50 Sexy Crimped Hairstyle Ideas that Will Make You Feel Daring and Different

53 Sexy Crimped Hair Ideas that Will Make You Feel Daring and Different

By: Avatar photo Andy Jones Updated: Mar 10, 2024

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The 80s are back, and so is voluminous crimped hair! This popular look makes your do appear thicker, sexier, and edgier. Crimped hairstyles add volume to your hair, whether flying loose and light or pulled into an updo. 80s crimped hair varied in hue and texture, and today’s style does the same, but with more iridescent colors that were available back then. While you can still go neon bright, subtle, blended colors are more popular today. Crimped hair can update your style immediately, and you can spend as much or as little time putting your new look together as you want.

53 Edgy Crimped Hairstyle Ideas to Update Your Look

How to Crimp Hair? Trade your ordinary, everyday hair for a fabulous, retro look. Hair crimping is an easy way to update your look and add pizzazz to your appearance on days when ordinary just isn’t enough. 80s girls knew that you could add volume to your hair by crimping it for an easy, edgy hairstyle that will make you feel daring and different.

Eighties hair was often achieved by braiding damp hair and leaving it to dry overnight. To recreate this blast from the past, divide hair into sections. Then braid each section tightly. For the best results, use your fingers to comb out your hair. You can achieve a similar look by braiding your hair and spraying it with a heat protector. Then run a flat iron over each braid. Let the braid cool before taking it out. Crimped styles of the 80s had more of a windblown look than some of the edgier looks today. Those are achieved with a flatiron.

For hair crimping with a flatiron, spray your hair with heat protection spray. Clip the top layer up and separate the lower layer into sections. Use the flat iron to crimp from the roots, holding your hair for 3-5 seconds at a time. Then do the same with the top layer. For a less intense, beachy look, just crimp the top layers. For a sharper, modern look, you may want to invest in a zig-zag iron. A zig-zag iron is exactly what it sounds like: an iron designed to give your hair strands sharp, zig-zag edges. This results in a more pronounced crimp.

Any of these methods can help you achieve a fresh, unique look. These techniques can work with an updo, a partial updo, or beautiful, loose hair. Get creative and try one of these fabulous crimped hairstyles.

1. Different Hair, But Same You

Different Hair, But Same You

Are you looking for a new look without putting scissors to your locks or dye to your tresses? Ok then. Crimping could be perfect for you. Easily achieved and easy to wear, this is the no-fuss look that allows you to change without you having to worry about changing a thing.

2. Crimped Hair Is All The Rage

Crimped Hair Is All The Rage

If you’re looking for something that is kind of like curls but kind-of-not, crimped hair gives you a wavy, fun look without being like all the rest. Wild yet tamed, there’s nothing we don’t love about this perfect wig that is ideal for any time, anywhere and any season.

3. Loving The Light, Wispy Crimped Hairstyle

Loving The Light, Wispy Crimped Hairstyle

Braid your hair for a day or two and then let it go and voila, you have a new look that is as lovely as you. If you’re not sure you can achieve the tight crimped hair found here, a professional stylist can get this look done for you. Let those braids come undone and you’ve got a style that has been in style for years.

4. Hey Bombshell, Look At That Hair

Hey Bombshell, Look At That Hair

Just because the 80s have come and gone doesn’t mean that we don’t still love the styles that it left us. Crimped hair is a perfect look for a very special night out or for doing something new when back to school. Whatever the reason for changing your look, this is an option that never went out of style.

5. Crimped Bohemian Up-Do For You

Crimped Bohemian Up-Do For You

Do you have a photo-shoot coming up or a date you want to look chic for? With this crimped low ponytail, you’ll definitely capture anyone’s attention for a unique look that is as lovely as can be. Relatively easy to accomplish, you can do this at home or ask your stylist to do it.

