A curling iron is used by many individuals today. It is a cylindrical metal appliance designed to heat and curl hair that has been wrapped around it. It sounds like a simple mechanism, but the truth is consumers can become quite confused when shopping for a curling iron. There are a multitude of brands, sizes, shapes, colors, and styles available. The idea of a curling iron began as a simple pressing iron that was patented by Theora Stephens in 1980. The curling iron has evolved through the years and become an extremely popular piece of equipment that is found in many homes today. Once manufacturers realized that consumers each have different hair types, hair styles, and reasons for needing curling irons, they began producing more specialized products. These specialized products were created to help meet each particular need. With that said, there are a variety of curling irons designed with specific intentions, but the overall goal is basically the same, to style and shape hair.