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Pin-straight hair was practically a middle school staple. Back then, there was this unspoken pressure to figure out how the hell to use a flat iron and find the drugstore products that tamed frizz. Luckily, that phase has passed, and more and more women are embracing their natural textures — saving a lot of time and stress in the process. But that’s not to say we don’t feel inspired by Selena Gomez's smooth blowout or Joan Smalls' sleek, sexy style every once in a while. Just know that copping the look wasn't always so easy.
Turns out, women used to turn to this old-school trick: hair ironing (as in, using a real-life iron on an ironing board to smooth the hair). It makes sense, sort of, considering how the heavy, triangular tool is meant to flatten out wrinkles in your favorite shirts. And while we get the logic, the safety hazard was so real and scary. This throwback photo surfaced last night on Instagram, and we couldn't believe our eyes.
With slick hair as the goal and little to no hair tool innovations back in the 1960s, a clothing iron was the only option — and that fact makes us all the more thankful for the evolution of the flat iron. These days, we're blessed with pro tools that get the job done without the potential fire hazard. Check out the slides ahead to see the photo in question, then keep clicking for a few of our favorites available today.
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