I look bald - updo help!

[hairconvictions]

Good morning everyone,

My apologies if this is posted elsewhere, I couldn't find a thread with the answer.
I have a large forehead and when I do buns I look like I have no hair (especially when I am video calling which I do for work on a daily basis). I have two small kids and hair down to my knees so I usually just pull it up in a quick side bun or braided bun and go on with my day. When I taught my (piano) students in person, they would obviously see that I have an updo, but now that I am teaching online I am forcing myself to put some work into this lol.

What are some updos that I could do to give some volume on the top/braids/etc. I usually wear my hair up 100% but I am open to some half-dos as well.
I have done the "poof" with my boring bun in the past (LOL!) but I am looking for some creative ideas.

I saw this posted on facebook and I really like her hair but I have no idea how to do it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5D-ztImSg8k&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR0-olWURaOd8NHSv8J-DYZ54ovcrvpChcRo-BPPyIkL-lM1L7z856mJhB8

Note: I have been doing braided buns for about 4 years while I had my babies so my hair doing skills are pretty much back to square one (face palm)

Thank you everyone,
Much love <3

[lapushka]

Maybe put your bun a little higher on your head, so that it peaks out from your crown, or are you a low bun wearer? :)

[HaMalka]

Maybe a crown braid or a fake crown braid would work.


The video looks like this to me:

Side part

Dutch braid the side with more hair

Pancake it for volume if needed

At the base of the head add the rest of the hair in and keep braiding.

[spidermom]

Lately I've been doing some sort of loose-ish braid and pinning it up. I look bald when all my hair is pulled back against my scalp, too.

[CherryFrizz]

I like an accent braid that starts fairly close to my hairline, and merges into the bun. It's quick, too, since you really only have to braid the first few inches before the bun.

[cjk]

You describe your hair very well, but there's no substitute for a picture. Do you have a picture we could work from?

If your forehead is as high as you say, I'm not sure how we can get hair in front of it. Not with an updo.

You could always do something with baby hairs. In my case, I'm blond. Which means my baby hairs are the same color as my skin, it wouldn't help me.

I do love the idea of braids, and something like a crown braid would be a very visible and extremely refined style.

A question though. You said you teach piano, and this is for the purpose of video calls. Why only an updo?

[plonter]

I have the same problem. I usually do a side bun/braid so it peeks out a bit, and if I'm self-conscious about my forehead that day I wear some kind of headband. If that's not your thing you could try faking bangs using a deep side part.

[SleepyTangles]

PC cameras have a terribile angle!

I have a huge forehead. My mum used to say I look like a Flemish Renaissance painting, which is a nice way to put It. I wear bangs and I don't plan on changing ;)

My advice is to section the bits around the face and pin them strategically, to soften the outline of the face :)

[spidermom]

Lately I've been doing some sort of loose-ish braid and pinning it up. I look bald when all my hair is pulled back against my scalp, too.

I want to add that I often start this with a deep side part. It looks especially graceful if I go across my forehead area with a lace braid or 2-strand braid.

[neko_kawaii]

I'm a fan of the twist for front volume. Style of the Month Thread for twists. (https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=130867) There are a couple video links in there.

For the video conferencing, if you are working with a laptop, raise it up on a stack of books for a better angle.

[jane_marie]

For the video conferencing, if you are working with a laptop, raise it up on a stack of books for a better angle.

Yes! Please do! I actually tend to put mine so it is angled from eye level kind of like a selfie.

[Kat]

What if you roll or braid the sides? Or, an idea I had in the past is to do a bunch of small braids after washing so it gives me waves, and that way it won't sit so flat to my head when pulled back.

[Sunny]

A historical updo technique is to deal with the hair in sections: Doing the back hair up, and then doing the front hair in a special arrangement and adding the ends to the back bun. I find this technique extremely helpful because of how much control it gives over the front hair. The back hair can be pulled snug and firm, but the smaller sections of front hair can have soft twists, rolls, swoops, and puffs that frame the face, and aren't under tension and pulled flat.

