The ‘modern roller set’ is going viral for creating big, bouncy waves this summer

Big hair is back – so are rollers and pin curls. Here’s how to get the look.

7 July 2025

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Thought rollers were the sole preserve of the blue rinse brigade? Think again. The ‘modern roller set’ – aka a fresh twist on the shampoo and set – is the hairstyle du jour.

Case in point: Girls, trudging through the field at Glastonbury, with their hair artfully tucked into rollers and pin curls, even made it onto the BBC news, with one festival goer explaining that “pin curls will keep my hair looking nice for a day or two,” while another told a reporter that she was maintaining her curls with a “silk bonnet and a hair wrap.”

It's a similar story at Wimbledon this week as bouncy, retro curls are out in force around Centre Court.

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Big, voluminous hair is officially back and it's a far cry from the undone, low-maintenance looks that we've made our calling card over the past few years. So what's driving the trend?

In a nutshell: pop culture. “We’re in an era of hyper-femininity," says Manchester-based hairstylist Melissa Timperley. "Setting your hair plays into that coquette aesthetic that’s all about softness, curves and timeless beauty and we're seeing it on the red carpet and in TikTok tutorials. Plus, there’s something empowering about reclaiming a style that was once seen as ‘old-fashioned’ and giving it a contemporary twist.”

The modern roller set is a great example of the current “nostalgia wave in beauty,” she continues. “It taps into that old-school glamour, which never really dies. Think '90s supermodels, '60s sirens or even your nan getting her weekly wash and set."

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Celebrities such as Lana Del Rey, Selina Gomez and Hailey Bieber are also driving the trend. Hairstylist and trends forecaster Tom Smith credits Sabrina Carpenter and '90s icon Cindy Crawford, in particular, for making the modern set cool, while a GRWM TikTok video by Raye, where she's wearing her hair in rollers, went viral with a cool 1.8 million views.

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How exactly is the modern roller set different?

Spoiler alert: velcro and hot rollers never actually left the kit bags of backstage stylists, says Melissa. But how they use them has changed.

“We’re not setting the entire head and sitting under a dryer anymore,” she says. “Now it’s about strategic placement for shape, lift and movement. The modern set is more fluid — we’re not aiming for helmet hair. Today’s version feels more editorial and effortless – it’s brushed out, a little undone, with lift and bounce rather than stiff curls.”

You can even blend techniques, Melissa adds, for example, “setting with rollers after a tonged curl or using rollers just at the crown for volume.”

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How to create the modern set with a curling iron and pins

The hairstyle is proving so popular, that Tom took to Instagram to demo the modern set as he says he's “been literally inundated with requests”.

In the demo he says that the modern way of achieving the shampoo and set “involves blow-drying the hair and then using a curling iron to twist up the hair. Pin it up onto the head while it cools down, then brush it through and use a styling powder or texturising spray to finish."

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How to use rollers to create the look

Start with clean, towel-dried hair. Work mousse through the roots and mid-lengths for volume and hold.
Then blow-dry – “focus on lifting at the root,” says Melissa.
“Once dry, curl the hair horizontally using a large barrel tong and then pin the curl back on itself to set it in place," says Melissa. If you prefer, you can also wrap it around a roller and mist with hairspray to set it.
For a more modern twist, “just set the crown and curl large sections away from the face to sculpt and lift the cheekbones,” she adds.
Before removing the pins or rollers, check that the hair is cool. “It's the cool-down that locks in the shape and stops the curl from dropping," says Michelle.
Once the rollers or pins are removed, mist a texturising spray through the roots.
“Brush out with a bristle brush for soft volume or a wide-tooth comb for a sleeker finish,” advises Michelle. “And don’t overthink it — the beauty is in the fluff and movement.”

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Michelle also has this advice for setting different hair types:

Fine hair: “Stick to lightweight mousse and root-lifting sprays and use smaller rollers to get more grip.”

Thick hair: “Make sure the hair is fully dry before setting, and consider pin-curling with clips to reinforce the shape.”

Afro hair: “You will need a heat-smooth blow-dry beforehand — then spray each section with an anti-humectant spray such as Unite 7Seconds Glossing Spray before using heated tongs.”