24 March 2022

Tried & Tested: Does the GHD Curve Thin Wand live up to the hype?

24 March 2022

Waves rarely go out of fashion – from a beachy scrunch to a sleek spiral, there are times when everyone wants curly hair. And that’s why one hair wand is never enough.

Following the success of their other five curlers, GHD has released a sixth. The third Curve, this one is a Thin Wand, designed with a 14mm ceramic barrel to create tight, defined curls. Targeting both straight and wavy locks, the results are said to last up to 24 hours.

The spec

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The 185°C styling temperature is super hot and constant, enabling the wand to produce curls that last, when you heat the hair for around three seconds. The barrel has been designed to be 38% longer than GHD’s other curlers, meaning curling is easy, even if your hair is really long.The professional length cord with 360° swivel is something we come to expect from GHD and for peace of mind, the wand features an automatic sleep mode, shutting off after 60 minutes of non-use, which we think is genius.

Is it easy to use?

Before and after using the GHD Curve Thin Wands (Claire Spreadbury/PA)

If you play hairdressers and curl someone else’s hair, it’s a joy to use. I styled my 12-year-old daughter’s long hair in minimal time (15 minutes tops) and the wand was easy and fast to style. The curls stayed in for a long time, too. She was less taken by the super-tight almost perm-like curls, but did feel assured that as they dropped, she’d keep her overall look for longer.

I have short, bob-length hair though, and for me, the wand was a bit of a disaster. Despite having a slim barrel, I found it difficult to obtain the curls I achieve with straighteners. That said, I imagine practice makes perfect – but after burning my finger on the wand (and it really hurting), I didn’t feel like playing hairdressers any more.

The wand comes with a glove but it only protects the thumb and first two fingers, which is fine when you’re doing someone else’s hair. But on your own, where your technique is likely to be a little wonky, you really need something that protects the whole hand.

Would we buy it?

At £139, this hair curler is not cheap, and I wouldn’t want to be shelling out for an additional heat-styling glove on top of that. But it’s solid GHD quality, works well, and produces fabulous bouncy curls.

GHD Curve Thin Wand, £139, ghdhair.com

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