A 19th-century type example of sectioning (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RHN-Kvn6yVQ/SihyANVZwmI/AAAAAAAABYQ/AS_Tx76TgKY/s400/civilwar_hairstyle_02.jpg). You wouldn't probably want to do the section that far back, but a crosswise part 1-2 inches behind the hairline gives you a lot of hair to play with. This lady (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_b4mZSnRHUAw/Se8tGuWBUrI/AAAAAAAAAR0/my3htaj0tM8/s320/IMG_6765.JPG) has and center part, and just softly pulled hers back to cover her ears. You could do a side part, and experiment with different swoops to see how face-framing it can be. This one (https://i.pinimg.com/736x/35/a3/f5/35a3f5b558d3bd8a9e30e36bf653754d.jpg) has twisted her hair back and brought it under the bun; this one (http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kGex7-d5bEc/TxTdhKFkjEI/AAAAAAAAAZg/uxMjdHFNing/s1600/13.jpg) has twisted as well but brought the hair back higher. This can have different effects on the look from the front, particularly if it's a softer twist. This example (https://i.pinimg.com/736x/d7/95/7b/d7957bafc93a24ca00f92c8c745687bc.jpg) has thicker twists and is inbetween the previous two in placement.

This historical example (https://i.pinimg.com/736x/91/84/94/9184949654a22f669a156ed7f2348a10--civil-war-hairstyles-historical-hairstyles.jpg) does something else by braiding the front hair, and looping it in front of the ears and then back. While this lady (http://www.photosmadeperfect.com/1860_circa_brady_photo_hair_and_jewlery_.jpg) did the opposite, braiding her front hair higher and wrapping across the top of her head to give height. There's softness over the ears that would also frame the face from the front.

I also found this (https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Pnmb3UflyWo/UUNAMMhPtVI/AAAAAAAAD54/QDHEBH2gTNs/s1600/523_Hair_CivilWar_009.jpg): braids that are wrapped around the back of the head to add width, but not height. Her hair is still sectioned in front, so that she has a clear part with her front hair framing her face instead of pulled straight back. Here's a compilation (https://i.pinimg.com/736x/6c/a9/70/6ca97084d26ba2064e126600e39a601b.jpg) of a bunch of different pictures; some show more from the front than others, but there's a lot of variety. Most if not all use the sectioning method to construct the styles.

And to be clear, I'm not suggesting that you actually copy any of these styles exactly, unless you want to! I just know from experience that the sectioning technique can be used to create a lot of different effects.

[jane_marie]

Could you do Frida Braids?

[AmaryllisRed]

I actually cut bangs partly for this reason. I never wear them down on my five-head but it's nice to be able to pin them back loosely in sections or twist them to add some softness to my face.

[hairconvictions]

Thank you everyone for the replies, I am going to give these a try today and see which one I can master LOL
If I can figure out how to post photos on here I will try to give a "before and after". :)

[hairconvictions]

A historical updo technique is to deal with the hair in sections: Doing the back hair up, and then doing the front hair in a special arrangement and adding the ends to the back bun. I find this technique extremely helpful because of how much control it gives over the front hair. The back hair can be pulled snug and firm, but the smaller sections of front hair can have soft twists, rolls, swoops, and puffs that frame the face, and aren't under tension and pulled flat.


Thank you for all the links so I can try to copy some of the techniques!

[hairconvictions]

Could you do Frida Braids?

I have done these in the past, maybe it's time to resurrect them! I would need a way to make them look professional.

[hairconvictions]

What if you roll or braid the sides? Or, an idea I had in the past is to do a bunch of small braids after washing so it gives me waves, and that way it won't sit so flat to my head when pulled back.

I think that's what I'm looking for, braiding or rolling the sides but I've never had any luck making that look good. Maybe I just need a good tutorial and some practice! I like the idea of the tiny braids as well, my hair does hold in braid waves fairly well so that might be an option!

[hairconvictions]

Maybe put your bun a little higher on your head, so that it peaks out from your crown, or are you a low bun wearer? :)

Yes I do like high buns as well but there's still a lot of forehead going on when I do this LOL

[hairconvictions]

The video looks like this to me:

Side part

Dutch braid the side with more hair

Pancake it for volume if needed

At the base of the head add the rest of the hair in and keep braiding.

I've got to learn how to do side braids without them being swallowed up by my hair. I will look up the pancake thing, thank you!

[hairconvictions]

A question though. You said you teach piano, and this is for the purpose of video calls. Why only an updo?

I have a 3 and 4 year old and I am constantly running around/ picking things up off the floor so if I have my hair down it gets caught in everything and drives me bonkers.

[hairconvictions]

I like an accent braid that starts fairly close to my hairline, and merges into the bun. It's quick, too, since you really only have to braid the first few inches before the bun.

I like this idea but when I do it, I can't even see the side braid. It looks the same looking from the front of my hair. I need a good tutorial i think (Shrugs)

[hairconvictions]

My advice is to section the bits around the face and pin them strategically, to soften the outline of the face :)
I like this idea, do you have a photo I could follow? Do you mean something like the 20s waves they put near the front of their faces?

