c. 1938

Permanent Wave Machine

The rapid change in styles wasn't limited to clothing. Women began waving their hair and cutting it into a short bob in the 1920s. Allen County followed the trend. This fashion movement was not only a political statement, but a practical one as women began taking on more and more factory jobs. In the early twentieth century, hairdressers discovered that by applying chemicals and heat to a woman's hair, they could create waves and curls that would last for days, weeks, or months. Because these machines were in salons, not in homes, going to the "Beauty Parlor" became a social event. Women would sit un-derneath this permanent wave machine while their hair was attached to the various curler attachments.