The “Infinity Wave” Is The Easiest Curling-Iron Trick You’ll Learn

I'm always in the market for a new, cool way to get waves. Volumizing hot rollers? Love 'em. L.A.'s cult wave formation? I swear by it. The vertical pull-down? It's tricky to master, but once you get it, it's gold. Do I spend too much time giving my semi-straight hair the enviable tousled volume many wake up with? Eh, probably — but if you clicked on this story, then maybe you do, too. And the latest technique to hit the hair community, dubbed the infinity wave, could be a game-changer if you're still struggling to master your curling iron. I first caught wind of it at Kevin Murphy's massive Super Natural hair show in Las Vegas — and I think you'll be seeing it everywhere soon.

It's so simple that "you think it's not gonna work, but it actually does," Murphy says about the infinity wave. And for the record, he says he invented this technique in an effort to create more lifelike waves. Read: Imperfect, slept-on, casual, DGAF — whatever you want to call it. Alright, you ready to try it? Let's get started. First, you'll need shoulder-length or longer hair, so pop in extensions or start popping Biotin. This technique can be done on all textures, but you may need to smooth out tight curls or waves, if you're blessed with 'em, before starting to get the exact effect.

Holding your 1-inch curling iron horizontally, an inch or two off your scalp, wrap a small section of hair around the iron, then cross it over the hair that's flush against the iron. Keep wrapping and crossing, almost as though you are weaving the hair onto the iron until you reach the ends. Lost? Check out the video below.

The hair on the iron should look a bit like this. Work quickly, so you don't overexpose the hair to heat. (And adjust the temp if you can, depending on your hair texture. The finer the hair, the lower the heat should be.)

Got it? Great — now release the hair, shake it out, and repeat. The result is barrel curls that are different from section to section, with some long breaks, some tight bends, and a whole lot of cool imperfection. Here's how the final result will look, starting with the front.

The side.

The back.

Once your bends and waves are cool, simply detangle them with a wide-tooth comb and spritz with a texture spray (for fine and straight hair) or an oil-infused shine spray (for curly, wavy, dry, or textured hair). Murphy suggests his Doo.Over for the former (it's what he used on the model) and Shimmer.Shine for the latter. What do you think? Tell us in the comments below...