Hairstyle ideas for fatigued arms?

[DeadlyUnicorn]

Soo I never really try to braid my own hair behind my head and my arms get REALLY fatigued because they aren't used to it. I'm wondering what might be some suggested styles to start out with so my arms can get used to it. Or maybe a technique that's less tiring? I can't accomplish a french braid, maybe I just need to start lifting weights lol. :kitten:

[Nadine <3]

I used to have this problem, but i just kept pushing on and practicing. I got faster and my arms got used to it so it's not a problem anymore. My arms do get sore when I learn a new style or do something that takes awhile though, I think it's just unavoidable.

[DeadlyUnicorn]

I used to have this problem, but i just kept pushing on and practicing. I got faster and my arms got used to it so it's not a problem anymore. My arms do get sore when I learn a new style or do something that takes awhile though, I think it's just unavoidable.

I think so too.. I wish I had started when my hair was shorter because it gets super tangled when I try a french braid, and maybe if I were used to it that wouldn't be such a big deal because I wouldn't be fighting fatigued arms AND tangled hair. :( I don't know. I'm going to practice every day

[Rainbow2911]

I practiced by doing the French braid with my hair hanging down over the arm of my sofa and my head back. For some reason this tired my arms less and I able to get through the braid most of the time. I'm used to it now and I can braid standing up. Might be worth a try to see if you can find a less tiring position.

[DeadlyUnicorn]

I practiced by doing the French braid with my hair hanging down over the arm of my sofa and my head back. For some reason this tired my arms less and I able to get through the braid most of the time. I'm used to it now and I can braid standing up. Might be worth a try to see if you can find a less tiring position.

Thank you I will give that a try! :D

[ooglipoo]

Whatever you do, do NOT start with the crown braid! That one will make your arms drop right off your body after a while! :rolling:

I'm going to chime in and say it just takes practice, practice, practice. And lifting weights might not hurt, either!

[lapushka]

A LWB, lazy wrap bun. It's called "lazy" for a reason. In about 15 sec. it's *done*.

[Madora]

DeadlyUnicorn, perhaps you might like to try inversion braiding, which is braiding in the upside down position. More about it here:http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=126929

You can also do inversion bunning with this style, plus inversion milkmaid braids (if your hair is long enough). Good luck!

[hanne jensen]

I am a huge fan of Madora's inversion braiding. My hair is only BSL and I get a lovely very comfy bun that I can wear for days on end. I call it the Madora Bun.

[Nique1202]

Whatever you do, do NOT start with the crown braid! That one will make your arms drop right off your body after a while! :rolling:

I'm going to chime in and say it just takes practice, practice, practice. And lifting weights might not hurt, either!

I actually find that crown braiding gives my arms a bit of a break on the sides. The top and the back are harder, but I can lean my head down when I'm braiding on the sides so my arms don't have to stay as high in the air. I do the same with twin dutch and french braids, braiding with my head tilted down to the side I'm braiding on.

Any kind of braiding will take practice to get used to. I had to practice twin dutch braids every morning for three weeks before my fingers could even do the motions, and it took even longer to build up the strength in my arms. Now I haven't twin braided for months and my arm strength is all gone.

[DeadlyUnicorn]

Thank you all for the replies! :D I will try it all! I was able to braid an English braid (I think..) last night. I used to end up with a gap in the hair at the beginning of the braid but now I know how to start it correctly.. But it makes me hopeful I can accomplish the french braid some day!

[spidermom]

Arm strengthening exercise would be an excellent idea. Plus keep practicing. To keep a french braid from tangling, it is important to run your fingers down the strands as you change hands every turn or two.

[-Fern]

I totally feel your pain on this one. The biggest thing for me was just getting faster... and I found that I made myself miserable if I was trying to look in the mirror while braiding, because I'd overthink it and try to make it perfect and... suddenly it was taking me twenty minutes to do a regular French braid.

The way I finally broke past my mental barriers holding me back was to do the French braids without a mirror! Because really, my muscle memory serves me a lot better than my brain in this case. I have an easier time braiding under (so the French braid is easier for me to do on myself), but if you have an easier time braiding over, you might try doing a Dutch braid on yourself instead. If you feel comfortable with English braiding (practice on yarn/ribbons if you need to), just sit down on the couch one day and try to do it just by feel. It might not look perfect, but it might go a lot faster--and then it gets easier and prettier once you get the feel for it! Good luck!

[-Fern]

Oh, and try making the sections you add bigger, too--that will mean you have fewer additions to make, so it will go a lot faster.

[Anje]

Hold hair with one hand, shake out the other arm. Then switch. As you keep doing it, you'll gain a lot more endurance for these things, as well as get faster at the process so you don't need as much.

You can do a French braid starting with a half-up instead of up by your forehead and add a few big chunks instead of lots of little sections. Starting that way will speed the process considerably.

One word of advice: stay away from herringbone/fishtail braids until your arms are downright buff.