How did they keep their hair-do's from week to week?

[Inky]

Once again, I tried a search but no luck, so if this is in the wrong spot, Bartenders, feel free to move it.

How the heck did ladies of past keep their hair-do's from week to week? I remember in the 60's and 70's my mom went to the hair dressers once a week and she always looked fantastic. I asked her and she said she slept sitting up, or with a satin pillow case, or sometimes with a silk scarf.

I've tried these things (okay, not the sleeping sitting up, I refuse to give in to vanity by losing sleep) and I can't manage to keep a style overnight, let alone for a week. I set with hot rollers, use thermal sprays and plenty of hairspray and my hair holds a curl well, even after a night of dancing, but after a night of sleeping I have a huge frizzy mess. I can usually brush it down and restyle it into something interesting the next day, but nowhere near the same "look."

Any tips? Secrets? Ideas?

 

[MarieAnne]

The silk scarf would definitely help, but I think you need to experiment with your setting method. My hair also falls pretty quickly when I use hot rollers. Have you tried doing a wet set? Wet sets are the longest lasting for me. Everyone's hair is different of course. Do you know how the hairdresser would set your mom's hair? I recently did a moist overnight set; I started with dry hair and spritzed it lightly before curling onto orange perm rods. That was a two days ago and my curls are still going strong. I don't use setting lotion because my hair is naturally curly and can hold a curl quite well. When I wear a pony tail they mass up into one giant ringlet and although I run my fingers through it several times a day to break them up, they are still very bouncy. Soon I will be able to brush them into a nice wave. I have a satin shower cap, but I only sleep in it when I am doing a set. Otherwise, I just sleep with my hair loose, on a regular pillow case.

I have to say, after experimenting with overnight wet sets for several months, I find the area around the face needs a little more finesse. Sleeping on perm rods just doesn't quite cut it. The elastics can leave dents near the hairline, and the curlers can move around in weird ways when you sleep on them. Now I set my hair in three rows, going downward, all around my head. And when I wake up I use the brush curlers, to do the area around my face. It's quick, and there are no dents. I know the curlers will stay where I want them to; I'm only having breakfast after all. I think magnetic curlers would take longer to dry, although they would be more gentle.

 

[~*Red*~]

Wet sets for sure. I've set LOL's (Little Old Ladies..they're so sweet) and they last a full a week. Sometimes by the time they come in they have a sleeping patch at the back of their head, but I think by the end of the week, they just stop fluffing it because they know they are coming in for a wash and set.

Many times, what they did and I remember my grandmother doing this, is they would reset their curls in rollers or pin curls before bed and in the morning,re-fluff. Or the ladies that had lots of backcombing, they wear silk /satin scarves/nightcaps and re-fluff in the morning. When I do a wet set, I can make it last a week by re-setting in pin curls at night before bed. This works with a wet set or hot iron set. As long as you have curls, you can form a pin curl easy. Pin it with bobby pins, or if your hair is thicker, hair pins with an "X". It totally works.

 

[RebeccaMUA]

I have two possible answers. I asked my grandmother about it, and apparently the cut had a lot to do with it (she always tells me to cut my hair in a "feather" cut...what that is I am not sure). Also, lots of setting lotion was used (I have found this helps TREMENDOUSLY! My styles don't last a week, but they last about three days before I feel gross and have to wash my hair, lol). Also, she claims that you would get a permanent every three-four weeks and that would help with the hair holding style. I don't know if the permanents were the same as perms these days because that sounds quite damaging to get a perm that often!

On a second note, my friends mother had shoulder surgery a couple of years ago and she couldn't lift her arm to do her hair. So she would go to the beauty salon once a week and they would give her little tight curls with a small curling iron, brush it out and shellac it with ICE spray adhesive (http://pricables.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=1867). [That stuff holds! She used it on a photo shoot we did to make the hair high and forward and it defied gravity!] And my friend said it would hold all week and she would just use a pick to fluff it up a little and it was fine.

