okay, i know i'm just causing trouble for myself, and it's my own fault, but i'm getting really bored with the 3-4 styles i'm able to do with my hair. i wash it every day, which is part of the problem because then it's wet until i get to work, and then i don't want to go changing things.

so anyway, i'm really good at leaving it down, or down with a headband, or up in a bun or in a full/partial french braid. and that's about it. my hair is getting too long and thick for a french twist and i don't know how to do many other styles. any suggestions? i'm worried that if i don't find something soon, i'm going to get frustrated with my hair, and i really don't want that to happen.

I hear ya!

All I ever do, all I can do, is bun, braid, down, or ponytail. It *does* get boring and frustrating sometimes, but I just can't get the hang of French twists (I'm sure it isn't the length that is the problem, as Katzedecimal can do them), French braids take ages so are reserved for rare occasions, crown or other fancy braids are impossible, and I lack the imagination for simple but fancy combinations of styles.

I'm hoping someone will have some great ideas for the style-frustrated among us. I've even considered getting some layers to ease the boredom attacks, which I think look gorgeous on thick, wavy or curly hair, but I just know would be a disaster on my fine straight locks!

You can try figure 8 buns, half up styles (either with barrettes, making a small bun with the top half or even braiding the top half), different clips, heidi braids- hairboutique.com is a good place to style search.

Gosh, I had something important to say and I forgot what it was! :oops:
hmm.......

How about...

A herringbone braid?
A figure eight bun?
Curls for a day?
Or maybe my favourite, a ponytail pinned upside-down with a curved comb so that the ends flop over and cover the comb in a waterfall?

If something interests you , but you would like more explicit instructions, just let me know. (My hair is 43 inches now and fairly thick and wavy.)

-Elspeth

I feel your boredom. My updos need to be quick because I just don't have the attention span (or talent) to do something very involved. How about a topsy-tail? Or a braided topsy-tail? You could vary your bun styles: with sticks, with scrunchies, with sticks and scrunchies, unadorned, braided (with all of those variations). I do this frequently (forgive the link instead of pic): http://www.network54.com/Hide/Forum/message?forumid=227393&messageid=1043351610 I don't always replicate that loop. Sometimes it looks like a french twist with a tail.

Do you have to wash your hair every day? If so, can you do it at night (at least ocassionally) so that your hair is dry in the morning?

HTH! :D

How about...
Or maybe my favourite, a ponytail pinned upside-down with a curved comb so that the ends flop over and cover the comb in a waterfall?

This sounds interesting, but I can't visualize it.... do you have a pic Meri?

Snippet: I do now... You can see it at www.PictureStage.com
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Click on Hair, it's the picture on the far right. Sorry to be such a bother but I just can't get image hosting to work yet.

This one was done in a hurry, usually I'd curl the ends under. Basically it's a 4,5" curved comb tucked into the base of a ponytail from underneath and flipped over so that the spikes of the comb go behind the pony elastic and the hair drapes over the comb. I also use 2-4 bobby pins to hold the comb in place and make sure it doesn't take on a life of it's own during the day.

Not sure of how well it works for longer hair thouhg, but it's worth a try.

Have your tried the topsy tail and/or hairagami styles? You can do most of the topsy tail ones without the actual device. Most involve turning pony tails inside out. Some of the hairagami ones are quite elegant.

Some variations with your buns might help. Try a bee butt, a figure 8 and accenting with small braids. Learning some new braids (even just graduating to a 4 or 5 strand) might liven things up. If you know the basics on how to 3 strand, french and dutch you can do just about anything with practice.

Here is Goldenhair's site. She has some amazing styles with instructions:

http://dressytresses.com/hair-styles/default.asp

the knot is pretty simple and a great change.

Also Katz:

http://katzedecimal.bravepages.com/index.html

New toys seem to help coax a lot of people out of hair boredom. I would definetly try washing at night to give you more styling options in the morning. Try sleeping in a damp french braid (or regular) with a perm rod wound up on the tassel (use curl papers or a small square of cloth to prevent frizzies) When you let it down in the morning you will have a whole head of pretty waves. I do mean DAMP though, too wet and they won't dry, and your waves will fall out.

Just some random thoughts, HTH :)

Thanks Meri! It's a lot like a topsy tail, I like the topsy tails, they look almost like a twist or roll, which I can't do yet. But the topsy tail I can!

I feel your boredom........ I do this frequently (forgive the link instead of pic): http://www.network54.com/Hide/Forum/message?forumid=227393&messageid=1043351610 I don't always replicate that loop. Sometimes it looks like a french twist with a tail.....
HTH! :D

That's a great style, Tresses. I am going to try this tomorrow. Thanks for posting and reminding me of it. It really looks great in your hair, too. Lots of shine. Thanks!

My daughter just did this one today and it looks great! She french braided her hair into a braid down her back. She used to then tuck her braid up under at the nape, but today she folded it up over the braid. It sort of looks like a braided french twist--the shape anyway. Her hair is too long/thick to tuck under anymore so she tried tucking it over. She pinned it in place with two Mei Fa sticks, one would've done the trick though.

I loved her hair, so I did it too and am holding mine up with one very small turned wooden stick. I also tried with with my hair forks and my ficcare Dolphin. All work very well and looks very nice. very easy to do imho (easier than tucking under)

I have also started doing a hairstyle that can look very complicated but is really quite easy.

You start with a ponytail at the crown and divide it into four. Each of the four sections you twist until it turns back on itself, and you let it coil up in a random pattern. I try to do one on either side and one on top and one on the bottom of the elastic. When you are done, it looks as if you have an extremely elaborate updo of knots but it is very fast and simple. I get lots of compliments about it !

