In 2021, Hair Rollers Became the Most Surprising Hair Tool. It’s not surprising that many ladies are eager for a little unashamed elegance after spending so much time at home. “A lot of people are looking for inspiration from the supermodel heyday of the 1990s,” Mr. Angelo added. “I’m thinking of that famous Cindy Crawford swoop, which is all about rollers — and which, by the way, she still rocks!”
For some, the nostalgia surrounding rollers is appealing; for others, it is the artistic influence of decades past. They’re seeking rollers, like Mr. Angelo with his ’90s workshop, to obtain hair that alludes to the past yet is new and fresh. An altogether new generation appears to be flocking to them, many for the first time.
“I would say that in the last year, and especially in the last six months, I’ve been over sloppy waves, and I became really enamored with flawless, bouncy ’90s blowouts,” said Bella Cacciatore, a Glamour magazine writer. “It feels so nice and fresh after a decade of super-lived-in hair being trendy. After a year of topknots, it also makes me feel pretty. I attempted a blowout with a round brush and failed, so I decided to try hair rollers after seeing them on TikTok.”
Caroline Jones, a kindergarten teacher, discovered hair rollerson Instagram as well. “About a year ago, an Instagram user I follow wrote about using hot rollers, and it took me right back,” Ms. Jones explained.
“Rollers bring back memories for me because they were the first hair or makeup item I ever used in junior high,” she explained. “I had thick, frizzy hair, and they made me feel polished at an age that might be embarrassing. They were great since they left my hair ‘large’ but smoothed out the frizz.”
