I remember sitting on the toilet seat — closed, of course — of our small, blue-tiled bathroom paying close attention to my mama as she went through her beauty ritual. The hot rollers were plugged in and ready to go. Even as a little fellow, I was happiest when surrounded by the glamour of lipsticks, dusting powders and Aquanet. It beat chopping wood with my brothers.
It was quite something how Mama could roll strand by strand of her board-straight and lifeless hair onto those little hot rollers, clipping, spraying, and combing it into a voluminous head of waves. Sure, she burned her fingertips more than a few times, but no pain, no gain, right?
Hot rollers have been modernized over the years and given a facelift. For one thing, those pesky little prickly pins are a painful thing of the past. Instead, the newer, more modern versions of hot rollers have expandable butterfly clips that hold the rollers in place without any discomfort. Another update on some of the newer models is the invention of heating elements built inside the roller itself.
In the old days, when you accidentally dropped a roller on the floor or couldn”t get the strands of hair wrapped quickly enough, the roller would cool down in a matter of seconds, but not now. With a newer heating element built inside, the roller stays hot for up to four minutes. Now, that”s just marvelous. Also, bid farewell to those aggravating burned fingertips because little grips on the ends of each individual roller prevent discomfort and help you get your roll on.
Hot rollers are splendid for long, medium and shorter hair when flat hair needs a lift, shorter layers long for volume, or blah hair begs for pizzazz. The styles last longer than traditional curling wands, and with a little spritz of hair spray, you will have more versatility in your hairstyle.
“They” say that everything old is new again, and in this case, we should all be glad. It makes my job easier and gives you another option for your own daily beauty ritual.
So, laissez les bon temps roulez — let the good times roll!
Former Columbus resident David Creel owns Beautiful With David salon in Jackson and has 20 years experience in the beauty industry. Contact him at [email protected].
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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