Curling iron

device · 1872 · Electric age

Heated tongs for curling hair; Marcel Grateau created the "Marcel wave" with heated tongs in 1872, and the tongs later became electric.

A short history

What grew out of it: Permanent wave (1905).

What it is made of

Heating element — has part. An electric curling iron is heated by a heating element, like an iron or a kettle.
Thermostat — has part. A thermostat holds the set temperature so the hair is not burnt.

History: what it evolved from and what it influenced

Permanent wave — evolved into. A curl from tongs lasted until the next wash; a perm made it last for months.

Things built in a similar way

Electric iron — works like. Both shape fibres with hot metal: an iron shapes fabric, a curling iron shapes hair.
Hair straightener — works like. The same hot metal, only flat: a straightener straightens, a curling iron curls.
Hair rollers — works like. Both shape a curl: a curling iron does it at once with heat, rollers while the hair dries or cools.

Take Curling iron apart

How important it is

Rank in the importance rating of inventions: 1140 of 2848, score 51.8 out of 100. Direct links to other things: 6; fields of technology it appears in: 2; things built directly on it: 1. Hall of fame of inventions.

Similar things of the same time and field

Paper bag (1871) — A flat-bottomed bag (Margaret Knight).
Spring mattress (1871) — A mattress with steel springs.
Toothpaste (1873) — A paste for cleaning teeth (Colgate); fluoride paste in the 1950s.
Tennis racket (1874) — A racket with strings.
Treadmill (1875) — An exercise machine with a moving belt.
Margarine (1869) — A butter substitute (Mège-Mouriès).