Oh yeah, I usually hold the end of each strand with a small claw clip and let the ends wisp out for a funkier look. I suppose you could hold them with pins, but mine don't stay in. If the coils are tight enough the four clips are enough to hold my hair up all day with no trouble...of course the hair is hiding an ponytail holder ;)

Anyways, hope this helps,

Pol

you could try washing your hair the night before, and then doing some cool braids:

http://www.dreamweaverbraiding.com/Braiding_Tips.htm

meri....

thanks for the photo of the waterfall ponytail - look great and I've been wondering how people do it - but I'm still a bit stuck on the instructions ::feeling dopey::

Could you describe the "curbed comb" some more and I understand about pushing it up under the ponytail, but what do you mean by "flipping" it over???

TIA, Sheba

I think a lot of us can get in a rut with our hairstyles. But look at it this way.....isn't having 5 or 6 long hair styles a much better alternative to have one boring plain ordinary short hair style? :D

i'll have to try some of these. as for the washing everyday, i truly tried to wash less frequently and i just couldn't do it. it's not that my hair was all that bad, but it didn't feel right and i couldn't get used to it. it's probably a mental thing more than physical, but that's usually what i pay attention to. anyway, thanks again for all the suggestions.

now, i must away to go play with my hair. if i strike gold, i'll take a picture.....

to the bat cave, robin.

Sheba: I couldn't find a picture of the type of comb I use and the digicam's AWOL again, but imagine a 5,5" plain plastic comb with long, flat prongs that is curved both horizontally and vertically to mirror the shape of your head. Not the type used for brushing, but the kind used to hold hair back from the face. Vaguely like the decorative comb shown on this page (http://www.dressytresses.com/), but larger, cheaper and much less ornate, made of smooth plastic.

Now imagine you're doing a topsy tail. Lodge the comb upside down, firmly below the base of the ponytail, on the side further away from your head from the point of view of your pony elastic. Spread your hair evenly between the prongs. At this point the comb should be upside down, prongs pointing towards the ceiling, and curved edges pointing away from the back of your head.

Then flip the comb over the pony elastic, lodging the prongs firmly between your head and the elastic. The comb should now perfectly mirror the shape of your head, prongs pointing downwards. Your ponytail should now be caught between your head and the comb, with the length and ends spilling over the flat back of the comb. This is what creates the smooth edge at the top of the hairstyle. Spread the hair out evenly and secure the comb with some bobby pins.

Let me know if you want further instructions, the digicam is bound to pop up somewhere sooner or later and a picture says a thousand words, especially when I'm doing the describing :)

I'd been feeling the same way lately, then you posted this thread. This morning I tried something new.

It is a variation on my "normal" bun.

There are actually 2 variations on it. Let me start by explaining how I do the original bun.

I take my hair at the nape, then hook a finger around the length, then begin twisting. This forma a "log" of sorts. I twist and pull gently until the "tail" end of the hair is twisted around the base. I then clip the bun at the top, near my crown.

Today's variation was done with a pair of Mei Fa hairstyx. I twisted my hair as stated above, but only about halfway. Then I stuck in one hairstyx. Then I took the "tail" and twisted it the same way and secured it with the other hair styx. It looked like a double bun, but one was smaller than the other. It looked "kind of" like a french twist form the side.

The other variation I've done before (but forgot about until after I did today's style) is to part my hair in half (forehead to nape), then twist one side one way and secure. Then twist the other side the opposite direction and secure. That creates 2 buns also. The "look" is different depending on if you twist "in" or "out"!

HTH

I do, but I guess that's about par for a guy. I just don't have the options. It's either down or tied back. Being this long is already pushing the limits. :)

http://pub6.picturehost.co.uk/1.5.03Asmall22.JPG

Sheba: I couldn't find a picture of the type of comb I use and the digicam's AWOL again, but imagine a 5,5" plain plastic comb with long, flat prongs that is curved both horizontally and vertically to mirror the shape of your head. Not the type used for brushing, but the kind used to hold hair back from the face. Vaguely like the decorative comb shown on this page (http://www.dressytresses.com/), but larger, cheaper and much less ornate, made of smooth plastic.

Now imagine you're doing a topsy tail. Lodge the comb upside down, firmly below the base of the ponytail, on the side further away from your head from the point of view of your pony elastic. Spread your hair evenly between the prongs. At this point the comb should be upside down, prongs pointing towards the ceiling, and curved edges pointing away from the back of your head.

Then flip the comb over the pony elastic, lodging the prongs firmly between your head and the elastic. The comb should now perfectly mirror the shape of your head, prongs pointing downwards. Your ponytail should now be caught between your head and the comb, with the length and ends spilling over the flat back of the comb. This is what creates the smooth edge at the top of the hairstyle. Spread the hair out evenly and secure the comb with some bobby pins.

Let me know if you want further instructions, the digicam is bound to pop up somewhere sooner or later and a picture says a thousand words, especially when I'm doing the describing :)

thanks, Meri... sorry it took me so long to find this and to thank you.

These instructions are fantastic... I get it now! Just one question when you said

Now imagine you're doing a topsy tail

.... sorry, but I don't know what a "topsy tail" is... I'd been assuming you started with just a basic ponytail... am I making this too difficult?? ::feeling really stupid::

TIA, Sheba

Sheba, yes, I was starting from a basic pony tail, but a topsy tail is a pony that is flipped in very much the same way, so I used it to demonstrate. See here for further details on the topsy: http://www.1worldmall.com/hairstylingtool/

ohhhhhh I get it now!!

Thanks so much, Meri !!!

Cheers, Sheba

This is what we have so far. Bookmark it and check back from time to time. I should have some new things up soon.

[Edited by Stephanie]