Hair for work?

[Lucy Elizabeth]

Hey guys!

I start work on Friday at Walmart! I'm not sure where I am being put but I think they're going to put me in foods where I will be stocking shelves and helping customers all day. I don't like wearing my hair down at work since it's long enough to start getting caught in things and in the way. I have claw-clip buns and braided buns mastered as well as simple english braids but I want to start experimenting with hair sticks since I usually use elastics, claw clips and bobby pins in my hair and my hair is starting to outgrow all of those options when it comes to buns haha! I am also starting to get headaches from claw clips that are in my hair for too long. Any recommendations for hair sticks/styles and other supplies that can hold my hair successfully throughout the day and are practical and safe for work? I'm not sure if my sig does any justice but I have board-straight, fine but thick hair that is currently hovering above hip.

Thank you!
Lucy

[gthlvrmx]

Nautilus buns are really sturdy for work. Maybe a braided nautilus or lazy wrap bun would do?

[two_wheels]

If you can afford a ficcare, honestly I find them the best thing ever for work. I put it up in the morning and forget about it for 12+ hours. No fussing. Some people don't like them though.

[Nettyx]

My hair is not as long as yours but like Two_Wheels I find a Ficcare holds my hair all day too. I tend to wear a nautilus or lazy wrap bun but I find I have had to work out the placement on my head otherwise it feels heavy and pulls (nothing to do with the Ficcare, just my bad bunning) so I have the bun quite low. I also love a 3 or 4 prong fork like a 60th St or Jeterfork. My hair is so slippy I haven't been able to get on with a stick but if you try with a pencil and it holds you should be ok with a stick too.

[meteor]

Lucy Elizabeth, do you like any specific updos? Sometimes the choice of a tool (and especially its functional size) will depend on the updo.

If you want to try hairsticks or forks, my recommendation is a braided bun (braided cinnabun, braided lazy wrap bun, braided knot), because it's compact, holds like a rock and if it drops, you still have the braid and it takes just a second to pin it back up.
For really strong hold, Ellingwoman bun is probably the best I've tried, because it uses some of the hair to hold the bun.

To figure out the functional length of a tool you need, you could measure your bun's diameter or you could use a pencil or a chopstick to put hair up and then mark the edges on the pencil according to preferred length with a marker and then measure that length.
For forks, the more the number of tines, the shorter the functional length can be to hold up the same hair.

[lapushka]

As a iii, I could start to wear a lazy wrap bun as of waist length (layered). It's a good solid bun, and you can put a fork or stick through it easily.

[elsieivy]

You might check out the hairstyle of the month board. A lot of those styles are good for work. I currently have my hair in a disc bun. It's been up for about 4 hours so far and hasn't moved at all. I'm just using one stick to hold it but a lot of people find that a fork holds better than a stick.

[Madora]

Here's the link for Lilith Moon's two strand lace crown braid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPHEzUr5bWQ

This is easy to do and needs a minimum of hairpins to keep in place. Keeps your hair off your neck and attractive all day.

[KittyBird]

I love Ficcares for work. Shove one or two in my hair and add a few spin pins, and my hair stays up the entire day. However, they're expensive and not everybody can get them to work (I used to have a lot of trouble securing buns with them), so maybe a fork would be better to start with. I quite like Jeterforks and ReDoodle. :)

[swords & roses]

I find that clips hold really well, better than sticks, but my hair is slippery. But it doesn't have to be a Ficcare. There are equally serviceable clips out there for less money, especially if you're not sure if a clip would work for you and you're just trying one out. I have a clip like this Caravan one (http://uedata.amazon.com/Caravan-Salon-Clip-Hump-Cream/dp/B0052JMKHK/ref=pd_sim_194_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=0WHHSJDR9E4RSKVZDZRY). It's plastic, so it doesn't last forever (and it will melt if you leave it in a hot car), but nothing holds my hair better!

[Lucy Elizabeth]

Thank you so very much everybody for the recommendations! elsieivy thanks for the suggestion I will definitely check that out oohh Madora that's so pretty! I'll have to try this once I master the crown braid haha :)

[Nique1202]

Spin pins. The two "rules" for their best use are 1) don't cross the pins in your hair (the more overlap the pins have, the less secure their hold) and 2) make sure at least one of your spin pins catches scalp hair if you want the bun to stay in place all day.

