Styling help to reduce headaches?

[patienceneeded]

Hello! I've been lurking more than writing lately. Always happens at the start of a new school year, I don't have enough time anymore to respond or participate. Those essays aren't going to grade themselves!

Anyway, I've been getting headaches lately, and I believe they are tension headaches from my hair. I'm just brushing hip now, which is the longest my hair has ever been. While that's great and everything the large mass of hair is now heavy enough that it's giving me some serious headaches. Last thing I need is a migraine caused by my HAIR.

I have found it helps to take my hair down for an hour or so, or to switch the bun/placement of the stick or fork. However, I am interested in some help with other buns that don't need to be redone or help alleviate the tension to prevent the headache from even starting.

I am unsure of how sectioning works, so some help on that would be fab. Also, other buns or methods of securing a bun. I mainly use hairsticks or hairforks. I don't really like Flexis or Ficcares. I do have some spin pins but never wear them.

I am looking for quick and easy styles - I don't have time to spend on complicated hairstyles in the morning. I can braid (lace, french, dutch, 4-strand) but often don't do braided styles due to the time involved in creating them. My hair is almost hip, iii thickness (I can still BARELY manage a Nautilus, due to thickness). Slight u-shape, no layers.

Thanks for you help!

[Madora]

Hello! I've been lurking more than writing lately. Always happens at the start of a new school year, I don't have enough time anymore to respond or participate. Those essays aren't going to grade themselves!

Anyway, I've been getting headaches lately, and I believe they are tension headaches from my hair. I'm just brushing hip now, which is the longest my hair has ever been. While that's great and everything the large mass of hair is now heavy enough that it's giving me some serious headaches. Last thing I need is a migraine caused by my HAIR.

I have found it helps to take my hair down for an hour or so, or to switch the bun/placement of the stick or fork. However, I am interested in some help with other buns that don't need to be redone or help alleviate the tension to prevent the headache from even starting.

I am unsure of how sectioning works, so some help on that would be fab. Also, other buns or methods of securing a bun. I mainly use hairsticks or hairforks. I don't really like Flexis or Ficcares. I do have some spin pins but never wear them.

I am looking for quick and easy styles - I don't have time to spend on complicated hairstyles in the morning. I can braid (lace, french, dutch, 4-strand) but often don't do braided styles due to the time involved in creating them. My hair is almost hip, iii thickness (I can still BARELY manage a Nautilus, due to thickness). Slight u-shape, no layers.

Thanks for you help!

Sorry to read about your headaches, patienceneeded! Not fun at all! Here's how to do the sectioned braided bun:
Back in the day, I had very, very thick hair. When I first visited the George Michael salon in NYC they advised that to wear long, thick hair comfortably, you had to section it to distribute the weight. It is also better for your hair to be sectioned than glomed all in once place because you're not putting a lot of pressure on a small area on your scalp.

Sectioning (for the double braided bun):

1) Detangle your hair gently with a wide tooth comb

2) Part your hair from the top of your right ear, around the back of your head, to the top of your other ear

3) Take all the hair ABOVE the part, comb it out gently.
4) Divide hair in 3 parts and braid it loosely. Tie off w/hair friendly elastic

5) Coil the braid you just made by holding it FLAT against your scalp. While you are coiling, pin the braid to the scalp using crimped hairpins. Pin at the four directions (North/South/East/West..use more pins if needed)
6) Tuck the tassel under the braid coil

7) Take the remaining hair, comb out gently so there are no tangles
8) Divide in 3 sections. Braid Loosely! Fasten w/hair friendly elastic band.

9) Take the braid and wind it around the braided bun already made.

10) As you wind the braid around the bun, pin with crimped hairpins. Tuck in tassel.

Voila: you have created a comfy, long lasting double braided bun! Holds like a rock.

Sectioning can also be used to create: cameo bun, triple braided bun, double twisted bun, and a whole bunch of other variations

Sectioning can be done in more than 2 sections but I've only used two for most of my braids and stuff.

Special tip for step # 8 In order to get the remaining braid as close to the bun as possible, bend your head down steeply and then begin the braid as close to the bun as you can. It is a lot easier for gravity to work for you, than against you, when you are braiding the final braid!

ETA: If a double braided bun is too consuming, then try the single braided bun:

My bed bun braided updo is just a simple single braid. But I do it in an unconventional way: bending down at a very steep angle, that is:


1) Bring all hair in front, like a curtain/detangle gently
2) Head should be down -- steeply
3) Divide hair in 3 sections, begin to braid slightly loosely (either Dutch or English style. 4 strands if you're really dexterous/adventurous)
4) Braid down to end/fasten with elastic...or leave loose
(I don't fasten with anything and only braid until I have about 2 inches of tassel left
5) Take the braid. Hold it flat against your head with your hand. Use the other hand to pin it with crimped hairpins in the 4 directions. Tuck in tassel
6) Bingo: one handy dandy single braided bun!

[Chromis]

I get a headache if I wear my hair up too high. I start all of my updos at the nape instead. It is still up off of my neck, I just grasp the hair itself at the nape instead of trying to start higher, like so:

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7152/6751312959_0b9905e8b0.jpg

I also have to strick a balance with forks and sticks of getting it tight enough to hold, but not so tight that I had to force the stick in. If it is tight getting the stick inserted, it will be too tight for my scalp. (If you want to give the Ficcares a go again, I find the ultra most comfortable way to wear them is in a log roll and in fact this is the only way I wear them...and I like it so much that I have several!)

[Madora]

I get a headache if I wear my hair up too high. I start all of my updos at the nape instead. It is still up off of my neck, I just grasp the hair itself at the nape instead of trying to start higher, like so:

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7152/6751312959_0b9905e8b0.jpg

I also have to strick a balance with forks and sticks of getting it tight enough to hold, but not so tight that I had to force the stick in. If it is tight getting the stick inserted, it will be too tight for my scalp. (If you want to give the Ficcares a go again, I find the ultra most comfortable way to wear them is in a log roll and in fact this is the only way I wear them...and I like it so much that I have several!)

Very beautiful, Chromis! Your background scenery is enchanting! I love it!

[Chiaroscuro]

Some quick, easy updos for thick hair; these are all sectioned so you might experience less pull than from forming the bun from non-sectioned hair:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZvXrEOfJ4w

I find it less headachy to wear buns on the occipital bone rather than higher on top or lower on the nape. I find there is less pressure when I use more than one stick or fork. I especially like a couple of wide jaws for holding up the weight of the hair.
Hope this helps!

[patienceneeded]

Thanks for the replies everyone! I will try to practice sectioning my hair.

I will also look for some cute claw clips.

[Mya]

You may want to try a bun over each of your ears (or even covering them). It's the most comfortable updo I know.

I recommend spin pins, you pretty much can't feel them.

[dogzdinner]

I dont have thick hair but I do get headaches coz Im wimpy about stuff being stuck in my head! :o SO far Ive found the Elling woman do to work really well as you dont need pins at all. For work I just pin the ends to the back of the bun so its not even on my head.
Not sure if it would be equally comfy for thick hair coz mine is only average length and thickness.

[Chromis]

Thanks Madora! I love our wall mural :)

Also I will second the Ellingwoman bun as being very comfortable and balanced. It takes slightly longer to do than my normal updos, but it holds like a rock.