6. Unique and Pretty Updo

Unique and Pretty Updo

Who says crimped hairstyles must be worn loose and free? Crimped hair adds so much volume to your updo. This awesome style pulls your hair back but has a cool, 2018 twist. The crimped hair adds texture and flair to the mixture, but the effect is soft and feminine. It is perfect for a woman with long hair who wants a somewhat elegant updo. If you want to go for something bolder, consider purple hair color.

7. Wild Thing Goes Modern (And Loves It)

Wild Thing Goes Modern (And Loves It)

Release your inner Wild-Woman with this astonishing crimped hairstyle! This one will require a lot of hairsprays, but it is oh, so worth it! Your free-spirited manner will make you the center of attention for sure. You will not blend into the underbrush with this modern hairstyle.

8. Simple and Sweet Technique Goes Anywhere

Simple and Sweet Technique Goes Anywhere

This youthful look is one of the cute hairstyles for girls, but it will look great no matter your age! It has a basic and sweet attitude, with just a hint of edginess. The secret to this natural, carefree look is its simplicity, which will take you anywhere, and you can get this style sans heat with braids and buns.

9. Crimp for Night Out on the Town

Crimp for Night Out on the Town

Source: wiseshe.com

Try out this long, sexy, crimped style, perfect for a night out in the city. It has a mysterious look that hints at an adventurous spirit. The layers soften the face and add texture to the overall appearance. The key to this style is the micro-crimping, achieved with a crimping iron, to add tons of volume to your hair. Eighties retro never looked so modern.

10. Effortless Partial Updo With a 2018 Vibe

Effortless Partial Updo With a 2018 Vibe

Don’t be afraid of pastel pink hair – today’s subtle colors can go anywhere. This is a youthful look that is perfect when you want to look pretty and relaxed. The pale pink updates the bold, neon pink look from the 80s and the off-center braid hints at a careless charm.

11. Mix and Match: Beautiful, Curly Partial Updo

Mix and Match: Beautiful, Curly Partial Updo

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If you want a different look, bring on the curls! The texture of crimping is combined with awesome curls to show that curly hair and crimped hair can coexist! The straight hair above the forehead adds texture. This hairstyle for women is perfect for an elegant wedding or at a cocktail party with friends.

12. Long, Luxurious Locks Break the Mold

Long, Luxurious Locks Break the Mold

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If you normally wear your hair long and straight, here is a nice change of pace. You’ll need a crimping iron to get the exact look. This pretty hairstyle will change up your everyday routine and make you the center of attention! The simplicity and elegance of this modern hairstyle will blow everyone away.

13. Modern Take on a Timeless Style

Modern Take on a Timeless Style

Long curls or waves have always been popular, but this pretty hairstyle combines a timeless look with 2018 flair. The sharp crimps, which were created with a zig-zag iron, emphasize the gorgeous, multidimensional color in this awesome new wrinkle on curly hair. Crimping is one of the best ways to show off your awesome balayage.

14. Modern Hairstyle Brings 60s Vibe

Modern Hairstyle Brings 60s Vibe

This cute easy hairstyle brings the 60s back to the future with a look that hints at the carefree heart of a flower child. The straight, rolled side bangs contrast with the texture of the long, 80s crimped hair to reveal a free spirit ready to play. You’ll love how this look makes you feel.

15. Cool Look for a Concert or the Beach

Cool Look for a Concert or the Beach

This simple, unpretentious look will bring out your cool side. It is the perfect hairstyle for a concert or a day at the beach. The blond locks have a beachy look with just the right amount of crimping. This is a cute hairstyle for girls ready for spring break! Break out the iron or go with braids and buns to achieve this sunny look!

16. Rock On with this Amazing Crimped Hairstyle

Rock On with this Amazing Crimped Hairstyle

The crimping, combined with the green under dye, is reminiscent of the rock and roll style of the 70s and 80s. This attention-grabbing look will be sure to put you in the middle of all the action. Part your hair down the middle and break out the iron to get the symmetrical, fly-away effect. What an awesome look for a woman not afraid to rock the night away.

