THE THEORY

However if the hair is thoroughly wet from top to scalp and to the core of each hair, it becomes plastic enough to form easily into a new position of curls or waves. From that point, thorough and complete drying hardens the hair. In its new form, you should have a lasting set until such time as the hair absorbs moisture from the air surrounding it to once more soften itself. As it is no longer controlled by hairpins and a net, it will then relax and lose the formation that was given it during the fingerwave.

Obviously, then, it is important to use a wetting agent that will primarily wet the hair through and through and, after the setting, dry out of the hair thoroughly.

For more lasting and beautiful hairdressing, therefore, and for greater ease in handling the hair during and after the finger wave, there are only three important points to practice and remember. In brief, they are:

The hair must be wet thoroughly.
This means that it is not sufficient merely to coat the surface with a semi-liquid or sticky substance. The fingerwaving fluid* must be of such a nature and so applied that every hair strand can be saturated to its core. Furthermore, it is necessary to maintain this saturation throughout the waving procedure. It is this thorough wetness that will cause the hair to be softened or plasticized sufficiently to allow it to be formed easily into the waves.

The hair being finger waved must be combed or handled in a manner so that it will be under tension or stretch while it is being formed into waves.
In the formation of waves, the stretching influence can be introduced to the hair by combing through the hair firmly, with the fine end of the comb. As the comb moves through the hair, allow the top side of it to press against the hair, causing pull or stretch.

Hair should be thoroughly dried before the comb-out.
Otherwise satisfactory work can be spoiled by allowing an impatient client to influence the hairdresser into combing the coiffure before it is thoroughly dried. Remember that if the hair retains any apparent moisture it is still soft and plastic and will easily lose the wavy form of the setting when it is combed.

*Rather than giving yourself a permanent by using cold wave fluid, try water, setting lotion, or a mixture of both plus a little bit of gel, depending on the difficulty you have keeping your hair in the waves. Setting lotion is generally available from beauty supply stores, often in the black hair care product aisle. It not only saturates and plasticizes your hair sufficiently, but most also protect your hair from heat processing.

I've mentioned this before... there is nothing better than a sit-under, or bonnet, dryer. They're available in thrift shops, and there are some nifty ones on eBay. Put your hair into pincurls or fingerwaves, protect them with a net if necessary, and go sit under the dryer! It'll give you a chance to catch up on the latest bestseller, or time to paint your nails.

Other fingerwave pages:

Fingerwaves, Part 1
Fingerwaves, Part 2
Fingerwaves, Part 3