You know I'd love to come out tonight to watch you and the boys play hockey, but I can't.
I have to wash my hair.
[yelling] This is great! I feel safe!
Too bad that excuse barely works anymore huh?
Eh, I still use it.
But there really was a time where Canadian women
had to set aside a whole day out of their week to wash and dry their hair. But there really was a time where Canadian women
had to set aside a whole day out of their week to wash and dry their hair.
Handheld hairdryers like the ones we have today didn't become had to set aside a whole day out of their week to wash and dry their hair.
Handheld hairdryers like the ones we have today didn't become
commonplace in Canadian households until the late 70's.
Before that we had the bonnet hair dryer.
The bonnet hairdryer was basically like an at-home version Before that we had the bonnet hair dryer.
The bonnet hairdryer was basically like an at-home version
of the hood hair dryer, which is a device that has
a hard plastic helmet that wraps around a person's head, of the hood hair dryer, which is a device that has
a hard plastic helmet that wraps around a person's head,
evenly distributing hot air onto the hair. a hard plastic helmet that wraps around a person's head,
evenly distributing hot air onto the hair.
You still see these types of hairdryers in most salons,
and other than being updated for safety guidelines, You still see these types of hairdryers in most salons,
and other than being updated for safety guidelines,
they haven't changed all that much. and other than being updated for safety guidelines,
they haven't changed all that much.
Unlike the hood hair dryer with it's huge helmet, the bonnet hairdryer is compact-
Well, you can carry it around at least!
In fact, most models of bonnet hair dryers like this one came
with their own portable luggage pieces. In fact, most models of bonnet hair dryers like this one came
with their own portable luggage pieces.
The bonnet hair dryer was introduced to markets in 1951
and Canadian women used them through the 50's all the way to the 70's!
Styles set with this type of dryer were known for their volume and Canadian women used them through the 50's all the way to the 70's!
Styles set with this type of dryer were known for their volume
and it was especially useful for setting curls- Styles set with this type of dryer were known for their volume
and it was especially useful for setting curls-
curls that are used in so many 50's and 60's hairstyles.
To use this beast of a machine,
first you'd set curls into your hair while your hair is wet or damp,
using rollers or even just hairpins like I'm doing!
Once your curls are all set up,
you secure the bonnet around your hair, sort of like a shower cap.
... more than "sort of".
Then, the dryer nozzle is attached to the cap,
the machine gets plugged in,
and we switch it 'on'.
[yelling] This is great. I feel safe!
Of course, not everyone cares to sit under a dryer blowing hot air at your head for over an hour.
The late 19th century brought us the very first curling tongs,
which if I may say,
look not unlike a torture device.
Or at the very least, something you would reluctantly use
to stoke the fire with at your friend's cottage.
And why should you have to use it?
It's HER cottage!!
Well, let's not be ungrateful.
It doesn't get much easier in the 20th century
when curled coifs were all the rage.
Again- these look like torture devices.
Or gardening tools.
I guess depending on the context, kind of the same thing.
It's really funny to look at these and think about
how much we care about damaging our hair these days,
we won't even use a hair straightener if it doesn't
have, I don't know, the ceramic tourmaline coatings….
These Canadian women didn't care!
They were just like "You know what?"
"You know what just melt all my hair off. Just melt it right off."
"MERCI!"
One of the most iconic styles of the 1920's was the Marcel,
which had the look of a finger wave but was achieved using those curling tongs.
Since styling and drying your hair into fashionable styles was such a hassle,
most women did not wash their hair everyday.
... or every other day.
Dry shampoo was available in powder form and
could be brushed into the hair to absorb excess oil from the scalp.
Some of the most popular styles of the time included:
“The Veronica Lake Wave”
“The Poodle”
“The Pageboy”
“The Beehive”
and “The Bardot”
Soon many products came onto the market with a promise
and selling point of reduced styling time.
Have you ever heard the phrase,
“Tonight? Oh we can't go out tonight,
we're staying in and doing a Toni!”
The first popular home perm kit was brought into stores by a brand called Toni-
“This is a Toni!”
“Here's how Hidden Body looks when it's wet
but, when you set it on big rollers like this,
you get a smooth, sleek hairstyle that really holds its shape.”
“Have a Toni, with Hidden Body!
Choose from 3 types of lotion all with Toni's No Mix Neutralizer.
"Toni!"
However, since the 80's home perm kits have been on the steep decline.
I wonder if they'll ever make a comeback?
And speaking of a comeback-
Somehow the bonnet hairdryer has become popular again.
But the modern version folds flat,
weighs practically nothing,
and attaches to your very own hairdryer!
Not only that, but these things are super cheap.
You can find them for anywhere between $5-20.
They're in beauty supply stores and even on amazon!
They're made of nylon with perforated holes so that your hair doesn't overheat.
It's certainly as goofy as the first one- even perhaps, retro futuristic?
But this is my favourite method of setting curls now
because IT WORKS!
And it helps create the perfect vintage waves!
Have you used one these bonnet hair dryers before?
Do you swear by some bizarre vintage beauty secret?
Let us know in the comments!