17. Easy, Breezy Look Will Go Anywhere

Easy, Breezy Look Will Go Anywhere

Here’s a cute easy hairstyle for women who have short blonde hair and a lot of attitudes. Part French braid, part crimped, 80s hairstyle, this amazing look is simple and so easy to replicate. Wear it for a day at the mall or night out on the town. This nice, sassy little do will take you anywhere you want to go, not to mention it also makes for a great short wedding hair.

18. Elegant Look is Structured and Unique

Elegant Look is Structured and Unique

This is a beautiful look for those times when you really want to stand out, and honey, you will really shine! It combines textures with a smooth top and meticulous crimping below. The parallel, structured appearance of this crimped hair is less carefree than most crimped styles and is a good choice for a brunch or a style show.

19. Color and Crimping Combine for a Spectacular Look

Color and Crimping Combine for a Spectacular Look

Lavender looks luscious anywhere, night or day. The iridescence of the subtle, blended color popular in 2018 combines with partial crimping to create this awesome style. You only need to crimp a few of the top layers to create a textural contrast with the long, straight hair. The metallic quality of the color really shines, making this special look really catch the eye.

20. Not Your Mother’s Pony Tail

Not Your Mother's Pony Tail

This updo brings a new look to a common women’s hair staple. The crimped ponytail has tons of volume to add interest to a timeless style. No one could call it ordinary or boring. Who says a ponytail can’t be interesting and modern? You’ll need to tease the pony and use an iron for the larger crimps. The result is a new-fashioned take on an old-fashioned style.

21. Crimped Hair for a Sleek, Professional Look

 Crimped Hair for a Sleek, Professional Look

Looking for a style that will take you from the office to a night out? Try this versatile look, which is both playful and professional. The braid adds interest to textured hair, which is pulled back in a partial updo. The style is good for work, but whispers of a walk in the park or on the beach after five. Use hydrating treatments and a daily hair oil to maintain that spectacular shine.

22. Playful Look Complements Shoulder Length Hair

Playful Look Complements Shoulder Length Hair

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If you ever despair of finding a lively, different approach for your shoulder-length hair, despair no more! This frisky look is perfect for a fun, shoulder-length style. The simple, partial updo sports a braid pulled off the face, surrounded by playful, loosely crimped hair. You could use the no-heat braiding method to recreate this effortless design.

23. Wild and Free Mermaid Hair Features Crimping

Wild and Free Mermaid Hair Features Crimping

Source: 500px.com

If you feel like the 21st Century just isn’t for you, this color and texture will make you feel like a mythical creature. This awesome hairstyle evokes memories of fairy tales and far-away places. The incredible texture is created by the tightly twisted sections on top of the head in contrast with the wild, crimped hair below. The flowers add an exotic, tropical touch. This one will require some teasing, but what a stunning look if you are ready to go all out!

24. Go On, We Dare You

Go On, We Dare You

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If you are tired of being staid and professional, this daring style will make you feel like an 80s punk rocker, but with a 2018 vibe. The tightly twisted hair erupts into a volcano of crimped and teased hair. Few women could pull this off, but it is perfect for someone who wants to display a sense of fearless ambition. This unforgettable look will put you on the map. Dare to be hardcore with this exciting style upgrade.

25. Quick, Easy, and Memorable Style

Quick, Easy, and Memorable Style

This cute, easy hairstyle can work for any woman with long hair. The top, crimped layer overlays the straight bottom layer for a retro look that seems to combine the best of the 70s and the 80s. This style would be effortless to create and manage, and it is appropriate for day or night.

26. Short, Sassy Style Emphasizes the Face

Short, Sassy Style Emphasizes the Face

Source: flickr.com

Growing out your pixie cut? Try this saucy look is for women unafraid to experiment. Here, crimped 80s hair meets the short bob for a cute easy hairstyle. Don’t think that there are no good hair ideas for short hair, because this look proves that short hair doesn’t have to be ordinary. Selectively crimp some strands and tease others to rock some sassy attitude.

