I Recreated My Grandma's Best Hairstyles

I don't know where I got my thin, fine hair from, but I can say with certainty that it is not my grandma. When I attempted to recreate six of my grandma's hairstyles from when she was my age and younger, I realized she had a lot more hair and a lot better skills with a curling iron. But I decided to try anyway.

My grandma was born in the 1940s and mastered the art of finger waves at an early age. She even tried to recreate them on my sister and I when we were younger! But because of our fine hair, it was a lost cause. She thrived in the 1960s, when the hair was high and neatly curled and bangs were a staple. And when she cut her hair into a bob in the '70s, she mastered using the hairspray that would get her through the '80s volume and '90s relaxed curl.

But now in 2016, as I try to recreate each of her trademark ponytails, curled bangs and adorable pigtails, I burned my forehead and gagged on hairspray. But it was fun to send my now-meta grandma side-by-side images of her hair then and my attempt. Check out my latest attempt to be as stylish as my grandma.

1. Barrettes

This experiment did not start out strong for me. I saw this picture and thought how easy it would be to duplicate simple, even barrettes in the hair. But no. The barrettes do not stay in place like they do in my grandma's original picture. But also, on this particular day, my hair absolutely refused to do a middle part. Leave it to my hair to make the simplest task the most difficult.

2. Half-Pony Pony

Unfortunately, my grandma's original image is a blurry. But it was easy to make out that she had a half ponytail tied with a bow. She then gathered with the rest of her hair into a ponytail. This needs to come back in style. It is easy to do and is a friend to all hair types. I'm going to continue to wear this style (sans-bow) and will report back if it becomes a thing again.

3. Headband

OK my grandma is certainly more adorable (then and now) and her headband was far better. But I had to try this look because I'm always a sucker for a good hair accessory. Anything that keeps the bangs back as I type away at my computer is A-OK by me. It's safe to say this was one of my favorite looks I tested.

4. Twists

When I saw this look on my grandma, I was worried about recreating it. I did not think there was a way possible in this world I could get my hair to cooperate with twisting back one side, let alone both sides. But this was actually successful! Though I wish I had the volume my grandma had with her twists, I forgot how elegant this look came off with a messy bun in the back. Hello, new Monday I-haven't-washed-my-hair-since-Saturday look.

5. All The Bangs

One question: Why does the world no longer wear their bangs like this? I haven't never felt more like Sandy in my life. My grandma's fuller bangs definitely capture the full essence of this look, but I loved actually playing with a curling iron again to at least attempt the sharp curls!

6. Her Wedding Hair

The hairstyle my grandmother wore to her wedding was definitely one I wanted to do justice, but simply could not because of differing hair lengths. I loved her classic, simplistic look that she dressed with a bow. And, of course, I was really feeling the bangs again! I might alter this to fit better with my longer hair in the future, since it's just so cute.

What Did I Learn?

I burned my forehead with the curling iron trying to recreate the wedding look, but besides the scar I suffered with for a week, this experiment was so worth a little battle wound. And for more than the sake of beauty journalism. Sure I was able to play with a curling iron again. And sure, I was able to experiment with new hairstyles to see what my hair could and could not do IRL. But most importantly, it was another experiment that brought me closer to my grandma.

We poured over these images of her together and she was able to tell me stories of where she was when that happened, how long it actually took her to curl the bangs, and why she chose that wedding style. It was great to "play" with hairstyles like a 5-year-old again, but I know the memory of hearing my grandma's stories of her life in these pictures will last longer than that stupid scar.