Perhaps with longer hairstyles it a bit more difficult to make it last exactly like the first day. I know my curls "fall" a little bit each day but it still looks nice for the duration of the three days. Good luck finding a happy method Inky

 

[Lily Powers]

Either they washed and set their hair every day, slept standing up, or hair-sprayed their heads to within an inch of life. My mom slept in curlers (hmmm, maybe that's why I have no little siblings) and her hair was always styled.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Hair was generally washed once a week -- the old line about "I'd love to go out with you Saturday, but I've got to stay in and wash my hair" comes from that practice. There was also a thing called a "boudoir cap," which was one step up from a scarf on the head -- basically a round satin thing with elastic and lace around the rim, looking for all the world like a tea cozy.

Keep in mind that hair spray as we know it today didn't come along until the early fifties -- they depended on setting lotion, perms, and nightly pin curls to keep hair in place. But this also made it easier to go a week without shampooing -- there wasn't the product buildup that people have to deal with now.

 

[Inky]

Excellent tips ladies!

I do get longer lasting curls from setting lotion/wet set. I have found this true on the few occasions where I have taken the time to do it.

I also think resetting the existing curls in pin curls at night is a brilliant idea, then wrapping it in a silk/satin scarf.

I hadn't thought of the cutting being relevant, but that makes complete sense. I have a middy now, but it's not long in the back yet, just shaped on the sides and about shoulder length in back. I long for the day when the true u-shape is there. I think I will ask my hairdresser the question of getting a set to last, she's well-versed in vintage hair-do's.

I already do wash my hair only once a week, unless I do something that causes my scalp to get very sweaty (which I avoid like the plague, haha!). It took me a very long time to accept that practice, but my hair, hair color and scalp are all the better for it - as well as my pocketbook as shampoo and conditioner last me forever!

I am going to try these tips this weekend when I usually set my hair and see how it goes for next week and report back, but keep the ideas coming, I think the weekly set is a useful and very practical vintage way of life to bring back!

 

[MarieAnne]

Hair was generally washed once a week -- the old line about "I'd love to go out with you Saturday, but I've got to stay in and wash my hair" comes from that practice. There was also a thing called a "boudoir cap," which was one step up from a scarf on the head -- basically a round satin thing with elastic and lace around the rim, looking for all the world like a tea cozy.

Keep in mind that hair spray as we know it today didn't come along until the early fifties -- they depended on setting lotion, perms, and nightly pin curls to keep hair in place. But this also made it easier to go a week without shampooing -- there wasn't the product buildup that people have to deal with now.

Hehe, like this?

And on the topic of hair products. I find using lot's of hairspray, and pomade to tame fly-aways, makes my hair fall faster. The less products I use, the longer my curls last. I don't have to wash as often and my hair is lighter.

 

[Lady Day]

My Granny said "schedule, schedule, schedule." If you had your appointment at the dresser, it was your regular as much as it could be. Like Lizzie said (cause she knows everything ) the stay home wash the hair thing ran true, otherwise your whole week would be off. And really, who wants grimy hair

LD

 

[~*Red*~]

MarieAnne: EXACTLY!!!

 

[RebeccaMUA]

Hehe, like this?

And on the topic of hair products. I find using lot's of hairspray, and pomade to tame fly-aways, makes my hair fall faster. The less products I use, the longer my curls last. I don't have to wash as often and my hair is lighter.

I love this!

 

[Brooksie]

Here are my 2 cents worth plus my street cred (credibility) - I have been a licensed cosmetologist & hairstylist since 1988 and I have done my fair share of sets on the lil' ol' ladys...

about a year ago I was setting my hair weekly, my hair was cut in a bob that I was growing out at the time so it was about half way between chin and shoulder length.

I would set my hair all over with pin curls, I would take small sections because my hair is very fine and limp. I would use a ton of lotta body setting lotion which would help. I would sit under my portable hair dryer. Once dry I would take the pins out that first day I would use a little bit of hairspray and I would just gently finger the curls apart because my hair is so fine and does not like to curl I would not use a brush that first day.

At night I would sleep with a crochetted hair net that I realized later was really a snood, it seemed to keep the hair fairly neat the next day. I would always end up loosing curl the fastest around my face so with these pieces I would pincurl them again with bobby pins and sleep with them that way.

The next day I would brush it out and use a little more spray.

I repeat the nightly proceedure and in the following mornings I will start to add a little bit of back combing.

I can usually go about 5 days then things get a little itchy because I have the tendency to get a little on the oily side when that is a problem then I use a little powder on my hair and try not to get it on my scalp. What I noticed was that after a while my hair seemed to get less and less oily if I kept at doing the sets on a regular basis.