27. Romantic Updo Perfect for Special Occasions

Romantic Updo Perfect for Special Occasions

If you are stumped looking for a romantic look that is perfect for a wedding or garden party, well look no further! Here is a thick, loose bubble braid that is textured by the crimped hair. This pretty style conveys a sense of grace and elegance appropriate for the most special of occasions without looking stodgy or boring. Eighties hair meets Jane Austen for a fabulous modern, yet an old-fashioned sense of style.

28. Crimp and Go for Easy, Sexy Style

Crimp and Go for Easy, Sexy Style

Source: tumblr.com

Looking for simple hair ideas, but tired of the same old trends? Try this awesome crimp and go style out for shopping or a night on the town. This cute hairstyle for girls is perfect for any occasion but is an easy hairstyle to create. Any eighties girl will recognize this hair – no heat required if you don’t want to use the iron! The style is easy-peasy and just right for you.

29. Crimp for Sun-kissed, California Style Hair

Crimp for Sun-kissed, California Style Hair

You may not be a California girl, but you can look like one with this awesome crimped hair. Long, luxurious textured hair with a partial, twisted updo looks amazing, evoking a sense of innocence and playful nuance. Note the combination of micro-crimps and larger, sharper strands. This style is easy and free, like a day in Santa Monica.

30. Loose, Crimped Dutch Braid is Fresh and Elegant

Loose, Crimped Dutch Braid is Fresh and Elegant

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If you are looking for a different sort of updo, crimped hair adds tremendous volume to this loose, Dutch braid. It also adds dimension and texture to a traditional look. This cute hairstyle is easily done and will go anywhere you want it to. This is a great updo that you’ll return to again and again.

31. Billowy Cloud of Hair for Unforgettable Style

Billowy Cloud of Hair for Unforgettable Style

Source: livingly.com

This puffy hairstyle seems to float about the head like a cloud. The billowy, soft crimps reveal an ethereal look that seems to defy gravity. Everyone will be trying to figure out how you managed it. Hint: it will require some teasing! This is a look people will want to touch.

32. A Simple Twist on Things

A Simple Twist on Things

Why hide your beautiful face? This style features simple twists of hair in the front, allowing the rest of the hair to fall free and easy, without hiding the face. Simple elegance will go anywhere, and this is one hairdo that conveys a sense of crimp and goes style.

33. The B52s Meet Ancient Rome

 The B52s Meet Ancient Rome

The New Wave style of 80s hair, combined with the cuff ponytail holder, seems to be modern, yet very old. The cuff whispers of both ancient Rome and 80s punk. Strategic crimping stands out in this bold updo, which is sure to draw plenty of attention to your timeless, yet edgy look.

34. Varied Textures Make This Hairstyle Special

Varied Textures Make This Hairstyle Special

Looking for ways to show off your sensational balayage? This cute hair is a veritable quilt of texture and color. The strategically placed crimps combine with the loose beach waves to create an unforgettable look. The textures work together to emphasize this radiant balayage for a great look on any occasion, day or night. You will certainly be noticed by all with this gorgeous hair.

35. Simple, Partial Updo Great for All Occasions

Simple, Partial Updo Great for All Occasions

Show us your face with this simple, effortless style that will work for almost anything. The hair is swept back, emphasizing your eyes. The crimping adds interest to the look, which is a cinch to maintain throughout the day. The platinum color really shines in this beautiful style, which you can achieve with minimal effort. You will look great all day long and feel gorgeous.

36. Free and Loose 80s Crimped Hair

Free and Loose 80s Crimped Hair

If you think your long, straight hair always looks the same, mix it up with this free and easy twist on typically 80s style hair. The crimps in the lower layers emphasize the blond highlights with a wild, flyaway look that is sure to stand out. The loose strands around your face will soften the look, drawing attention to your eyes. This is a lovely expression of the late 20th-century style.

