All those natural curls must come from somewhere. If yours are assisted by a hair curler or curling iron appliance, here's what you can do if it doesn't work.

How Does It Work?

Hair curlers and other heating appliances typically have a thermal fuse or cutout that can be replaced with parts from an electronics parts store.

Hair curlers and curling irons are heating devices designed to curl human hair. Both hair curlers and curling irons contain heating elements controlled by a thermostat. In addition, a thermal cutoff or fuse prevents appliance burnouts due to overheating. In a set of curlers, a solid metal plate transfers heat from the element to the warming posts on which the rollers are placed. In contrast, the curling iron is heated by an element located inside the barrel. Both are simple heating appliances and relatively easy to repair--once you figure out what's wrong.

What Can Go Wrong?

The most common problem with hair curlers and curling irons is a faulty power cord. In addition, internal wiring may be faulty, swivel contacts may be dirty or corroded, a heating element may fail, the thermal cutoff may be faulty and the switch may be faulty.

Fix-It Tip

Hair curlers and curling irons are relatively inexpensive appliances and replacement parts may be difficult to find so it may be more cost effective to replace rather than repair them. But give it a try anyway.