PDA

View Full Version : Hair Rats and Hairstyles to Go With Them



dorothea-brooke
September 11th, 2008, 08:22 AM
So, inspired by the "Mad Men" hair discussion, Halloween costume thinking, postings of hair receivers, and my annual Big Shed :rolleyes:, I'm thinking about saving my shed hair to make a rat, and then using that for an elaborate "Joan" updo.

Has anyone here made one, or have any advice or ideas? And secondly, any step-by-step instructions for making LHC-friendly updos using a rat?

TIA! :flower:

Fencai
September 11th, 2008, 09:28 AM
my best friend has waist length hair and her mom puts her hair in victory rolls all the time. I can ask her for some tips next time i see her.

pdy2kn6
September 11th, 2008, 10:27 AM
Hey, could you tell me what a hair rat is?

dorothea-brooke
September 11th, 2008, 12:15 PM
Hey, could you tell me what a hair rat is?

Ah, it's basically a big wad of (shed) hair, balled up and secured in a hair net or even sometimes a stocking, that is then used to plump up your updos, make big sculptural buns, etc.

I actually find the idea of making it slightly nauseating (my own shed hair, en masse, kind of gives me the wiggins), but I'm willing to do anything for my art! ;)

Islandgrrl
September 11th, 2008, 12:26 PM
I just, within the last couple of days, read a post somewhere ... someone just made a hair rat out of their sheds ... now if I could just remember who it was .... when I do, I'll post it for you.

dorothea-brooke
September 11th, 2008, 12:36 PM
I just, within the last couple of days, read a post somewhere ... someone just made a hair rat out of their sheds ... now if I could just remember who it was .... when I do, I'll post it for you.

Oooh, thank you!

Medvssa
September 11th, 2008, 01:19 PM
I have been saving my shed hairs for this purpose for a long time :D I had to start all over since I stopped using henna :lol:

Slug Yoga
September 11th, 2008, 03:20 PM
Thanks for making this thread!


I actually find the idea of making it slightly nauseating (my own shed hair, en masse, kind of gives me the wiggins), but I'm willing to do anything for my art! ;)

Me too. shudder: It doesn't help that I recently cleaned out the shower drain. So. Much. Hair. Surely *I* can't have done all that in the 2 weeks since I've been living here? I don't believe it.

A few weeks ago I started collecting shed hairs, but aligning them as though they were a hank of hair. It's kind of cool looking, but time consuming, so I gave up. Why is head-hair so beautiful, but as soon as it's off your head it's creepy? :hmm:

Teazel
September 11th, 2008, 03:42 PM
Why is head-hair so beautiful, but as soon as it's off your head it's creepy? :hmm:

I suppose the same can be said for toenail clippings. ;) I dunno, I think hair without a person attached to it reminds me of those macabre Victorian hair memento mori things. *shudder*

There are a couple of large tissue boxes full of my sheddings somewhere around here... I meant to make a hair rat but never got around to it. Story of my life! :rolleyes:

misstwist
September 11th, 2008, 06:04 PM
Herewith find two links to rat making culled from my bookmarks.

http://www.extremecostuming.com/articles/twoelizabethanhairstyles.html

http://www.geocities.com/dashofsalt.geo/fg/gibson.html

Also, you might go to youtube and find gossgirl2 for some videos that will give you ideas about making rats by rolling and securing hanks of your own hair as a foundation to bigger hairdos. Some of her videos advise backcombing (and a scary use for a dryer sheet) but most of them don't.

http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?p=r&user=gossgirl2&page=1

happymommy
September 11th, 2008, 06:04 PM
Hair bunnies (get it? lol :)) are super creepy! Especially when they are not all yours. I spent a significant portion of my adult life in the Navy. Cleaning the berthing, where 240 women shared 800 square feet and three showers, resulted in massive multi-origin hair bunnies that often took more than one dustpan to capture.

Every. Single. Day.

I think I'll just Rit dye some fiber fill. And I'm going to go clean my bathroom now just in case...

dorothea-brooke
September 11th, 2008, 08:32 PM
Yay! The thread has taken off!

misstwist, thanks for those links!
[^This is a very poetic line. ^]
I can't wait to check them out.


Thanks for making this thread!
Why is head-hair so beautiful, but as soon as it's off your head it's creepy? :hmm:

I think it's because shed hair is abject (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abjection). (Not that I think Wikipedia is the best source of info on contemporary critical and psychoanalytic theory, but at least it's quick and simple! :)) As soon as something is expelled from us, it takes on characteristics of the profane, the taboo.

Wow, it's been a looooong day and I'm kind of punchy-tired. :p