[hairconvictions]

[QUOTE=neko_kawaii;3779381]I'm a fan of the twist for front volume. Style of the Month Thread for twists. (https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=130867) There are a couple video links in there.
/QUOTE]

Thank you, I will be checking these out!

[CopperButterfly]

https://youtu.be/8eobsHXCfys
I think this video doors a great job of showing how to get some volume and shape around your face with an updo.

[shutterpillar]

I have no suggestions as I'm struggling with this myself, but just wanted to offer sympathy and thank you for making this thread. I'll be following closely!

[Hailwidis]

Also struggling with this, you're not alone! :) I don't look bald because my hair colour is quite dark and my forehead isn't particularly high, but my hair looks so flat and unflattering when it's just pulled back.

My braiding skills are poor so I can't manage braid accents. I've thought for a while that twists would be my best bet, but I don't have any bobby pins and to be honest if at all possible, would prefer to do without them... I struggle with the step between preparing the twists and integrating them into a bun without them unravelling completely. I guess it's just not possible without the pins, I might have to resign myself to them.


https://youtu.be/8eobsHXCfys
I think this video doors a great job of showing how to get some volume and shape around your face with an updo.

Love her twists, so elegant! I personally don't particularly like the braided part of her updo though, it's messy and I'm not fan of all those visible pins ^^' I wonder what would be a nice bun that could replace her pinned braid.

[wo]

This is my problem with updos too. I don't think buns would be so popular on here if everyone had my harsh square hairline with giant forehead and curly hair that just looks like dull frizz when made into a bun lol. It is not a sleek shiny graceful situation. It's like I'm 100% face with just a small knot of frizz somewhere on my head.

[lapushka]

Yes I do like high buns as well but there's still a lot of forehead going on when I do this LOL

Aw that's too bad! I for sure thought it might help. :)

[MusicalSpoons]

This is my problem with updos too. I don't think buns would be so popular on here if everyone had my harsh square hairline with giant forehead and curly hair that just looks like dull frizz when made into a bun lol. It is not a sleek shiny graceful situation. It's like I'm 100% face with just a small knot of frizz somewhere on my head.

I can do sleek scalp hair very easily (wispies need wrangling but a BBB or comb once in place would do it) but unfortunately that usually translates as 'flat, severe' :lol: I don't even have a high forehead but flat is simply not flattering. (I just don't care enough or have energy to spend trying to do it differently.) The grass always looks greener ... !

[wo]

I can do sleek scalp hair very easily (wispies need wrangling but a BBB or comb once in place would do it) but unfortunately that usually translates as 'flat, severe' :lol: I don't even have a high forehead but flat is simply not flattering. (I just don't care enough or have energy to spend trying to do it differently.) The grass always looks greener ... !

That's true, I know it can still be flat but mine is too, just frizzy flat! Somehow my hair compacts into nothing and I get no volume out of having curly hair lol.

[neko_kawaii]

Also struggling with this, you're not alone! :) I don't look bald because my hair colour is quite dark and my forehead isn't particularly high, but my hair looks so flat and unflattering when it's just pulled back.

My braiding skills are poor so I can't manage braid accents. I've thought for a while that twists would be my best bet, but I don't have any bobby pins and to be honest if at all possible, would prefer to do without them... I struggle with the step between preparing the twists and integrating them into a bun without them unravelling completely. I guess it's just not possible without the pins, I might have to resign myself to them.



Love her twists, so elegant! I personally don't particularly like the braided part of her updo though, it's messy and I'm not fan of all those visible pins ^^' I wonder what would be a nice bun that could replace her pinned braid.

Depending on the bun, I can gather the hair together with the twisted section and bun without any sort of pin. If I need to hold the twisted section in place while I do sectioning or some other thing that requires letting the twist go, I use small claw clips. Sometimes I just bun right over the little claw, sometimes I take it out once I've managed to gather all the hair together to bun.

Bobby pins are not the only option!

[Hailwidis]

Depending on the bun, I can gather the hair together with the twisted section and bun without any sort of pin. If I need to hold the twisted section in place while I do sectioning or some other thing that requires letting the twist go, I use small claw clips. Sometimes I just bun right over the little claw, sometimes I take it out once I've managed to gather all the hair together to bun.

Bobby pins are not the only option!
Great to hear! I have tried this, but maybe I need to persevere (I reckon my small claw clips are actually too big to bun over, so I need to remove them, and that’s often where things started going wrong...).