Even if you get the Goody set of three shorter pins, it should still be able to hold quite a large bun, as long as they're spaced evenly around the bun and they all catch scalp hair where they sit (and you secure your ends in the middle or in one of the spin pins), but the set of two longer ones will definitely hold. Just put them in parallel, one a little higher and one a little lower from the opposite side. I swear by spin pins, I wear them almost constantly and as long as my ends don't come loose they even hold through the nights I don't stop tossing and turning.

[Lucy Elizabeth]

Nique1202

Thanks girl! I'll have to keep an eye out for those! Do you know where they sell spin pins for a decent price?

[Lucy Elizabeth]

meteor

I have no preference for updos, as long as they are easy! I HAVE however became a fan of top knots lately, braided and regular.

Thank you and I will definitely try the chopstick/pencil experiment when I start looking for sticks

[missrandie]

I'll chime in on this one... sometimes the dollar stores get them in, but you can buy knock off ones in large quantities from Amazon. If I were you, I would get one of Amazons 2 dollar 10 packs and if the ends of the pins bother you (in case they aren't coated) just dip them in thick nail polish and hang them to dry.

[mcdonaldv89]

Any suggestions for waist length hair that has to fit in a hard hat? Also im an electrician, no metal. Please help!

[Nadine <3]

I'll chime in on this one... sometimes the dollar stores get them in, but you can buy knock off ones in large quantities from Amazon. If I were you, I would get one of Amazons 2 dollar 10 packs and if the ends of the pins bother you (in case they aren't coated) just dip them in thick nail polish and hang them to dry.

This is where I got mine. I put a dab of hot glue on the ends of mine. They work great and they where so CHEEP. I usually do a dutch braid and then use the spin pin to bun tail.

The first bun with a stick I learned that held solid for me was the LWB. I got some chopsticks, cut them down and sanded then smooth to practice, but you can use pencils and pens too.

[Nadine <3]

I'll chime in on this one... sometimes the dollar stores get them in, but you can buy knock off ones in large quantities from Amazon. If I were you, I would get one of Amazons 2 dollar 10 packs and if the ends of the pins bother you (in case they aren't coated) just dip them in thick nail polish and hang them to dry.

This is where I got mine. I put a dab of hot glue on the ends of mine. They work great and they where so CHEEP. I usually do a dutch braid and then use the spin pin to bun tail.

The first bun with a stick I learned that held solid for me was the LWB. I got some chopsticks, cut them down and sanded then smooth to practice, but you can use pencils and pens too.

[missrandie]

Any suggestions for waist length hair that has to fit in a hard hat? Also im an electrician, no metal. Please help!

Check out some of the low profile things, like the tucked french braid. Since you say no metal, try some of those good hair days plastic pins they have... it might work!

[mcdonaldv89]

Check out some of the low profile things, like the tucked french braid. Since you say no metal, try some of those good hair days plastic pins they have... it might work!
Ok so it cant interfere with the suspension of the hard hat, cannot hang out in anyway. Im pretty frustrated, oly thing ive figured out is a cinnabun that fits above the back strap but below suspension system secured with a cheap 2 prong fork thats curved to my head.

[meteor]

Any suggestions for waist length hair that has to fit in a hard hat? Also im an electrician, no metal. Please help!

First of all, does your hair actually fit under your hard hat? :) I'm asking because your hair is very thick, textured and long - sometimes it just doesn't fit there and getting a bigger hard hat is probably not a good option (since it wouldn't be safe).

If your bun fits in the hard hat, you could use short wooden sticks or small-ish/mini 2-prong wooden forks. :)

And if your bun doesn't fit in the hard hat, I'd just wear a braid and maybe protect it with a hair glove (for motorcycling) or a wrapter hair wrap (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/81GdPe8HbpL._SL1500_.jpg), for example

HTH! :flower:

[mcdonaldv89]

Exactly the way it is in my avatar

[mcdonaldv89]

I have to flatten my bun out a bit for it to fit but its getting harder and harder plus the same place every day is giving me severe headaches. I already have the biggest hard hat theyll allow me can you explain how i could braid it to fit up there? Please :)

[mcdonaldv89]

http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/ad/d7/f4/add7f4972fc42ee7f544ab0cd0c3b2b6.jpg

This is what my hair looks like on an every day basis. This is what i have to fit in a hard hat. I have a black layer (shadow) that u cant see well for length purposes but u get the idea lol

[elsieivy]

I have to flatten my bun out a bit for it to fit but its getting harder and harder plus the same place every day is giving me severe headaches. I already have the biggest hard hat theyll allow me can you explain how i could braid it to fit up there? Please :)

