Key Difference: Crimping iron is a similar to a straightening iron, but it has ridges on the heating plates. The ridges on the plate allow the hair to have a crimped look to them. Crimping results in the hair looking wavy with very small waves, similar to a saw tooth. Straightening iron is a type of hair iron that is used to straighten the hair. These are also known has straighteners and flat irons. These irons are used to remove natural curls and waves from the hair and make it straight.

Crimping iron and straightening iron are often confusing for many people as they resemble each other in appearance. Both the irons have a handle and are attached to two plates, with the big difference being the actual plates. Crimping iron has a ridged plate, while the straightening iron has a flat plate. These plates are responsible for the different types of hair styles that can be created.

Crimping iron is a similar to a straightening iron, but it has ridges on the heating plates. The ridges on the plate allow the hair to have a crimped look to them. These irons are used for purely styling the hair and does not curl or straighten the hair. Crimping results in the hair looking wavy with very small waves, similar to a saw tooth. In addition to crimping it is also called krinkles or deep waves. The crimping iron has a handle that is attached to two hot plates and that have a spring. It requires the person to hold the two plates closed and when pressure is removed the plates separate. The size of the crimp varies depending on the design of the ridged paddle and how close of far apart the ridges are placed on the hot plate. Crimping became popular during the mid-1980s and was invented by Geri Cusenza, one of the co-founders of Sebastian Professional.

When using the crimping iron, hair must be washed, dried and tangle free. The best approach is to blow dry the hair and straightening it out using the brush. When hair is fully dry, apply the crimping iron to small sections of the hair and pull from root to tip. Apply pressure only for few seconds before releasing, so hair does not become damaged or burned. Hair can even be crimped using a straightening iron or just braids. The straightening iron is run through the hair in small S pattern, which create small bends or waves in the hair. If one wants the style without splurging on the iron, they can create small braids when hair is wet and leave them in till the hair is dry or dry them using a hair dryer to set the style and then remove the braids. Loose braids can also be used to create natural waves in the hair.

Straightening iron is a type of hair iron that is used to straighten the hair. These are also known has straighteners and flat irons. These irons are used to remove natural curls and waves from the hair and make it straight.  Straightening irons work by breaking down the natural hydrogen bonds between the hair strands. These bonds allow the hair to bend and be curly. However, exposure to humidity and moisture can result in the bonds to reform, which is why many people have frizzy hair when it is humid out.

Straightening irons have a handle that is attached to two flat plates that heat up. These plates are more commonly made with ceramic as it heats up faster and is gentler on the hair. However, cheaper models have also been known to use aluminum plates. Higher end models use tourmaline, which uses negative ions and infrared technology. Ceramic plates are known to make hair slicker and shiner, as it provides a more even heating. This results in the less frizzy hair after straightening. The size of the plates can differ depending on the model purchased, with the standard size being one inch (2.54 cm). According to experts, when straightening hair, it is best to wash, condition and dry hair before straightening. Damp hair will also be fine during straightening but ensure that the temperature is on low or medium.  Heat protective spray can also be used to keep the hair from becoming heat damaged. Many people have also perfected curling hair using straighteners, but it does not provide as prominent results as a curling iron.

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