Plastic Brush Rollers

I have always preferred brush rollers over other types, and among brush rollers, some of the vintage plastic ones to be the best. Its really too bad that they don't seem to make the rollers below any more. The good thing is they often appear on eBay and if you see them up for bids, try and grab them.

Wil-hold Plastic Brush Rollers were the classic plastic brush rollers used in salons and at home in the 60s. The rollers are made from moderately hard plastic and the bristles are actually like little combs, making them particularly easy to wind. The plastic only has a little flexibility, so if you wind them too tight they really can become uncomfortable after drying. Even well wound, they can still be slightly prickly to wear, but after using these rollers a number of times you quickly get used to them and they are actually quite comfortable. The package promises they are “easy to sleep in” and although it takes a week or so to get used to wearing them overnight, they are well suited for that purpose: the fact that they secure so well means they can't loosen and yank your hair uncomfortable you toss and turn. Its also worth mentioning they are great under the dryer as well. The air flows through them making drying easy which is probably why they appear to have been very popular at salons.

Solo Sleepeasy Curlers are a slightly different approach to plastic brush rollers. What makes them unique is that that they are made out of a softer plastic (but not so soft that they deform) and also have bristles with rounded ends. This makes them gentle on the hair (no sharp bristles to scratch the hair shafts) and also more comfortable . The softer plastic also makes them a little more forgiving if you wind them too tightly which makes sense since the vintage ads seem to imply that these rollers were aimed more at the home use market. Other than that all the the comments about Wil-hold rollers apply to these too.

Tip-Top Snap-On Rollers or Tip-Top Clip-On Nylon Brush Curlers are the last variant on the plastic brush roller theme. The main difference from the others is these curlers are hour-glass shaped, possibly to make it easier to wind hair. They also have clip on clamps to hold the roller in place, but in reality you still need to use pins or piks to secure them for anything more that a few minutes in curlers. Interestingly, they appear to have been available with and without the clamps, and with and without an inner nylon brush, probably to accommodate all tastes in rollers. Like the the Solo Sleepeasy Curlers, the ads seem to indicate they were made primarily for the home market.