Do you have any advice on how to bring the twisted sections into the bun, if that makes any sense? Can they be fully incorporated or do they need to be wrapped around the base/tucked in?

I wish there were a video tutorial for this kind of method for me to check I’m on the right track. Pretty niche, though...

[eresh]

I had a big forehead too.
I cut some whispies around my face to make my look less "strict".
To lead attention off my forehead, italian hairtaping is great!

https://i.imgur.com/BuYB1HWl.jpg https://i.imgur.com/WlWBeQgl.jpg

Also you could try a scarfbun, like in my video, but place the scarf on your head like a bandana,
so partly on your forehead. https://youtu.be/EKbdpVbeMt4

https://i.imgur.com/8Jp5lMFl.jpg https://i.imgur.com/0Tx11l.jpg

These girls have some good tips (though I do not think she has a high forehead ;)
https://youtu.be/J9vThrMk19M
https://youtu.be/qcVkziNFemI

TorrinPaige's Swoopbun is also great.
You can do the accent sideswoop as poofed as you want, so you have so me volume on the side of your head.
https://youtu.be/rx1wl8fNvto

[eresh]

You could try this, and then fluff up the front to create volume
https://youtu.be/mBMiWAQQ1FI

Just like the last version in this video
https://youtu.be/Kh8MTdgIDaA

[neko_kawaii]

Great to hear! I have tried this, but maybe I need to persevere (I reckon my small claw clips are actually too big to bun over, so I need to remove them, and that’s often where things started going wrong...).

Do you have any advice on how to bring the twisted sections into the bun, if that makes any sense? Can they be fully incorporated or do they need to be wrapped around the base/tucked in?

I wish there were a video tutorial for this kind of method for me to check I’m on the right track. Pretty niche, though...

Looks like I made a video incorporating twists on each side, held with clips and bunned.


https://youtu.be/7mlyaRdVq40

Basically, if I don't need to clip the twist to free up my hands, I just gather everything together like I would if there were no twists, and bun as usual. If I've done a very nice braided accent instead of a twist, sometimes I'll continue that down the length of its section, make the main bun, and then add the braid as an accent over, around, or next to the bun in some fashion.

Wrapped over a bun:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4348/36778788642_567805f441_n.jpg

As an accent next to a bun (not terribly obvious because the bun in question is an Off Coil):
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4332/37253189785_249ed8a0bb_n.jpg

[Kat]

I think that's what I'm looking for, braiding or rolling the sides but I've never had any luck making that look good. Maybe I just need a good tutorial and some practice! I like the idea of the tiny braids as well, my hair does hold in braid waves fairly well so that might be an option!

I haven't either... I don't have much luck with keeping my rolls from unrolling (even if I try to use pins/barrettes to hold them), although oddly enough I did some yesterday that have held up to today. What did I do differently? Will I ever be able to replicate it? Who knows! LOL.



I like this idea but when I do it, I can't even see the side braid. It looks the same looking from the front of my hair. I need a good tutorial i think (Shrugs)

Add more hair, to make the braid bigger, maybe?



https://youtu.be/8eobsHXCfys
I think this video doors a great job of showing how to get some volume and shape around your face with an updo.

I might try this... not sure if it would suit me, though, and I might modify it a bit (I don't like the way it looks from the back; I'd be using it with a plain braid, not pinning the braid up, and the weird side puffiness with a little braid smashed into the middle looks odd, so I'd maybe skip the side puffs. Also, I'd need to figure out how to make it work with a center part). I've never been into the puff thing, but this is a bit different.



I can do sleek scalp hair very easily (wispies need wrangling but a BBB or comb once in place would do it) but unfortunately that usually translates as 'flat, severe' :lol: I don't even have a high forehead but flat is simply not flattering. (I just don't care enough or have energy to spend trying to do it differently.) The grass always looks greener ... !

Some people look really nice with the sleek thing... others, not so much. I think I would have to have a more-feminine face to be able to pull it off, for example, so people would be more likely to assume "hair pulled back" rather than "bald or with very short hair." (And, on some people, "sleek" translates to "pretty ballerina," and on others, "severe schoolmarm" and I'm not sure how, but there it is.)



Great to hear! I have tried this, but maybe I need to persevere (I reckon my small claw clips are actually too big to bun over, so I need to remove them, and that’s often where things started going wrong...).

Do you have any advice on how to bring the twisted sections into the bun, if that makes any sense? Can they be fully incorporated or do they need to be wrapped around the base/tucked in?

