How do you get a perfect side part?

[tuppence]

I part my hair on the side, but I'd like to get it sharper looking like Lauren Bacall and Veronica Lake. Is there any way to do this when you have a lot of hair?

 

[Grant Fan]

I have lots and lots of hair. And I once red that the best way to get a vintage deep side part is to place the part right above the highest point of the arch of your eye brow. This means it changes person to person, but it works great for me.

 

[ShoreRoadLady]

Can you post photos of your hair? It might be tougher for an individual with curly hair to acquire a sharp part without a decent amount of hair product and some time.

I have fine, slightly wavy hair (though I have lots of it); side parts aren't really an issue for me. I've been wearing it that way for so long that it's "trained" into a side part and all I have to do is run my finger along the part when my hair is wet.

If I were to change the placement, I'd probably get my hair soaking wet, then take my index finger and/or a fine comb to get the part placement just right, then load up either side with product to make it lie down flat.
(Goodness, I wonder if this is why my hair lacks volume at the crown...?)

To get the Lake/Bacall look, I'd also suggest angling the part slightly upwards as you go. Making a completely straight side part is more difficult, IMHO.

 

[ShoreRoadLady]

I have lots and lots of hair. And I once red that the best way to get a vintage deep side part is to place the part right above the highest point of the arch of your eye brow. This means it changes person to person, but it works great for me.

I had to go peek in the mirror after reading this, to see where I placed mine. Mine is slightly center of my eyebrow arch; if I placed it any further to the left, it would look weird. So you may have to play with placement to see what works for you and the way your hair grows.

 

[Audrey Horne]

I think I know what you mean because I have the same question. I always do a deep side part and it never comes out looking quite right. I guess I just need more volume in the front, but mine never come out looking like this:

How does she get volume on the side with the hair while still making it go straight across? Sorry it's hard to explain what I mean.

 

[Miss 1929]

Her hair may have been thicker on one side of her head!

My hair will ONLY part on the right. No other place works, as it all grows in a spiral from my back right corner of my head (if heads have corners). So it is pretty determined.

And it is quite a bit thicker on the right, so it works.

Probably, setting it so that the hair has lift on the right side would help. And you will have to brush the top of it a lot, and use product to make the top lie down.

 

[Miss Sis]

I'd say it partly has to do with where your natural part is, too. If you are trying to side part it when it wants to do a centre part you're fighting a harder battle.

Mine will only part on my Left. I comb it straight back and it falls where it falls. If you need to straighten it out, I'd use a tail comb when it's wet. You can use either the comb or the tail end depending on which is easiest with your hair type.

 

[C-dot]

The way I get mine: part it when it's wet, using a fine-toothed comb. Position the comb at the hairline where you want it to start, and pull backwards. The hairs will divide easily.

I do all kinds of parts with this method - Side, rectangular, crown-to-ear, centre V, etc...

 

[Hestia]

I find it easiest to do with something pointy, like the end of a rat-tail comb or a hairstick. I draw the line with the point, following it with my other hand to divide the hair.

I have coarse wavy thick hair that really only likes to part on the left; if I want to try to part it elsewhere, I have to do it while it's wet, comb it in place and let it dry that way. Otherwise it just flops right back over the part eventually.

 

[Jenniferose7]

I concur about using a rat-tail end of a comb or brush. It comes out perfect every time for me. I've tried using just the fine toothed comb but I always end up with a mess.

 

[pretty faythe]

Also, if you've been parting your hair on one side for years, you've basaically "trained" your hair too lol. I try to "trick" my hair every now and then and part it on the other side at night when its wet after my shower....I wake up and usually its flopped back over.
Usually the best way I have of tricking it is in the day, with bobby pins, I'll brush it striaght back and pink it. Sorry for being off topic, lol.

 

[MarieAnne]

I normally part on the side. I do my part after I shower and when I am setting my hair. I take my comb and I comb all my hair back on the side in the direction I want the part to go. And then I take the top of the comb, and place where I want my part to end. I pull to the side and away from the part. This may be more difficult with thick hair.

 

[Grant Fan]

Can you post photos of your hair? It might be tougher for an individual with curly hair to acquire a sharp part without a decent amount of hair product and some time.

I have fine, slightly wavy hair (though I have lots of it); side parts aren't really an issue for me. I've been wearing it that way for so long that it's "trained" into a side part and all I have to do is run my finger along the part when my hair is wet.

If I were to change the placement, I'd probably get my hair soaking wet, then take my index finger and/or a fine comb to get the part placement just right, then load up either side with product to make it lie down flat.
(Goodness, I wonder if this is why my hair lacks volume at the crown...?)

To get the Lake/Bacall look, I'd also suggest angling the part slightly upwards as you go. Making a completely straight side part is more difficult, IMHO.

I have very naturally curly hair, when I do vintage styles it is actually much straighter than my natural curl. I part my hair when it is wet at night and it stays that way.

 

[KittyT]

Yes, you can retrain your hair to part in a different place. If you always part it in the same place, it will naturally do that. Mine naturally falls in the middle, but at one point I trained it to part on the side. I would part it before bed, and pull my hair back so the hair would lay flat on either side of the part. It eventually started falling in that spot.

 

[Inky]

Yes, you can retrain your hair to part in a different place. If you always part it in the same place, it will naturally do that. Mine naturally falls in the middle, but at one point I trained it to part on the side. I would part it before bed, and pull my hair back so the hair would lay flat on either side of the part. It eventually started falling in that spot.

ditto to what KittyT says - mine naturally wants to part in the middle, but i have retrained it to part on the right side. It still gravitates towards the middle by morning sometimes stubborn thing!

 

[Lily Powers]

I constantly change the part in my hair. Sort of like Igor's hump in "Young Frankenstein." lol For a side part, I take a fine comb and use my eyebrow arch as the guide, just like Grant Fan mentioned. My hair is thick and wavy, and to keep it smoothed down I use just a tad of Redkin Smooth Down (if freshly washed - the day after a shampoo is usally easier for styling because of the natural oils), and a densly bristled flat brush (similar to the ones on many vintage vanity tables) to smooth the hair and tame volume.

 

[Antje]

The way I get mine: part it when it's wet, using a fine-toothed comb. Position the comb at the hairline where you want it to start, and pull backwards. The hairs will divide easily.

I do all kinds of parts with this method - Side, rectangular, crown-to-ear, centre V, etc...

This works also for me,
when you comb your hair back, and push it a little forward you will notice that the hairs wil go in a great straight part

 

[tuppence]

Thanks for the advice guys. I'll practice and see what happens

 

[Lillemor]

I start from the back crown area with a regular brush in damp hair. I have to quickly clip it off to the side or it won't stay.

 

[Smuterella]

I find a rattail come with a metal tail far, far better than those with plastic tails. Once the part is set I spritz with a little hairspray to hold it.