37. Corkscrew Crimps Add Interest to Look

Corkscrew Crimps Add Interest to Look

Sharp, corkscrew crimps contrast with straight hair pulled back to reveal a unique twist on a familiar technique. If you are bored with your look and want to try something more daring, this is perfect for a special date night or for a ladies night on the town.

38. Dutch Braid and Pony Tail Combo

Dutch Braid and Pony Tail Combo

Need to pull your hair back, but feel like you can’t bear to wear yet another ponytail? This ponytail, topped by a Dutch Braid, is an extraordinary take on an old favorite. This would be a great choice for a day at the zoo or out on the lake. Ponytails do not have to be boring, and this crimped version is quite memorable. Fun and practical at the same time, you and your hair will be ready to experience the day.

39. French Braid Floats Above Sleek Pony Tail

French Braid Floats Above Sleek Pony Tail

Crimping adds a lot of volume to this French braid, which seems to float above straight hair pulled back into a smooth ponytail. No muss, no fuss; this cute, no-nonsense look keeps your hair out of your face and out of your way, yet is anything but boring. You will be stylish and ready to play with this fresh pony.

40. Varying Crimp Size Adds Interest

Varying Crimp Size Adds Interest

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Trade your everyday, sensible, brunette style for a sensual, mysterious tone. This unforgettable hair combines tighter and looser crimps to create a unique and varied texture. Another great look that can take you anywhere, this gorgeous hairdo accentuates the eyes with layers about the face. Sharp, defined crimps alternate with smaller, softer sections, and the results are fabulous.

41. Gorgeous Look is Both Modern and Medieval

Gorgeous Look is Both Modern and Medieval

This pretty style creates a sense of timeless beauty. The crimps and the flower wreath will take you back to the days of yore. This would be a lovely look for a wedding or a trip to the Renaissance Fair. This is a perfect look for someone in love with fairy tales and medieval times. This hair will make you feel like a modern-day princess.

42. Mix and Match for Elegant Style

Mix and Match for Elegant Style

This charming, demure updo sports a mix of textures, perfect for a luncheon or for a day at the office. This classy look is always in style, and the blond highlights add a touch of interest and shine to make a fairly ordinary updo quite extraordinary.

43. Quirky and Fun Hair Reveals Personality

 Quirky and Fun Hair Reveals Personality

This adorable statement hints at a boisterous, quirky personality. The mixed textures and golden highlights let everyone know that you are the most fun person in the room. Show off your independent nature and your exuberant sense of style.

44. Appearances Can Be Deceiving With This Updo

 Appearances Can Be Deceiving With This Updo

This traditional ponytail is not what it seems. All business in the front, the playful, crimped ponytail in the back is a pleasant surprise. This look is practical and manageable, yet fun and frivolous at the same time.

45. Sexy and Fun Side-Part Adds to Look

Sexy and Fun Side-Part Adds to Look

Bring out your best “sexy librarian” look with this fun, sensual hair. The side part adds a sense of seductive style, and the barely-there highlights add dimension and shine. This fun and effortless hair will leave people speechless – you won’t even have to tell them to be quiet.

46. Twists and Crimps Combine for Fabulous Hair

Twists and Crimps Combine for Fabulous Hair

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This is perfect for thick, luxurious hair if you are looking for an updo to dazzle. The crimped texture and the loose twists add incredible volume to this amazing style. This classy, elegant combination of braids, twists, and crimps is perfect for a bridesmaid’s luncheon or a garden party.

47. Modern Color Meets Eighties Attitude

Modern Color Meets Eighties Attitude

Feeling saucy and playful this evening? The sassy 80s attitude never looked better than with this sultry, iridescent, crimped hair. The texture illuminates the 21st Century ombré, lavender hair for a retro look with an up-to-date sensibility. Stand out at a concert or on the dance floor with this colorful and unique hair.