I wish there were a video tutorial for this kind of method for me to check I’m on the right track. Pretty niche, though...

When I twist, I twist all the way to the back of my head, put in one of those alligator-jaw clips like hairstylists use to keep parts of your hair back, do the other side, then grab all of their hair together (because by the time I've gotten to the back of my head with twists, all of the hair has been incorporated). Sometimes I'll then put in an elastic to hold it for further manipulation (I wear my hair in a braid and almost never buns). If you were doing a bun higher than a low one, though, I would think twist as far as you need, and then use clips to hold it while you gather up the rest of your hair. I'd probably take the clips out after a couple twists of the bun hair.



These girls have some good tips (though I do not think she has a high forehead ;)
https://youtu.be/J9vThrMk19M
https://youtu.be/qcVkziNFemI

I don't think she does, either. And, I always feel like if I wear a headband down in front of my hairline, then I *really* look bald because you can't tell I have hair at all, and it gives me that sort of look of a cancer patient wearing a hat. I always prefer to wear headbands with a bit of hair at my hairline showing, to prove I have some! (even if it's flat...)

[Arciela]

I have an average sized forehead or so, and I definitely don't like that sleek pulled back look on myself as well.

What I do is high buns and I make the hair in the front loose..it helps a lot.

Also bangs like Bridget Bardot help..I got those last summer and they worked quite well with updos! Turns out though I don't like having bangs , they look nice and all but I like all my hair off my face :lol:

I think from what I've discovered when doing my updos...it's all about loosening the hair so its not to "tightly" pulled back. Like I have to make it really loose.. I won't backcomb it or anything, but I kind of gently pull it with my fingers, and with a high bun, it doesn't pull :D I hope that makes sense!

[hairconvictions]

Also struggling with this, you're not alone! :) I don't look bald because my hair colour is quite dark and my forehead isn't particularly high, but my hair looks so flat and unflattering when it's just pulled back.

My braiding skills are poor so I can't manage braid accents. I've thought for a while that twists would be my best bet, but I don't have any bobby pins and to be honest if at all possible, would prefer to do without them... I struggle with the step between preparing the twists and integrating them into a bun without them unravelling completely. I guess it's just not possible without the pins, I might have to resign myself to them.



Love her twists, so elegant! I personally don't particularly like the braided part of her updo though, it's messy and I'm not fan of all those visible pins ^^' I wonder what would be a nice bun that could replace her pinned braid.

I tried it with making three mini buns low on my head so the twists wouldn't fall out and it's still holding up (it's suppertime now). I'll try to upload a photo when I can figure out how LOL

[hairconvictions]

Depending on the bun, I can gather the hair together with the twisted section and bun without any sort of pin. If I need to hold the twisted section in place while I do sectioning or some other thing that requires letting the twist go, I use small claw clips. Sometimes I just bun right over the little claw, sometimes I take it out once I've managed to gather all the hair together to bun.

Bobby pins are not the only option!

This is so helpful! I was having the same problem. Do you use the tiny claw clips or the long ones?

[neko_kawaii]

This is so helpful! I was having the same problem. Do you use the tiny claw clips or the long ones?

I use tiny claws.

[cm006j]

My mom calls my look “too severe” lol. I like to do a coroner braid, just wrapping an English braid over the top of my head. Probably the same as a faux crown braid. I tried out the seashell bun recently and I liked that it was so big it peeked out the top but it didn’t feel very secure. https://youtu.be/LQ3GgrtY5O8

[Kat]

I might try this... not sure if it would suit me, though, and I might modify it a bit (I don't like the way it looks from the back; I'd be using it with a plain braid, not pinning the braid up, and the weird side puffiness with a little braid smashed into the middle looks odd, so I'd maybe skip the side puffs. Also, I'd need to figure out how to make it work with a center part). I've never been into the puff thing, but this is a bit different.

I tried it, but quickly realized what my problem is... yes, you could tell I had hair, but you usually can, anyway. But, I still looked like I had very *short* hair. Which still doesn't suit me. I guess I'm just going to have to live with it, because I'm not going around all the time with my hair down.

[spirals]

eresh, such gorgeous styles!
As for me, I tend to keep bangs that are just past chin and I start from there and angle the perimeter down on the sides into a deep U-shaped hem. Well, you can see from my sig pic which is a bit more V-shaped than my hair is now. The front part of my hair will go more finger-wavey on it's own at that length. I just had to lop off a couple of inches because it had grown out and looked flat and straight. I tend to do low buns so that the top of my hair doesn't look like it's pulled back severely.