Needing a work-friendly hairstyle

[Red-Rhetorician]

I grew up with super short hair and now it's suddenly at my waist. I'm still inept at hairstyles. I work in fast-food, and need my hair off my collar and away from food, but I still have to wear a baseball cap. Even a low bun is pretty awkward with the hat. I've always done a braided pony tail, because I still haven't successfully done a french braid. I have three problems. 1) My hair is breaking off, so I have tons of short loose ends that can make any hairstyle look terrible. 2) My braid is starting to swing very close to food. 3) There is a hot speed oven to my back, which seems to fry my hair throughout the day.

Any advice?

[Trin]

If you can't do a bun, but need to have your hair back and out of the way... this braid took my tailbone length hair to bra strap length, you can do it at the base of your neck, and it makes a neat bun if you find you can do that as well. I usually work with damp hair to control my flyaways.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7U3oHm8I-gs

[NormaJean]

Snood, maybe? I think you should be able to fit one under your hat....

http://www.ebay.com/bhp/hair-snood

[Lunnafindel]

I wonder if heidi/crown braids (depending on how long your hair is) would work under your baseball cap? I know a lot of people do that to keep their hair out of the way and balanced..

[Red-Rhetorician]

I'll definitely try the cable braid and the crown thing. Thanks so much!

[Madora]

Red-Rhetorician, you might like to take a crack at the inverted single braid bun, which sits on top of your head:

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

How to use crimped hairpins:http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w225/07Erzbet/92214Howtousehairpinsindoublebraidbun.jpg (http://s177.photobucket.com/user/07Erzbet/media/92214Howtousehairpinsindoublebraidbun.jpg.html)

1) Put the crimped hairpin through the outside edge of the braid or bun. The feet of the hairpin should be facing OUT, away from the bun
2) PIVOT the pin down to the scalp, turning slightly towards bun as you scrape up a tiny bit of scalp hair with the pin
3) Weave the pin with the scalp hair into the center of the bun in an up and down motion. Don't just stick it in straight. That way never holds for long!
4) Use crimped hairpins at the 4 directions: North/South/East/West. If you need more, use 'em!
5) Wash your crimped hairpins once a month.

crimped hairpins are very easy to put in/take out. BE SURE the feet of each pin has a little "ball" at the end! This is much more hair friendly than crimped pins whose feet do not have "balls" on the ends!

Crimped hairpins can be found at Sally's Beauty Supply or on Amazon. Usual dimensions: 2", 2-1/2" or my fave, 3".

ETA: Don't know if the braided bun would be comfortable under your cap. By the way, I hope management lets you take off that cap for a while so your scalp can breathe!

Perhaps a good conditioning the night before will help keep your hair from being fried by that oven and all that heat! Good luck!

[Angela_Rose]

Try one of the hair covers that Dave_Decker uses. I can't remember what it's called right now, but it keeps... Oh, wait. I think it's called a buff or something like that. Anyway, it covers and contains all the hair, which will probably be a good option for you.

[NormaJean]

.... I just googled Dave_Decker to see who and what you were talking about and this came up.

That's enough internet for the day, I believe.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Oxvq56ClLGE/T7J4STs1RMI/AAAAAAAAFUg/8VVz-5_dbsQ/s200/mad+max+1.jpg

[Angela_Rose]

.... I just googled Dave_Decker to see who and what you were talking about and this came up.

That's enough internet for the day, I believe.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Oxvq56ClLGE/T7J4STs1RMI/AAAAAAAAFUg/8VVz-5_dbsQ/s200/mad+max+1.jpg

What in the name of all that is good and holy... I was talking about one of the members here... Who I am fairly convinced is NOT that guy.

[NormaJean]

No, I'm pretty sure that's someone who REALLY lost a bet somewhere. No idea how it got attached to that name, but I didn't think for a second it was a real picture of the person you were talking about. Google image search is a wonderful and horrifying place.

[LadyCelestina]

:lol: this is not a quality post,but the above pic totally is

ETA:So which of the.... instruments is meant to be used on hair? :hmm:
I hope the particular member doesn't get offended as I guess the post certainly isn't meant to be offensive.When I google my username,some internet stripper or what comes up :o

[butter52]

LOL we should have a thread to see what comes up when we google our names hahahha.

About hairstyle: what about a regular braid but tucking it in your shirt? Is that acceptable? It would be easy to wear with a cap, the little hairs wouldnt show, it would not fall on the food, and it would be kind of protected from the oven under your shirt.

[Nini]

I'm a farmer, so looks doesn't really matter that much when I'm out working;) But my go to style to keep my hair away from cattle and heavy machinery is a braid that I just bun low with a scrunchy. On top of that I put a buff and crown it all with my cap. Works like a charm.

When my hair was shorter I'd braid it and just fold it around my head however far it'd reach and just place my cap on top of that. It wouldn't work with a supersnug cap, but otherwise it served me well for years and years.

[Panth]

Ideas:
- buff (it's a stretchy knit fabric tube that you can wear in a variety of ways and is very protective)
- low oval-shaped bun done horizontally? e.g. infinity bun?
- low twin buns (half the hair = half the size bun, so they might not get in the way of your cap so badly)
- for the oven problem, perhaps bunning damp hair might help keep things from getting too dry? a covering of some sort might also help (e.g. a buff, but you can also get braid-protector things designed for motercyclists if you can't make a bun work)

I'd absolutely not wear a snood. Those are designed for people with hair no longer than about shoulder length. If you cram longer hair into a snood, it's just a recipe for tangles.

[NormaJean]

I was thinking that a snood would be suitable for tucking the braid into rather than just cramming loose hair into.... or a pair of braids. Which makes me think of this:

I've done this sort of thing for lab work before. Not sure if it would work with OP's hat or length, but it kept me from setting my hair on fire and low braids didn't interfere with lab goggles so it popped into mind.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--0ryJzKg9q4/US67ZzLmjrI/AAAAAAAAC-Y/yQt-W53SDr0/s320/hair10.png

I like the braid wrapping idea too. I don't know anything about motorcyclists' gear in particular, but I can imagine there are lots of ways to use leather or fabric strips to both shorten and protect a braid.

[Madora]

How about Torrin Paige's take on Amish braids..i.e. interlaced braids: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zA37CREatY&list=UUw8NAHElFHyXQTL7u1FBiKA

[Laurenji]

Ah, this takes me back to my college days . . . gotta love accidentally whacking people with your braided ponytail while you're running around trying to get the burgers out! And the smell of hot french fry grease that clings to everything.

I usually did a couple things. The first was two braids pinned low, like NormaJean posted upthread. The other was to do a ponytail braid, put on the hat & pull it through the back, THEN make a bun. You don't have a lot of scalp hair to pin to for security, but I could usually make it work by anchoring the bun to itself and to the ponytail holder. I used 3" hair pins from Sally's, although I suspect spin pins or Amish pins would work better, especially with waist length.

[Phexlyn]

The other was to do a ponytail braid, put on the hat & pull it through the back, THEN make a bun. You don't have a lot of scalp hair to pin to for security, but I could usually make it work by anchoring the bun to itself and to the ponytail holder. I used 3" hair pins from Sally's, although I suspect spin pins or Amish pins would work better, especially with waist length.
I was going to suggest that as well, but since the OP's hair is already breaking off, it will be important to leave out the ponytail holder. Maybe try a scrunchie bun after you've put on the cap and put the braid through the cap?

[Stiria]

The lovely kmemuse has a tutorial for a Baseball Cap Hairstyle (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml7lEC_CBkk&list=UUKN3yLms3aBclNZWQWka66A)