Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 11

Thread: How the heck do you get bobby pins to hold?

  1. #1
    Member Sorus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    California
    Posts
    290
    Length
    ~17"/TBL/Knee
    Type
    1b/F/M/ii

    Question How the heck do you get bobby pins to hold?

    I love the pinup/retro hairstyles and now thanks to the awesome YouTube thread I have instructions on how to do them without hot rollers or curling. Yay! The one drawback: I'm all left thumbs when it comes to bobby pins.

    So, my question for everyone out there who digs the victory roll look: how do you pin it so it stays?

    TIA
    1b/M/ii - 45"

    Avatar is La Belle Dame Sans Merci by Waterhouse, 1893 Sig is Psyche et L'Amour by Bouguereau, 1889

  2. #2
    Flapper Shell's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    California
    Age
    60
    Posts
    3,572
    Type
    2c/M/C/iii

    Default

    Well, I have an article pending on this very topic! But since it's not up yet, you could check out my hair page via my home page, linked in my signature. The tutorial is for hairpins, but for bobby pins you just hold them open, follow the instructions, then let them close--very easy.

  3. #3
    Member Sorus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    California
    Posts
    290
    Length
    ~17"/TBL/Knee
    Type
    1b/F/M/ii

    Default

    Thanks for the response Shell. Your hair is beautiful! You home page was great, I can't wait until you get some more hair articles up.

    My bobby-pin question is specific to 40s/50s type hair rolls. I can use u-shaped hairpins just fine, and I can use bobby-pins to help hold up accent braids or flyaway parts of buns, I just can't seem to manage to figure out what parts of the roll to grab with the pin to get it up stay up and not be flattened by the pin.
    1b/M/ii - 45"

    Avatar is La Belle Dame Sans Merci by Waterhouse, 1893 Sig is Psyche et L'Amour by Bouguereau, 1889

  4. #4
    The Gibson Girl TammySue's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Pennsylvania
    Age
    66
    Posts
    2,052
    Length
    25/40/45
    Type
    1b/M/ii

    Default

    The trick is to catch just a small amount of hair and close to the scalp.

    I found these awesome large size bobby pins at Sally's Beauty Supply. You know how the little knobby plastic pieces on the end get funny and catch your hair and eventually fall off? Not on the ones I have! They came in a black box with a sliding top. I think they cost more than average bobby pins, but were worth it!
    TammySue
    **************************************

  5. #5
    Member Sorus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    California
    Posts
    290
    Length
    ~17"/TBL/Knee
    Type
    1b/F/M/ii

    Default

    Where do you insert the pin relative to the roll? The best I can figure from YouTube videos is that one "goes through the hole" and one "come from the back," but I can't seem to manage it.
    1b/M/ii - 45"

    Avatar is La Belle Dame Sans Merci by Waterhouse, 1893 Sig is Psyche et L'Amour by Bouguereau, 1889

  6. #6
    Member kissedbyfyre's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Providence, RI
    Age
    41
    Posts
    2,327
    Length
    .25"/??/??
    Type
    1c/C/iii

    Default

    Thank you for asking this question, I was wondering the same myself. Any time I try bobby pins, my hair eats them. They end up stretched out and simply will not hold no matter how hard I try.

    I swear I am hairstyle retarded outside of buns and braids....

  7. #7
    Member Pixel Gypsy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Age
    45
    Posts
    43
    Length
    18"/20"/35"
    Type
    1b/F/iii

    Default

    I could never get bobby pins to stay in my hair (they would slip and the style would sag) until a stylist who did an updo for a wedding told me to put two pins in an "x" and they would stay better. Now I can do an updo and often sleep in it and the next morning the pins are still really secure.

    Don't know if this addresses the problem you're having or not though.....

  8. #8
    Member rhubarbarin's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    over the ocean
    Age
    38
    Posts
    4,247
    Type
    2c/M/ii

    Default

    Buy Scunci No-slip Grip hair pins.. they have grooved inner surfaces and hold excellently. They are also tougher than many pins, I very rarely have problems with them bending. These are the only pins I buy anymore, no other brand compares.

  9. #9
    Flapper Shell's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    California
    Age
    60
    Posts
    3,572
    Type
    2c/M/C/iii

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Sorus View Post
    Thanks for the response Shell. Your hair is beautiful! You home page was great, I can't wait until you get some more hair articles up.

    My bobby-pin question is specific to 40s/50s type hair rolls. I can use u-shaped hairpins just fine, and I can use bobby-pins to help hold up accent braids or flyaway parts of buns, I just can't seem to manage to figure out what parts of the roll to grab with the pin to get it up stay up and not be flattened by the pin.
    I think it's really the same, just catch the edge of the roll and pin to the scalp. I don't think pins are the problem; I suspect that you need ratts! Ratts help hold the shape of the various rolls and poofs; pins just hold it all in place.

    I'm glad you liked the page; I just started it a few days ago, so it still needs a lot of work.

  10. #10
    Flapper Shell's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    California
    Age
    60
    Posts
    3,572
    Type
    2c/M/C/iii

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by kissedbyfyre View Post
    Thank you for asking this question, I was wondering the same myself. Any time I try bobby pins, my hair eats them. They end up stretched out and simply will not hold no matter how hard I try.

    I swear I am hairstyle retarded outside of buns and braids....
    Real hairpins are best--bobby pins are flimsy. I use Amish pins, but I've seen some new curved ones that look good. I've also used the Good Days pins, and they are good for braided updos and a few others, but they don't work for everything. It's best to use what folks then used, and that would be hairpins, combs, and ratts. Keep in mind too, that they often curled and back-combed their hair. In the 40s and 50s people usually had permed their hair and often, they also used hair pieces to get those effects. And don't forget--tons of hairspray!
    Last edited by Shell; March 20th, 2008 at 09:21 PM.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •