As if we didn't chat about pin curls enough. . .

[MissQueenie]

Bleh, Amanda...I'm all thumbs when it comes to pincurling my hair. I have had some nightmarish sets...luckily I've never used a setting lotion so it was pretty easy to wash out (though my hair stayed unpleasantly wavy). I wonder if part of the trouble was the ear-length "eton chop" I was sporting while trying to grow out an even shorter style. Any suggestions that can make it easier? I've seen (and tried) advice suggesting wrapping the hair around a "curling stick", one's own finger, etc. And how do you keep the ends tidy and bend-free?

[jitterbugdoll]

Wrap papers, like the ones used for perms (these work great with rag curlers). They work like a charm in keeping the curl neat and tidy!

But really, it takes lots of practice to get it right (or just decent ) However, even with a bad set I can usually resuscitate it with Hot Sticks; the good part being that the wet set adds extra body and holding power to the hot set.

[swinggal]

I use little vintage pincurl clips to secure mine. They keep the curl flat and don't leave a dent. I use a curling stick sometimes if I have the time, but otherwise I just use my finger.

Like Jitterbugdoll says, I keep my strips of hair in one inch widths. Too much just doesn't work and I too like to only do the pin curls to the nape of my neck to give that vintage slick crown look. Waves are cool too and you achieve them by curling the curls in opposite directions in the rows. I always part my hair too and curl in the direction I want the curls to go. My grandma says there were hundreds of sets for different styles. So it wasnt just a matter of pin curling the hair all over, there was parting, direction etc.

[CherryRed]

Thanks for posting that other Deanna picture, Jitterbugdoll. I saved it for reference.
I saw a really neat beauty parlor magazine with instructions on setting styles in ebay yesterday. Now I can't find it. I think it was from '47.

[OcNikki]

I just tried pillow rollers for the first time and they worked fabulously. I highly recommend them if you have to sleep in curlers. They are like rags but they have a piece of foam in them. You can get them at Target.

[Vanessa]

vintage pin curl clips on ebay

Found these while trolling ebay. . .look to be the same sort of clip sold today, but the packaging is nifty.

[Dahlia]

A question about making the pin curl... when you are rolling the hair around your finger, do you start from the top of the hair (at the scalp) and reach the ends last, or do you start at the end and roll up toward the scalp? The Nocturne site that jitterbugdoll provided says not to twist the hair, but if I try to roll the hair around my finger, ends to scalp, it gets twisted.

[ITG]

Dahlia, it's my understanding that you start at the scalp.

[jitterbugdoll]

I start at the ends myself, and roll the hair around my finger as if my finger was a curler. You've got to keep the hair/curl flat, and you definitely do not want to twist the hair in any way. Just keep practicing and you will get the hang of it!

P.S. If the hair is nice and saturated, it will be much easier to pin curl. As it starts to dry, it will become less pliable and more apt to twist and fly away.

[swinggal]

I start from the ends too and roll them up towards my scalp and yes, wet hair works best.

The flat pin curl clips work the best for me.