Then on the last morning just before shampooing the next day, I would usually like to do victory rolls in my hair because they are much easier to do when the hair is dirty plus you still have a set going on in the hair even though it is waning and you have a little bit of product built up by then... and yes I did my victory rolls when my hair was this length because I had just enough to roll up into a french roll in the back so that way it would not look silly rolls on top with no hair in back.(length that is)

Brooksie

 

[Inky]

Ok, the test is in process. I wet set my hair with setting lotion, end papers and pillow rollers on Wednesday night. I did a Hepburn side-part 40's style do on Thursday, using a light hand with some pomade a touch of hair spray.

When I came home from class on Thursday night I set my hair in pin curls, in no particular manner, just grabbing the curls and leaving the part and crown untouched. I put a hair net on and went to bed. So far today, despite looking like a dork (no one cares, i work from home) the pin curls are holding well and tomorrow morning I will see how this turns out. If I have to go anywhere today, it'll be a bandana day to cover the pins.

I feel particularly vintage with the pin curls in

more to follow as the "extend my set" experiment continues....

 

[Miss RM]

Hi girls. Does anyone have suggestions for a good brand of hairspray that doesn't leave a lot of build-up on your hair? I've been trying to extend my sets, too, and am at the point where I only need to wash and set twice a week. I find the hairspray (which is so necessary to keep my hair in place) leaves a sort of sticky residue, though, and by the fourth day, my hair just feels terrible! I've never really thought about brand before - I just bought the cheapest stuff from the shelf, which wasn't an issue when I went with 'natural' hair and washed my hair far more frequently.

 

[Helysoune]

I can't go more than two days between hair washes, it just gets so oily that I can't stand it and certainly can't do a thing with it. I'm hoping that with this cut I did today (pics to be posted later once it's all dry) that I may be able to keep the style at least overnight, because having to set EVERY BLOODY DAY is such a pain in the hind end.

And PS, my mother used to tell me to sleep with silky underwear on my head, turned inside out, and that would keep my hair in place. I haven't done this since I was single and lived at home, but it never seemed to work very well anyway. Anyone else had this advice?

 

[MarieAnne]

I'm not a hair/scalp expert but I believe the amount of oil your scalp produces is equal to the need. If you wash your hair frequently, you will wash away those oils and your scalp will try to compensate; it will make more oil. Gradually increase the amount of days in between shampoos and your hair/scalp will adjust. It's kinda like breastfeeding --> production=need.

 

[LizzieMaine]

And PS, my mother used to tell me to sleep with silky underwear on my head, turned inside out, and that would keep my hair in place. I haven't done this since I was single and lived at home, but it never seemed to work very well anyway. Anyone else had this advice?

You could try underpants, but even better is a satin sleep-cap. (See posts above!) It's better looking and easier to explain to the family than underpants on your head.

 

[Helysoune]

You could try underpants, but even better is a satin sleep-cap. (See posts above!) It's better looking and easier to explain to the family than underpants on your head.

I will definitely have to try the sleep cap, but I'm please to report that in the mean time wrapping my satin robe around my pillow seems to be working very, very well. My set from Saturday night (I had to re-set it after the cut as I needed a shower after a long day of housework) has remained intact into today with a bit of fluffing, redoing my side rolls and some hairspray. Even my bangs look fantastic, which never happens! I'll have to snap a pic later today.

 

[TheSwingingBee]

I have a question regarding this too, I'd love to set my hair once maybe twice a week and use the satin caps and such, but I work out almost every night. Can I wear a set 2 days in a row if I sweat or will the hair be too dirty and smell? I have no clue as I've never gone without a full shower after a work out, but I'm wondering if I even sweat on my head.

 

[lazydaisyltd]

I have a question regarding this too, I'd love to set my hair once maybe twice a week and use the satin caps and such, but I work out almost every night. Can I wear a set 2 days in a row if I sweat or will the hair be too dirty and smell? I have no clue as I've never gone without a full shower after a work out, but I'm wondering if I even sweat on my head.

My hair gets kind of sweaty when I work out...I can't do it. I have straight, ashy blond hair, though--it is the color and texture that has to be scrupulously clean or else even of a hint of grease makes it look stringy and ick. Good for you for working out!