I sat on a the light blue Formica of my childhood home”s bathroom counter more than a few times in awe of my mama, face lighted from a magnifying mirror with the option of “daytime” to “nighttime” lighting options, as she hot rolled her naturally board-straight hair into epic waves. The fact that I survived the foggy haze of Aquanet hairspray is nothing short of a miracle.
We sailed through the late ”70s and early ”80s with big, voluminous pageboys and auburn helmets, and we did it together. My job was to reassure her there were no holes in the pouf.
It was glamorous then, and just as much so today. Women go through phases in their lives when hot rollers play a starring role, and then a few years later maybe the rollers go under the bathroom vanity until Jackie Kennedy graces the cover of Life magazine. And here we go again.
It is quite humorous to watch the comings and goings of roller sets in the lives of women all over the world. Whether teased into a beautiful bouffant or brushed out and up into a larger-than-life flippety-do-dah, women know that they have got to get their roll on. Mama always burned her fingertips on those “little hot devils” as she called them and always had a glass of cool water placed beside the vessel of heat to cool the burns. Nothing could change her belief that the higher the hair, the closer to heaven.
Well, maybe I just heard that somewhere and loved it, but you can ask my daddy if you doubt my mama”s talent at big hairdos worthy of the Hairdo Hall of Fame. Plus, I have pictures to prove it.
Hot rollers have come a long way, baby! We have the options of steam rollers that condition the hair with moist warm steam water. Also, we have the introduction a few years back of bending foam rubber rollers that give long hair that tousled come hither allure. But my favorites are the classic beauty boxes of a dozen or so plastic rollers with metal clips.
It”s a surefire way to rock-n-roll the hair into a variety of beautiful and glamorous waves. Fine limp hair gets plumped. Naturally curly locks get gorgeous. Sleek, straight manes get magnified, and all in time for another run this season.
That”s right! Spring 2011 is all about glamour and big-bodied, full on heat, both from the hot rollers and the sizzle from turning up the volume on the new mood of an old classic. The twist is that today”s hot rolled hairstyles are uncontrived, less structured and big on shine. So, pull out those hot rollers and dust them off!
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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