Do you think you could do some sort of interlaced braids?
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=131436

Milkmaid braids might be an option too.
http://www.wikihow.com/Milkmaid-Braid-Your-Hair

[endlessly]

My go-to work style always involves hair clips - typically a loosely wrapped bun with two large octopus clips on either side as it's sturdy enough to hold all day, but can be easily adjusted if need be. If you want to start incorporating sticks into your hairstyles, my best advice is to practice and wear the style around the house to ensure it stays put. Sticks always fell out of my hair no matter what I did, hence why I never wore them much, but you could always try to do a braided bun that's secured with a couple of hairsticks since that seems to be relatively sturdy.

[meteor]

I have to flatten my bun out a bit for it to fit but its getting harder and harder plus the same place every day is giving me severe headaches. I already have the biggest hard hat theyll allow me can you explain how i could braid it to fit up there? Please :)

Sure! Have you tried Crown Braid (simplified, woven crown braid version (https://rapunzelsresource.wordpress.com/2009/10/23/luana-braids-woven-crown-variation/), for example) or Amish braided bun (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1ms8ODU42k) or Interlaced braids (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lG4MTltnX7M)? These styles seriously spread out the hair along the scalp pretty well.

If those styles are too difficult, maybe Pan's Comfortable Work Updo (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9W-kbWPSfQ) or simplified Ellingwoman braided bun (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_biroGTJ7A) could work? Braided Lazy Wrap (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DKLqSQWZos) is both compact and comfy - and it's probably the easiest braided style to try.

Or you could do 2 braids and cross them on top of head and pin them up (milkmaid braids (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8TxE8l4yNo)) or cross them on the nape and pin (horseshoe braids (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvPFfymrK5M)), that might work.

Hope a couple of those braided styles can work out for you! :flower:

[elsieivy]

I just wanted to add that since you can't use metal you can secure your hairstyle using something like these:
http://www.sallybeauty.com/Magic-Grip-Hairpins/GOODHR1,default,pd.html

[mcdonaldv89]

Thank you guys so much for helping me out as im getting to length i havent dealt with sonce i was six. Love the plastic pins idea! Gonna have to mess around and see where exactly i can put the braids and secure them, but seriously thank you all so much any more ideas id l9ve to hear them. Any and all help is greatly appreciated <3

[Aderyn]

Just regular sticks and forks hold well for me. For additional security, you can use some steel hairpins (Amish hairpins) or spin pins or magic grip hairpins (plastic) along with the fork/stick. The steel hair pins are much, much, much, much more secure than the U-shaped hairpins you can get at a drugstore or so.

If you don't have spin pins, magic grip pins or steel hairpins, make sure to pick a bun that is easy to re-do should it fall out!

ETA: Braids! Braids can help a lot with going under a hat/hardhat, too :)

[Nique1202]

As for acquiring spin pins, even if you pay full price for them (Probably $5-6 for two pins) they will last you for YEARS and secure plenty of styles, so it's not going to be money wasted either way. I did find a set of four at a bulk accessory store (the kind with all racks and shelves of 2/$5, 3/$10 type stuff) but those stores often stock whatever comes available rather than consistent offerings. Spin pins don't really loosen up like bobby pins, and they shouldn't encounter enough torque/pressure in a bun that they ever bend too far out of shape or break, since they're thick stiff wire.

[mcdonaldv89]

http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/53/c5/c5/53c5c53bffbafdb5c28b7a9035cad59c.jpg

Thank you all for the suggestions! So i moved the milk brads to accordingly fit under a hard had and voila! I really appreciate your help. I was so frustrated i started thinking about cutting it but ive never been able to wear a style l8ke this before :) i know it doesnt look the greatest but i had to do it super fast and the bandana is to protect my baby hairs from getting caught love you guys so much for helping me <3

[meteor]

^ Great! :joy: I bet it will be comfy for work, mcdonaldv89! And it looks so lovely, too! :applause Beautiful colors in your hair, by the way! :crush:

[mcdonaldv89]

Thank you so much meteor! I actually did my hair in the locker room at work lol :)

[vpatt]

I'll chime in on this one... sometimes the dollar stores get them in, but you can buy knock off ones in large quantities from Amazon. If I were you, I would get one of Amazons 2 dollar 10 packs and if the ends of the pins bother you (in case they aren't coated) just dip them in thick nail polish and hang them to dry.

What a great idea, I would never have thought of it.