Hair Curling Wand: Investigation Using the Prownian Method

 

Description: The object is about 12 inches long and 1-2 inches wide. It is made from a few different materials, one being metal that is able to be rapidly heated. The other materials include a plastic handle with ridges on it. There are plastic buttons as well. The color of the object is bright orange and eye-catching.

Deduction: The object is predominantly used by women, or maybe some men who have long hair. It is kept with other beauty supplies, most likely in a bathroom drawer or cabinet. The purpose is to make hair curly that was previously not curly.

Speculation: Consumers believe that they are more physically attractive with curl-styled hair. Someone who curls their hair maybe wants their hair to be naturally curly, but it isn’t. Maybe the user wants to suggest that they care and make an effort towards their appearance by spending time curling their hair with the curling wand.

Questions Based on Speculation:

1. Do users enjoy using the curling wand?
2. Is the wand-style more preferable to users than the previous curling irons that had a clamp? Why was this change made to curling irons?
3. Do the users feel better about their appearance after using the curling wand?

Additional Sources:

Doheny, Kathleen, and Louise Chang, MD. “How To Avoid Hair Damage from Blow Dryers, Flat Irons, and Curling Irons.” WebMD. Accessed January 23, 2016. http://www.webmd.com/beauty/hair-repair/how-not-to-wreck-your-hair?page=1.

• This post uncovered a lot about the culture, habits and beliefs surrounding the curling iron. It discussed how those who style their hair using heated tools “look great”. It also discusses how buying a “good curling iron” will make a difference in its effectiveness, and that some curling irons are made more cheaply than others.

Terry, James S. “Material Object as Document: A “Hair-Curling” Classroom Exercise.” The Journal of American History 84, no. 4 (1998): 1457. JSTOR.

• This was a peer reviewed scholarly article about a classroom exercise involving a 19^th century curling iron, and what it could reveal about the history of American families. The main message I received from skimming this article, is that with proper direction and thorough investigation using the method we have learned from this activity, a lot can be discovered concerning the era from which the object is from.

 

The blog post I read was written with a considerably different view than Prown’s. Not much is directly said about the culture around this post, but a lot can be inferred. I gather that the central idea surrounding curling irons is vanity and appearance. I gathered that by deciphering through a biased view of what “looks great”.

The article I read followed a view similar to Prown’s. The article starts off with an entirely physical description of the object before beginning to deduce or speculate any additional information.

Step 1, Description: The item is about 6 inches from top to bottom and is nearly a quarter inch thick. It weighs less than a pound and fits comfortably in the palm of my hand. It is metal on the back, in a shiny gold color, with small buttons on the sides. The front is encased in white metal, with what looks to be a screen in the middle of the front. The screen is 5.5 inches across. There are small holes on the bottom of the item, indicative of a speaker. The gold back piece feels slick; the front black screen feels waxy. The object seems to conduct heat when being held, however is cool to the touch when left sitting out for a moment.

 

Step 2, Induction: Based solely on the slick gold piece of metal covering the back of the item, I would assume this object is meant to be held when used. Judging by the hand-held size of the item, I presume is meant for personal technological use. It seems to be coated in such a way to prevent sliding out of a grip. The screen on the item indicates that it is used to view various things, such as videos, playlists, or emails. I presume the speaker on the bottom is used to hear music or videos when they are playing off the object.

 

Step 3, Speculation: After examination, I think this item is used as a personal computer of sorts. The speakers would be very effective in viewing videos, or listening to music. It would be easy to tote, as the design is small enough to fit in pockets, purses, or a small compartment in a vehicle. I speculate the item is used for ease of access to internet, or connection to friends and family. It appears to be an ease-of-access object for all users, with various technological needs.

Apple introduces iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus smartphones. (n.d.). Retrieved January 23, 2016, from http://www.kitguru.net/apple/anton-shilov/apple-introduces-iphone-6-iphone-6-plus-smartphones/

Description: The object is approximately seven to eight inches in length and is orange and white in color. The material looks to be plastic with orange hard rubber strips that raise above the object to form ridges associated with some type of grip. Thick hair-like bristles protrude out of the object in an oval shape. The bristles are white, blue, and yellow in color. Towards the bottom of the object the words Colgate are spelled.

 

Induction: Looking at the contoured material, I would assume based on the ridges that it is meant to be handled. The object fits nicely in my hand and the hard rubber material makes it difficult to slip out of my hand. The thick bristles towards the top of the object would suggest a scrubbing or brushing purpose, and the alignment of the bristles would suggest a horizontal scrubbing motion.

 

Speculation: This object has the potential for a cleaning purpose due to the thick bristles and easy handling of the object. Most likely for hygiene, because of the softened tips of the bristles. I found this object in my bathroom and I believe is used for personal hygiene.

Questions: What uses does this object have? Can it be used for something other than cleaning? Do this object need to be replaced on a regular basis?

Oliveira, Sara Cioccari, Dagmar Else Slot, and Fridus van der Weijden. 2014. “Is it safe to use a toothbrush?.” Acta Odontologica Scandinavica 72, no.8: 561-569. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed January 23, 2016).

In this article it studies the abnormal case studies of tooth brushes. The goal is to uncover whether or not it is safe to use a toothbrush. The findings in this article found a toothbrush to be safe to use, but should not be used while walking or running.

 

Randy Rieland, ” How smart can a toothbrush be?,”Smithsonian Magazine, last modified March 7, 2014, www.smithsonianmag.com/innovationandscience.com

 

In this article, the author, Randy Rieland analyzes the toothbrush and just how smart it can be. New technology has allowed Bluetooth capability in the toothbrush and syncs to an app on a phone. this allows people to get the proper time that it takes to fully clean your teeth.