My curling iron basically exploded during a client's updo on Friday

I was doing a bridesmaid's hair for a wedding in Charlotte, and halfway through a curl, the barrel just popped off the handle. Hot pieces went everywhere, and my client jumped out of the chair. I had to finish the style with my backup iron, but it threw off my whole timing. Has anyone else had a tool totally fail mid-service, and what's your go-to backup plan?

3 comments

3 Comments

diana_moore7519d agoMost Upvoted

lol my curling iron once straight up DIED mid curl and I just held the cold iron against my client's head like a total clown pretending it still worked. Backup plan now is a cheap travel iron from Target that I call my "emergency junker" just in case.

emmap161mo ago

That sounds like a total nightmare, especially during a wedding job. Having your main tool break like that is my worst fear. My backup plan is basically just having a second, cheaper version of everything in my kit. It's saved me a couple times when a clip just snapped. You must have been so stressed trying to get back on schedule.

sethb451mo ago

Yeah, the "second, cheaper version" backup plan is solid. I read a blog post from a photographer who called that their "sacrificial gear" strategy for exactly that reason.