I'm getting a hair fork for my birthday and IDK how to use them!

[FallingDarkness]

So. My 17th birthday is on Sunday. And the only thing I put on my wish list was a hair fork (I picked out a few of the jeterforks that I liked and sent the links to my mom). Provided that I DON'T get one, which is highly unlikely, I'll buy one for myself! :D However, my hair is a mere 26 inches (BSL stretched) and decently thick, soooo idk if it's even going to WORK. Are there any good tutorials on how to use hair forks? Do I have any hope with practice and patience to make buns stay with them? Any advice would be much appreciated.

[two_wheels]

Lucky you!!

We've just been discussing this on the jeterforks thread http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=77242&page=149 - ask away there, everyone is nice!

In the meantime anyway:

How far into iii-thickness are you?

If your hair is very thick, it might have to be a half up. A disc bun (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1YzsZ_s-U4) or modified lazy wrap (http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Pb-CDSW1euU) may work.

If it's not tooo thick, you could try either of those buns above, or if they don't work, maybe a flipped French twist like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaV2ihKkBls

With a jeterfork, do these *loosely* or you will get a headache, ask me how I know this :lol:

[meteor]

Do you know how to use a hair stick? It's pretty much the same technique, only you need to bun hair a bit more loosely, because it holds tighter.

For that length, I'd recommend tucked French braids with a fork, for example: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=88390
or this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGRYNlBy-d0&list=PLarqoD-aO1Wwiwn0za4G5bYeJSmEtI5bo
or the Masara: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ND5dJXnBs2k similar to French antenna braid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_M_oSwRKfc

But I think any updo you can do with a stick, you can also do with a fork!

Good luck! :) And Happy Birthday! :D

[lapushka]

You could do a French twist at that length and pin the fork through it - easily, even with that thickness.

[FallingDarkness]

You see, I haven't figured out how to make a hair stick stay yet (practiced with pencils and pens and stuff before going in and trying to buy one). Someone recommended that it was easier to make buns stay with a fork instead, which is why I'm trying to invest in it.

I'm about a 4.5 inch circumference, so not too terribly thick, but thick enough for it to be problematic.

[meteor]

You see, I haven't figured out how to make a hair stick stay yet (practiced with pencils and pens and stuff before going in and trying to buy one). Someone recommended that it was easier to make buns stay with a fork instead, which is why I'm trying to invest in it.

I'm about a 4.5 inch circumference, so not too terribly thick, but thick enough for it to be problematic.

Your hair texture looks like hair sticks shouldn't randomly be falling out of hair. It might be that you are not using them correctly. There are multiple ways of using a hairstick. I find that this method produces by far the tightest hold even on slippery hair (you can use hair forks the same way):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRV1VzxdiXU

[FallingDarkness]

Hair sticks don't fall out of my hair - the problem is my hair falls out around them instead! :P

[two_wheels]

Forks are easier in my opinion. Especially 3-prong. I'm sure it varies from person to person, though.

[meteor]

Yes, the more prongs, the tighter the hold. Also, if the prongs are thicker and have rectangular shape rather than thin and completely round, they will hold better.

[FallingDarkness]

I specified for a 3 pronged fork! Score. :P
The prongs were fairly thick and they were definitely not round.
I think I should be in a good boat.

[chen bao jun]

Jeterforks are an easy kind of fork to start with. Twirl your hair around and as it start to lie down, hold it down with your hand cupped. Inside bun from one side,slowly and carefully, three prongs should hold the whole thing up. You shouldn't have to do that thing you have to do with sticks where you put it in facing one way and then switch direction once its in. I call this a cinnabun, as it is the same technique, but mine barely twirls around once so barely looks like a cinnabun at all yet. But the Jeter holds it securely anyway.

You can also do a peacock twist, which I am wearing right now with my two prong jeter. Make as if you are doing a french roll, but only twist once and leave the hair loose on top. Poke Jeter through right under loose hair and arrange ends to fall attractively over the Jeter.

You can also do a topknot, similar to the cinnabun but twist tighter so that it makes a kind of knot on top of your head and insert Jeter at the base.

Jeters go in very smoothly in spite of their wide looking prongs and they stay put and you don't have to do a lot of stuff for them to hold, they just do. I like my four prong Jeters slightly better than I liked the three prong (which I traded away)--I have two four prongs and one two prong and all three have 5 inches functional length, which I find works the best with shorter (I'm brastrap stretched also) and very thick hair (I'm about a 5 inch circ). You can see the prongs on both ends, but they don't look bad and the length gives a great hold.

[chen bao jun]

http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a481/uloma1/100_2300_zpscd192107.jpg (http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/uloma1/media/100_2300_zpscd192107.jpg.html)
http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a481/uloma1/jeterforkpivorycropped_zps3b0aac30.jpg (http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/uloma1/media/jeterforkpivorycropped_zps3b0aac30.jpg.html)
http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a481/uloma1/100_2424_zpsf6640820.jpg (http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/uloma1/media/100_2424_zpsf6640820.jpg.html)

[FallingDarkness]

So jeterforks work for just sticking it in the bun? And it holds? Because if so that is AWESOME. Also your hair is gorgeous - I LOVE thick hair, and where I live I haven't found many people with hair thicker than mine, so... :D