What Are ‘Utah Curls’ — And Should I Try Them?

Most people are familiar with beach waves, the loose curls that happen after taking a dip in the ocean (or faking it with a curling iron). "Utah curls" are similar but have a distinct difference — the ends are straight. It's not a new trend (we saw it in 2012) but it seems to have come back around in recent months. And like many beauty trends on social media, it just got a cute new name.

Folks on social media started calling the wave style "Utah curls" after the look blew up with bloggers and influencers from, you guessed it, Utah. But the trend spread. Suddenly, women everywhere were curling their hair with a curling iron or straightener and leaving the tips out to make that perfect wave with stick-straight ends. The look is polarizing; some can't stand the trend and others won't wear their hair any other way. That's the beauty of personal expression.

While curled — not straight — ends might be a bit fresher right now, both wave patterns can be really pretty. Utah-based hairstylist and esthetician Sydney Cutler explained on TikTok how to get the look without frying your hair. "I'm taking my 1-inch curling wand and starting from the top, slowly wrapping my hair strand around the iron," she explained. "As I'm doing that, I'm tightening the curl more and more and pulling [the ends] through. This is going to straighten the end." She finished by brushing it all out with a wide-tooth comb.

If that sounds too complicated, you can also wrap a section of hair around an iron and hold the end out. Just be careful not to burn yourself on the hot wand. (Use a heat-resistant glove if you need to). Look for a wand without a clamp to make it easier to avoid dreaded bends in your curls. We like the T3 Switch Kit that comes with three different barrel sizes, and the Beachwaver 1.25-Inch Rotating Curling Iron. And don’t forget to use a heat protectant, such as Oribe Gold Lust Dry Heat Protection Spray, each time you curl.