The Pinups of Betsy VanDeusen

The last time I pin-curled my hair I had a handful of requests for directions on how I did it… So here we go! :-)

Let me start out by saying that I have NO idea how women in the 50’s took care of their own hair! I worked as a professional wig designer for years, and I still can’t curl the hair on the back of my head to save my life! ;-P When i’m setting my own (natural) hair I tend to do as much as I can, and then I enlist a buddy to get that difficult-to-reach, impossible-to-see, back of the head section. 

If you have a friend helping you out, show them this pattern, and make a night of it! If not, try it out on your own! I’ve simplified things so it should be easier for you to handle either way. (Besides, the front is really the important part!)  :-)

In my pattern I use a combination of pincurls and sponge rollers.  You can do all pincurls if you like, but I think sponge rolling the back is the easiest thing for setting solo, and/or for explaining to someone who might not have any hair setting experience. 

So let’s get started!

First off, I always wash and condition my hair. My hair is very thick and pretty coarse, so at this point I comb through leave-in-conditioners, and “shine serums.” if you have fine or oily hair, skip that stuff, it’ll just bog you down- just washing your hair should suffice. Note: You can also experiment with setting lotions, but I like how my hair feels without it, so I usually don’t bother.

Make a nice clean side-part in your hair, and comb out any tangles. Leave your hair wet.

Now check out the pattern I’ve drawn up! (You can print it out and tape the to your mirror if that helps!) :-)
*Pay special attention to the direction the hair is winding in the pattern, and be sure to keep your curls going in even rows (as shown) as much as possible. 

When i’m done I always tie a scarf around my head to keep the pins/rollers secure, and then I sleep on the set for 6-8 hours. 

If the rollers still feel damp inside when you wake up, hit the whole thing with a hair dryer, *and then let it cool* before you take out the pins and rollers. 

Now all you have to do is brush it out gently with a wide-tooth comb, and guide your hair in to place with your hands and a brush! Easy! :-) 

I’d love to see pictures if anyone uses my pattern, so please share! <3