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Is the curling iron the first hair tool you ever tried? If not, allow me to speak for myself. My mother s was about 400 pounds, had a convenient three-inch cord, heated up to an approximate 900 degrees, and was outfitted with a rigid, rusting clamp that creaked angrily with each twist. The resulting looks were breathtaking in the fullest sense of the word. I d emerge from the bathroom with stiff minuscule ringlets, a cloud of eau de singed strands trailing behind me, and a few telltale burns simmering along my forearms. Suffice to say, curling iron technology and my own skillset have both come a long way.