Needing more advice please for hair. Split ends and tangles

[Horsetuna]

How do I secure the hair without elastics? I typically use the 'ouchless' brand of cloth covered ones, not bare ones (They cling to my hair like I put crazy glue on them!). my only problem is to get it snug I 'twist' my hand in it to pull the elastic tighter, which moves sideways across the hairs and causing part of the problem.

I guess I have been using it correctly heh, if it goes on wet hair!

On the topic of bobby pins and combs I have NEVER figured out how to get those things to stay in right! I can use hair clamps because they're relatively easy, and i love hair pins even if it takes me a few tries to get it in ( I get a 'milky way galaxy' type effect with hair pins , with a whole lot of ends sticking out. What I wouldnt give for a 'smooth' bun)

I will see about a satin or silk pillowcase. To be honest I dislike the feel of either of them so mayb e a sleep cap will better suit me- it also means when I feel like it I can toss the pillow (which I sometimes do, or the cat steals it).

Where can I find a good sleep cap? As I said, I can only find the lacy ones full of holes that dont seem very practical.

[Horsetuna]

Update: Got the coconut oil. PURE. Its rather hard and looks like wax. Hopefully it'll soften. Also doesnt smell like coconut.

No luck finding sleep caps or bone combs or even hairpins downtown. I guess knitting needles and online.

I did find some lovely hand made water buffallo combs online, but I can't find the link at this time, sigh.

And sleep caps here:
http://www.nwscents.com/satin-and-silk-sleep-caps.html

Although I am not too sure how it will easily hold up long hair? and wouldnt hte hair get all tangled and scrunched up inside?

Also Looking into making my own cow bone hair sticks.

ETA: found the link to the combs: http://www.mehandi.com/shop/combsblack/index.html

[aenflex]

I look in the 'ethnic' as they call it section of Walmart or Kmart. They have some decent, cheap satin-esque sleep caps that have always worked just fine for me

[SpinDance]

Horsetuna, coconut oil melts at body temp, so just scrape some off with your fingernail and rub it between your palms. You only need a tiny amount, just enough to cause a shine to your hands, unless you plan on doing a deep treatment. Then you can use more.

I personally didn't like sleeping with a cap, so instead I have been using a silk pillowcase or scarf tucked around my pillow. Anything smooth and slippery will work, doesn't have to be silk, and not all silk is smooth (such as silk noil). I also switched from sleeping in a braid to sleeping in a bun held with a Flexi.

For a comb I usually use this: http://www.etsy.com/listing/60694635...rder=&includes[0]=tags&includes[1]=title&filter[0]=handmade

Thank you for the link to the combs you found. They look great! I'll call you "Enabler" if I find myself getting a new comb!

[Horsetuna]

I'll see what I cn find for pillowcases. If anything I can use a pillowcase as a nightcap with a little adjustments.

I dont know if a pillowcase will wor as I tend to toss and turn and sometimes tossthe pillow right off, not to mention the cat likes to steal it too.

Also in the past I found I dont LIKE the feel of silk or satin that much, at least not on my hands/body. At least on the head it will be minimal contact. Thanks for the etsy link. I'll check it out.

I also have friends who work in bone. Maybe I can find one to make me some or make some myself. I have cow bones available...

[Horsetuna]

I'll see what I cn find for pillowcases. If anything I can use a pillowcase as a nightcap with a little adjustments.

I dont know if a pillowcase will wor as I tend to toss and turn and sometimes tossthe pillow right off, not to mention the cat likes to steal it too.

Also in the past I found I dont LIKE the feel of silk or satin that much, at least not on my hands/body. At least on the head it will be minimal contact. Thanks for the etsy link. I'll check it out.

I also have friends who work in bone. Maybe I can find one to make me some or make some myself. I have cow bones available...

[spidermom]

It's hard to suggest up-dos for you when I don't know your hair length. If you go back to the User CP (to the left of the bar at the top) and fill in the rest of your profile, we can be more helpful.

I find hair forks to be the best for securing up-styles. But your hair has to be long enough. Claw-clips are good, too, unless your hair is too long and heavy (like mine).

One thing to try for sleeping if your hair is long enough is a top of head ponytail or braid. I lay with my head right at the edge of the side of the bed, then start a braid at the top back of my head. After I get it going a few turns, I sit up and finish with the hair hanging in front of my face. I find that if I try to braid it while bending forward, it ends up in the wrong place and pulls when I lay down, which is why I start with my head at the edge of the bed. Then I can direct the braid over the top of my pillow. If you hair isn't long enough for a braid, you could do a top ponytail (not too tight).

[Horsetuna]

Its about BSL right now, give or take. Its quite uneven and i'm overdue for a cut.

Hmm. I'll try that. I've braided before bed before and found it uncomfortable to sleep on. I usually lay down and pull my hair to fall off the top of the bed, but I tend to toss and turn a lot (plus the cat tries to lay on it. Eesh!)

I do use claw clips, but finding one of the right size/shape is tricky. The straight ones sometimes wont hold. I have this curved one but it holds the hair good BACK, but it has open space above the teeth and so any bun falls out. Hrm. I wonder if a simple stick would secure it further in place.

I will try the top ponytail loosely.

I have been doing double braids for work, and I get a very 'wheat' look with lots of ends coming out of every bump.

[spidermom]

Lots of ends come out of my braids, too.

One easy style with a claw clip is to gather hair low as though making a ponytail, twist hair and lift it up to the back of the head, then put the clip over the twist, grasping scalp hair as well to hold. You can leave the ends spilling out or you can tuck them in - whichever you prefer.

[torrilin]

On the topic of bobby pins and combs I have NEVER figured out how to get those things to stay in right! I can use hair clamps because they're relatively easy, and i love hair pins even if it takes me a few tries to get it in ( I get a 'milky way galaxy' type effect with hair pins , with a whole lot of ends sticking out. What I wouldnt give for a 'smooth' bun)

Sounds like your hair is heavily layered and (possibly) wavy or curly. If you have layers or sections where some locks of your hair are more corkscrewed than other locks, it's important to remember that hair is only as long as the shortest locks. My hair is pretty straight, and my ponytail circumference is medium, so I can get a smooth bun at not even APL. Because of the texture, it's crazy for me to have layers.

For hair pins, the trick is to weave the pin through both scalp hair and the hair you're trying to hold up. The end result is your hair is held up via tension and any twist energy you put into it. They're excellent even for very slippery hair, but a lot of the time people will say that finer or thinner hair should use smaller pins. Nothing could be further from the truth. If you have very slippery hair, you'll likely need pins that seem enormous, even if your hair is very fine and thin. Someone with rougher hair might hold their cinnabun up with just their hair.

Side combs are pretty straightforward to use, but I don't think they are a good method for securing an updo. My hair is very slippery, and I use side combs in place of barrettes and headbands. Barrettes and headbands fall out easily, side combs don't. Side combs are pretty small tho, so it would be hard to get enough tension to really lock things in place on my hair. (someone with rougher hair might use it, but I don't see a lot of mention of side combs)

I'm presuming by clamps you mean stuff like claw clips? If you can use those, your hair is definitely a rougher texture than mine! If that's the case, a hair fork or hair stick might be a good option. Those are tricky for me to use at shorter lengths because my hair is so slippery and straight.

As far as sleep styles go... have you tried things like twin braids, a ponytail on the very top of your head, or a loose bun on the very top of your head?