How to Do 40's Hairstyles

As World War II waged on, women were forced to enter working roles. At the same time, however, they were also expected to maintain their femininity. Almost all hairstyles of the 40s were worn away from the face. They also kept the tight, perfect curls found in hairstyles from previous decades. Basic hairstyling sets and the proper techniques will allow you to do 40's hairstyles that will remain intact for several days in a row.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Medium control hair gel
• Hair curl clips
• Bobby pins
• Hair grooming brush

1. Begin by looking at pictures of celebrities and prominent people from the 40s. Choose one particular style to focus on.

2. Observe how the hair is placed around the head. Think about where it is pinned back and how each of the curls look. Curls are a significant part of all 40's hairstyles.

3. Dampen hair evenly with water.

4. Squeeze about a quarter-size amount of hair gel into the palm of one hand and rub your hands together to coat both hands with the gel.

5. Work the product throughout your hair from root to tip.

6. Set your hair in a basic pin curl set by wrapping small sections of hair around your fingers and pinning it tightly against your hair with the hair curl clips. Most 40's hairstyles will begin with this basic pin curl set.

7. Allow your hair to dry completely. It is crucial that your hair is entirely dry. The style will easily fall out if your hair is even slightly moist.

8. Release your hair from the curl clips to let down the curls.

9. Use your hair grooming brush to manipulate the curls into the 40's hairstyle that you would like to achieve. You may choose to brush your hair into a deep side part and pull the hair down and then up or you may choose to roll a large barrel curl that begins at the peak of your forehead and rolls toward the crown of your head. If you choose this, you would then pin the barrel curl while it is standing up on the top of your head.

References

• 40's hairstyles