The main takeaway from “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” isn’t just the scandals or the reality TV drama; it’s their hair extensions.
After the successful premiere on Hulu last month, the women’s beautifully styled hair became known as “Utah curls.” This term comes from the #MomTok group featured in the show.
LaRae Day, a 28-year-old beauty pageant competitor and business owner in Salt Lake City, shared her thoughts with the Wall Street Journal. She regularly gets 22-inch hair extensions at JZ Styles, a Pleasant Grove salon co-owned by Jessi Ngatikaura, a star of “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.” Other #MomTok creators also visit this salon for hair services.
“There is nothing like having Rapunzel hair,” Day said. This viral hairstyle has become so popular that it has created a surge in hair tourism in Utah.
Kait Moritz, a stylist at JZ Styles, noted a significant increase in demand for hair extensions after the reality stars showcased their hair on the show. “My social media is flooded with requests from fans,” said Moritz, 25. She often styles her hair into “Utah curls,” explaining that the extensions used by the “Mormon Wives” cost around $1,500 per appointment, excluding cuts and color.
“It’s fun to put on extensions and feel like a different version of yourself,” Moritz added.
This trend is spreading beyond Utah. In New York City, stylist Liz Christensen said her clients often cite the “Mormon Wives” stars as hair inspirations. Lindsey Torres, owner of Root & Sage salon in Texas, mentioned that her clients frequently refer to the Hulu series during their appointments. The trend has even led some to regret their haircuts.
Siobhain Wiemann, a 41-year-old ultrasound student from Valencia, California, expressed her doubts after cutting her hair. “I wondered if I was silly for wanting extensions after just cutting my hair,” she said, adding that while she hasn’t gotten extensions yet, she did buy a JZ Styles curling iron.
However, some critics argue that the style looks incomplete. One critic wrote in a TikTok tutorial about Utah curls, “Born and raised in Utah, and I had no idea this was a purposeful style. I thought they just didn’t know how to curl their hair.” Another commenter remarked, “Why are we leaving ends straight? It’s giving damaged ends.”
Alyssa Grenfell, a 31-year-old former member of the Latter-day Saints Church, said these curls reflect broader values of beauty in the Mormon community. Grenfell, who has been critical of the church, believes that a woman’s beauty is highly valued in the religion, and long hair is seen as a way to enhance this perception.
“The goal is to be beautiful, but to be beautiful in the same way,” Grenfell told the Journal. Although the LDS Church has condemned some of the behaviors and portrayals shown in the Hulu series, Ciera Hudson, a 29-year-old Mormon content creator, argued that the issue is more about life in Utah than the religion itself. She described Utah women as perfectionists, saying, “Everyone is competing with each other here. Some people have naturally beautiful hair, and if you don’t, you get extensions.”
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