmaline or ceramic for fine hair, because heat spreads evenly and gently; titanium for thick, coarse hair that needs speed. Micro-crimp plates give tight texture and root lift; deep or wide plates give the soft waves.
The 2026 Look: Soft, Not Sharp
Crimped hair has come back, but not in its original form. The current version is closer to mermaid waves — movement and volume with a slightly undone finish — and the rules that keep it modern rather than fancy-dress are quite specific:
- Crimp mid-lengths and ends, keep the roots smoother. The opposite of the eighties, which crimped everything from the scalp down.
- Stagger the pattern. Do not line the crimps up section to section; offset them so the texture reads as natural.
- Mix textures. Crimp some sections, curl others, leave a few completely straight for contrast.
- Break it up with your fingers once it is cool, and consider a gentle brush-through for a softer, more diffuse wave.
- Texture spray, not hairspray. Stiffness is what dates the look instantly.
Worn this way it sits comfortably alongside the styles in our curly hair products guide — a way to give straight or wavy hair the body that curly hair gets for free.
Is Crimping Damaging?
It is heat styling, so it is not free — but two things make it comparatively gentle when done properly.
- Contact time is short. Two to eight seconds per section, once, versus repeated passes with a straightener.
- Root-only crimping treats a tiny fraction of the hair — the newest, strongest part of the strand, not the fragile ends.
The risks are specific and avoidable: crimping damp hair, crimping the same section twice, using 200°C+ on fine hair, and clamping too close to the hairline. Do it once or twice a week with protectant, and it is no harder on your hair than a blow-dry. If you want the volume with no heat at all, hot rollers and heatless sets are the alternatives.
Making It Last
- Let every section cool before you touch it — 10 to 15 seconds is enough. The bends set as the hair cools, exactly as curls do.
- Light texture spray through the lengths, never at the root.
- Silk or satin pillowcase, and a loose high bun overnight.
- Refresh on day two with the crimper five degrees cooler, on the sections that have dropped only.
- Do not brush while warm. A brush through hot crimps collapses the whole set.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will crimping make my hair look eighties?
Only if you crimp the whole head from root to tip in a uniform pattern. Crimp underneath for volume, or crimp mid-lengths and ends in offset sections, and nobody will identify the tool — they will simply notice your hair has body.
Can I crimp short hair?
Yes, and bobs take it beautifully — use a mini crimper with narrow plates, work in small sections at the crown, and stay an inch away from the hairline.
Crimper or curling iron, if I can only buy one?
A curling iron is the more versatile tool overall, and our comparison of flat iron vs curling iron covers that choice. But if your specific problem is flat, fine hair that will not hold volume, a crimper solves it in a way no curling tool can.
How often can I crimp?
Root-only crimping once or twice a week is very manageable. Full-length crimping is a heavier heat load — treat it like straightening and keep it to occasions, with protectant and a moderate temperature.
Does it work on curly hair?
It does — crimping stretched, dry curls gives uniform texture and a lot of lift. Do it on fully dry, product-free hair at the lowest workable temperature, and expect to wash before your curl pattern returns properly.
The Bottom Line
A crimper is a volume tool first and a texture tool second. Buy a £25 ceramic one with adjustable heat, use it on completely dry hair at 150 to 165°C if your hair is fine, clamp for two seconds at the roots of the under-layers, and let everything cool before you touch it.
Nobody will see the crimps. They will just wonder why your hair suddenly has volume at five o’clock. For where it fits alongside everything else, see our guide to hair styling tools.
