Getting Lift to your 40s hair

[Scarlet Belle]

Ooooo Dollface, you look adorable!!

This is me at work today, with rolls and a fringe. I too sometimes regret cutting a fringe when I do the rolls, but thats ok.

 

[Scarlet Belle]

And this is the back end!

 

[Lauren]

you guys are too cute. Now I want to go and mess with my hairs.

 

[ITG]

Originally posted by kamikat
To get a soft 40's look, use a boar bristle or other soft bristle brush and really brush through the curls. The look was soft wave, not individual curl that is favored today.
Andrea

Yeah, I brushed it out a bit more today and it had a much softer wave. I just enjoyed being able to get my hair to stay curled all day and have some volume going (Hot rollers last me about half a day-and that's on a good day if it's humid outside).

 

[Velma Kelly]

Vintage hair styles... I love to talk about that!

It's hard to decide on particular favourite but I guess I can say that my two most favourite vintage hair do's are 40's rolls and 20's water waves.

I like to pin-up my hair in the front and let it long in the back but my hair is growing like mad these days, so it becomes harder and harder for me to get proper curls or waves that last a whole day. (I'm thinking about cutting my hair a bit so it will be easier to curl but then again it will look really short and I'm all for long but curly hair plus I've never had the patienced before to get it really long.)

Here are two sample pictures of hair do's I like to wear when going out on special occasions:

Love,
Velma

 

[ITG]

(I'm thinking about cutting my hair a bit so it will be easier to curl but then again it will look really short and I'm all for long but curly hair plus I've never had the patienced before to get it really long.)

Velma, I'm in the same boat...It's getting harder to roll the hair up (plus I have layered hair, which makes it harder) but yet I'm letting it grow out so I can do Princess Leia hair styles, or just plain braid it (as the layers make braiding difficult). I do like it better though when my hair is shoulder length. Oh the delemmas we women face...the guys just pick a style, stick on a hat, and go.

 

[jitterbugdoll]

I've never used rats--in fact, I've only found them in dark gray foam, which is hard to hide in my light blonde hair. I've made a few of my own rats though (women used to save their own hair, and stuff it into old pantyhose), but really, the best way to create perfect rolls is by back combing.

I actually have very thick hair (unusually so for a natural blonde), but by backcombing a bit, rolls can be formed without a fuss. Backcombing gives the hair more texture (needed to keep the pins from sliding out) and it forms the needed volume too (which you can adjust as you like.)

I have medium length hair, which I periodically grow out and then cut short. I can do rolls at any length though, providing my hair is layered. 1940s haircuts were layered to achieve the various looks--I found it very difficult to form nice, neat rolls when my hair was long and one length. In fact, once I got a period haircut, learning how to style rolls was a breeze!

The longest lasting set is definitely a damp set (I usually cheat and use sponge rollers, with a few pin curls at the crown), but I usually use a hot roller set called Hot Sticks. These rollers look like rubber perm rods, and they seem hotter then regular rollers. They definitely create the look of pin curl set, and they are easier to maneuver too! I find that pairing them with a good firm hairspray (Aussie Freeze is great) my hair behaves all day.

Here’s one of my rolled looks:

 

[ITG]

I actually have very thick hair (unusually so for a natural blonde), but by backcombing a bit

Is backcombing the same as teasing your hair? I'm not familar with the term backcombing.

In fact, once I got a period haircut, learning how to style rolls was a breeze!

What specifically did you request when you asked for a "period haircut"? Did you have any reference pics you provided to your hair stylist?

I usually use a hot roller set called Hot Sticks. These rollers look like rubber perm rods, and they seem hotter then regular rollers. They definitely create the look of pin curl set, and they are easier to maneuver too! I find that pairing them with a good firm hairspray (Aussie Freeze is great) my hair behaves all day.

How long do you let the hot sticks set in your hair for? With thick hair, do you find you have to use alot of these hot sticks?

Your hair looks real cute by the way...love the addition of the red flower.

 

[jitterbugdoll]

Backcombing is like teasing, with the exception that you don’t move the brush up and down/back and forth. What you do is grasp the section of hair that you want rolled, hold it straight up, and brush straight down from tip to root several times (not a lot, just enough to rough up the texture.) Backcomb the under section of the hair (the part that will be concealed within the roll) and then lightly smooth the front of the section before rolling it. From my understanding, true teasing is very damaging to the hair, but backcombing is not (and backcombing was a necessary part of styling during the 1940s-60s.)

I have shown my hairdresser the ‘1940s Hairstyles’ book, but usually I bring in a picture of a favorite 40s starlet. A good hairdresser, especially one that trained in the 1950s-60s, can look at a photo and know the hair cut behind the style. Older trained stylists are also very familiar with pin curl and finger waves sets, so they can tell you exactly how to set your hair, too (since they spent hours working on these sets, they appreciate the work that goes into the old hairstyles!) My favorite hairdresser just retired (he began his career in the 60s), but I have found another great stylist (he started out in the 70s.) The new stylist is fun because after he cuts your hair, he styles it for you, too. He’s going to give me a few 1920s Marcel wave clips of his, because he knows I love that sort of thing!

Have you seen this website? She's got a couple of pics of backcombing: http://members.tripod.com/slowdyve/Hairstyles.html

I usually leave the Hot Sticks in for around 20 minutes or so. Basically, I put them in and then eat breakfast, get dressed, and pack my lunch before work. When I am done, the rollers are cool and ready to remove. I do use the entire set (22 sticks) in order to achieve the proper set. With pin curls, sponge rollers and hot rollers, you need to roll small sections of hair in order to get a tight enough curl. Otherwise, I find I get droopy waves, or hair that is tightly curled in one area, and loose in another!

Thanks--it was a hot, humid day in July, and I was helping at a photo shoot, so a lot of the curl had fallen out. I love to use flowers—they really dress up the look (and they are great for covering up any mistakes!)

 

[ITG]

Backcombing is like teasing, with the exception that you don’t move the brush up and down/back and forth. What you do is grasp the section of hair that you want rolled, hold it straight up, and brush straight down from tip to root several times (not a lot, just enough to rough up the texture.) Backcomb the under section of the hair (the part that will be concealed within the roll) and then lightly smooth the front of the section before rolling it. From my understanding, true teasing is very damaging to the hair, but backcombing is not (and backcombing was a necessary part of styling during the 1940s-60s.)

That's too funny...that's what I do to my hair but I thought I was teasing it. I guess I wasn't teasing it enough (or the right way), much to the health of my hair.

 

[jitterbugdoll]

You know what works best for me? A round metal brush--you know, the kind you use for blow-drying your hair. The bristles are very short/dense hard plastic, and they really grip the hair.

I think the only time teasing is truly damaging is when you go for the 1980s look every day!

I also find heat styling sprays really help out hard-to-curl straight hair. I've tried "Got2B Curled Curling Spray" and liked it quite well. It really extended the life of my last haircut!

 

[ITG]

Jitterbug, you're full of good tips. Thanks! I'll try using my round brush next time.