Beauty Ulta Hair Crimper Guide: Waves, Volume, and Crimped Styles
An educational guide from the Beauty AMZ research team. No hard sell, just what you need to know.
How crimpers create texture
Heated plates press a zigzag pattern into hair. The pattern adds volume and visual texture. Wavers use barrels to shape S-curves instead. Both techniques break up flat, straight hair.
Prepping hair for crimping
Start with clean, dry hair for best results. Apply heat protectant from roots to ends. Rough dry hair straight first for smooth waves. Section hair into 1-inch pieces.
Crimping technique step by step
Clamp a section near the roots for 5 to 8 seconds. Move down the strand, overlapping slightly. Keep the tool moving to avoid creases. Finish with a cool blast to set the wave.
Styling crimped hair
Brush through lightly for soft texture. Leave defined for an edgy look. Half-up styles show off crimped texture. Add serum to ends for shine.
Caring for hair after heat styling
Deep condition weekly to replace moisture. Trim ends regularly to prevent splits. Sleep on silk to preserve texture. Give hair heat-free days between sessions.
Recommended Products
Both crimper picks deliver salon-style waves at home. Choose the tool that matches your wave style and heat needs.
Best for: tight, defined waves with shine
L'ANGE HAIR Le Waver 3-Barrel Titanium Hair Waving Iron, Dual Voltage Hair Crimper with LCD Display, Adjustable Temp Wavy Hair Curler
- Three 16mm titanium barrels for tight waves
- Adjustable temperature 200 to 450F with LCD
- Dual voltage with 60-min auto shut-off
Pros
- Titanium barrels add brilliant shine
- Precise LCD temperature control
Cons
- Less effective on very short pixie cuts
- Premium price for a waver
Best for: bold volume and beachy waves
Wavytalk Power Wave Hair Crimper, Curling Iron Waver for Women, Beach Waves Curling Wand, Ventilation Design for Less Damage, Ionic Reduces Frizz, Dual Voltage Crimping Iron
- 35mm deep V plates for bold waves
- Ventilation design reduces heat damage
- Smart styling timer with 8 heat settings
Pros
- Timer prevents overexposure per section
- Lightweight and travel-friendly
Cons
- Waves are bolder, less natural
- Newer brand with fewer reviews
Ready to Choose?
See our top product picks for ulta hair crimper, or jump straight to the head-to-head comparison of the two most popular options.
Barrel Size by Hair Length: What Goes Wrong With the Wrong Pick
Waver barrel size must match hair length, and the mismatch failures are specific and predictable. The L'ANGE Le Waver here uses three 16mm barrels, which create tight, defined waves, ideal for medium to long hair where there is enough length to show the wave pattern. On short hair above the shoulders, 16mm barrels produce more crimp than wave, since the hair cannot wrap enough to form the pattern, and the tool sits too close to the scalp, risking burns. The Wavytalk crimper's 35mm deep-V plates create bold, beachy volume waves that need at least shoulder-length hair to read properly; on very long hair, large plates mean fewer passes and faster styling, which is their real advantage. The general rule: barrel diameter should be roughly proportional to hair length, small barrels for short hair and tight waves, large barrels for long hair and loose waves. Buying the wrong size is the most common waver regret, so measure your hair's styling length realistically before choosing. If you are between lengths, the medium barrel is the safer compromise. For curling-focused tools with different barrel logic, our curling irons guide maps diameters to curl patterns.
Heat Styling Color-Treated Hair: Minimizing Fade Per Session
Heat fades color faster, and the mechanism is worth understanding so you can minimize it. High temperatures open the cuticle and accelerate the escape of dye molecules, which is why vivid reds and coppers fade visibly after a few hot styling sessions while natural browns hold longer. The protective routine: always use a heat protectant, keep temperatures as low as your hair type allows, fine color-treated hair rarely needs above 350F, and minimize passes, since three slow passes fade more color than one confident pass. The titanium barrels on the L'ANGE waver heat quickly and evenly, which is actually kinder to color than a tool with hot spots that scorch sections. Wash color-treated hair less often between styling sessions, since washing fades color more than heat does, and use dry shampoo to extend styles. A color-depositing conditioner once weekly refreshes tone that heat styling dulls. If your color fades dramatically despite precautions, the dye itself may be the issue: some vivid shades are inherently fugitive and no heat routine preserves them. Lower heat plus fewer washes is the realistic best case.
Second-Day Waves: Refreshing Without Rewashing
Waver-created texture often looks better on day two than day one, once you know how to refresh it without starting over. The method: lightly mist the hair with water or a wave-refresh spray, just enough to reactivate the pattern, not soak it. Scrunch gently to encourage the waves back into formation, then touch up only the flattened sections with the waver on a lower heat setting than day one, since reheating already-styled hair needs less temperature. The critical safety rule for refresh passes: use heat protectant again on the sections you reheat, since second-day hair has no product protection left, and limit reheating to one pass per section. Dry shampoo at the roots before refreshing absorbs overnight oil that would otherwise weigh the waves down. Sleep protection makes day two dramatically better: pineapple the hair loosely on top of the head in a satin scrunchie, or braid it loosely, to preserve the wave pattern overnight. If waves fall completely flat by day two despite refreshing, the day-one set was too loose, and a smaller barrel or cooler set with more hold product is the fix. For flat-iron touch-up techniques on straightened styles, our flat irons guide covers safe refresh methods.