So, you decided to go with the back-angled bob cut for your long hair and now you want to know what
you can do with it, right? Well, all your favorites are still possible: up-styles, ponytails, braids, etc. And you can even give yourself
some variety in a more casual style by adding curl to the look.
The amount of curl is entirely a matter of personal choice. But whether you opt for small, tight
spirals or long, flowing waves, curl can make a world of difference in the look of the cut. For our demonstration here, we chose a
wet-set with large rollers for big, full curls with a lot of strength. If you are practiced at creating a curly style with long hair,
you know that various techniques will give you differing levels of strength in your curls.
This depends largely on the type of product used, as well as the technique employed. In general, for
strong, long-lasting curls, you want a heat-dried wet set, wrapped using a styling gel or setting lotion. The next in line is the curling
iron, which when used in conjunction with hair spray, creates quick curls in targeted areas that will last all evening. Finally, you have
hot rollers, which are also great for quick curls, and can give you soft, bouncy curls all over in less time than curling irons, but
rarely last as long. We chose the wet set primarily because we wanted the superior strength of curl it provides, which is needed for
the length and texture of our manikin’s hair.
How To:
Our photos show the stages of this curling process. We began with freshly cut hair which was
shampooed once more to remove stray hair clippings, and conditioned to ensure hydration and protect the hair against any damage from
the dryer. After toweling the hair dry, we applied a liberal amount of styling gel and worked it carefully through the hair using our
fingers and a wide-tooth comb to remove any tangles.
The hair was then wrapped as shown using the largest rollers we have available. The hair was
wrapped overhand and half-off-base, to give a moderate amount of lift to the curl. Because we wanted softer waves to frame the face, we
used our largest rollers along the front hairline, and directed the curls downward along the sides of the head.
Behind this front row of rollers, we shift one size down in rollers and wrapped a row of rollers
down the middle at an angle, for a more organic (natural) wave pattern. The remainder of the sides were then wrapped in angled rows and
filled in as needed. When the hair became too dry, we misted it with water to make wrapping the hair easier.
The finished wrap looks more haphazard than it actually is, and many older women who are accustomed
to seeing very neat, uniformly wrapped hair, such as for a perm, may think the roller set has been done incorrectly. However, unlike
your grandmother’s day of precisely symmetrical styles, today’s hairstyles favor more-organic and random-looking wave patterns. (It
also helps to prevent visible roller marks, which are those telltale seams where the hair has been parted for wrapping on a roller.)