48. Break the Mold with the Unexpected

Break the Mold with the Unexpected

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Let your personality shine with this fun checkerboard pattern, which adds an exuberant, unexpected twist to long, straight hair. This unique approach is sophisticated, yet playful, combining the stylish, straight hair with lots of quirky, irreverent attitude. For best results, this intermittent pattern is best achieved with a flat iron.

49. Crimps Add Volume to Crown

Crimps Add Volume to Crown

This Dutch braid crown would be a stunning updo for a bride or her bridesmaids. By breaking out the crimping iron before braiding, you can add so much volume and texture to what would otherwise be a fairly ordinary bridal look. The flower is the perfect finishing touch for this sweet crown.

50. Quick Updo Shows Off Cool Colors

Quick Updo Shows Off Cool Colors

Need a stand-out look, but don’t have much time to experiment? Try this great little updo with its soft blue and green streaks and textured strands. Not all of the hair has to be crimped to achieve this cool style, so this is a good updo to go for when you want to try something new, but don’t have all day to work on it.

51. Texture and Color Combine for No-Bother Fashion

Texture and Color Combine for No-Bother Fashion

This look is a cinch to achieve for the last minute date. Large, iron-created crimps are layered with smaller ones to perfect a textural masterpiece. Then, just tie front sections of hair away from your face. The cool, metallic colors give it a 21st-century effect that can be achieved quickly and painlessly.

52. Enormous Volume for Your Updo

 Enormous Volume for Your Updo

Trade your everyday braid for something special with this bubble braid. This style has tremendous volume, and it will require some effort, but if you have long hair, experimentation can be fun! The French braid in the front blends into a bubble braid, with each section, separately wrapped and expanded for more volume.

53. Colorful Partial Layered Hair Updo on Trend

Colorful Partial Updo on Trend

This edgy, colorful partial updo sports a single, loose braid layered with textured crimps to create an amazing look. Selectively textured hair provides the right contrast for the loose, flyaway strands around the face for a great, iconoclastic style that would be right at home on any member of an eighties girl band. Rock on, my friend. If you are tired of the simple long layered hair, this look could be a nice change.

54. Textured, Metallic Hair Has Modern Sensibility

Textured, Metallic Hair Has Modern Sensibility

The retro popularity of crimps is awesome combined with modern, metallic color, and this sensational look is no different. The loose, textured braid, surrounded by iron-created crimps and micro-crimps, is really set-off by the stunning hues. This is definitely a doable look with just a little time and effort.

55. Micro Crimps Can Give You Wings!

Micro Crimps Can Give You Wings!

This unique fly-away look is created with micro-crimps. This hairdo combines the “wings” of the 1970’s with the punk style of the eighties and the color of 2018. This one will require hairspray! For an avant-garde look that spans the decades, give this a try if you dare.

50 Sexy Crimped Hair Ideas to Look Edgy and Cool

There are so many looks you can achieve with crimped hair; it’s no wonder that this decades-old technique is coming back in a big way! There are so many cute hairstyles for girls and women. There are a variety of ways you can achieve this look, with or without heat. Whether you choose to sleep in braids, use a flatiron, or invest in a zig-zag iron, this is a great way to do something unique without the commitment and price tag of a permanent. You can add volume to your hair, either up or down, with this retro method that women have loved for almost forty years. Crimped hair is back!

50 Edgy Crimped Hairstyle Ideas to Update Your Look

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About the AuthorAvatar photo
Andy Jones

Andy focuses on getting readers familiar with the latest and trendiest hairstyles. There’s pretty much no style she has yet to try, and her mission is to help everyone find the perfect look they seek. When Andy is not gushing about hairstyles, she spends most of her time reading through her giant collection of sci-fi books or watching old Star Trek shows. See all articles from Andy.