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View Full Version : Up-Dos for people with ears that stick out



Shadow
January 19th, 2009, 10:55 AM
It's weird one to ask, but my 'wing-nut' ears have been one of the biggests reasons that I've never grown my hair out before, because all the gorgeous up-do's I would want to create would leave my ears prominently on display. They aren't disfiguringly bad, but Im still very self-consious about them. Does any one have any up-do suggestions that will keep my ears covered? :o

Magicknthenight
January 19th, 2009, 11:00 AM
ya know..i used to have the same problem. I would never wear my hair up because of my ears. but then someone said something about them being just natural. Saying we need them. and i was like..yea.i should appreciate them! So i just started wearing up-dos in my room. Then around the house...then outside. Then to school.Sometimes i look in the mirror but my thoughts about my ears only last a few seconds since i am now used to it. So maybe just starting slowly and working to get comfortable with them?

MsBubbles
January 19th, 2009, 11:14 AM
Hey you beat me to it! I was going to post something similar. Today I have a lazy English braid that is sort of lopped over my stickiest-out ear (I have one 'normal' ear and one that sticks out horribly), but I have to keep redoing the braid because it all keeps falling down. I can't pull the braid tighter because I think it tears my hair. The braid is kinda hanging over my right shoulder (i.e. most protruding ear's side).

I think I am over looking ugly though with updos, and have realized that people rarely see me head on, and probably don't notice my ears much in updos.

I have considered looking into surgery to get the one ear under control, or looking on line for stuff that would pin it back.

I too did not grow my hair long mainly because when I wear it down my ear pokes through my thin, straight hair and people have on occasion pulled my hair over it, saying 'ooh I can't stand that! Your ear is poking through your hair'.

Well, take a look at J-Lo and Kate Hudson. Their ears stick out too.

Morticia
January 19th, 2009, 11:46 AM
My ears poke out through my hair, too. My right ear, especially, and you can always see it in any of my length pictures. I got over it by decorating my ears. Sometimes, when I wear my hair down, it looks like my hair is pierced because the earrings poke out of my hair further than my ears do.

joyfulmom4
January 19th, 2009, 11:58 AM
I can't disagree with the other posters who encourage you to embrace your ears the way they are. I was never big on updos for myself for a number of reasons including my short neck. I've finally decided that my neck is the length that it is and that's the way I'm made. I will wear my hair up anyway. :-)

But at the same time, I know how hard it can be sometimes. So finding styles that you feel comfortable in and accentuate your favorite features while not drawing attention to your less favorite features is not a bad thing. I also have a flat head shape in back and a fairly angular facial structure. So I feel most comfortable and attractive in updoes that have some softness and fullness to them. That said, I have gotten to the point in life where it doesn't bother me much, so I still do wear it pulled back tightly when I don't have time to fuss with fluffing and arranging. :-) For someone with prominent ears, I would think that some soft fringe around the face and in front of the ears would soften the look. Doesn't even have to be true bangs/fringe. You could just draw out the wispies that tend to occur naturally around most people's hairline. Also, I think some volume along the sides of the head would balance things. Instead of pulled tightly straight back at the sides, make it a bit looser and messier maybe?

Good luck!

Kristine
January 19th, 2009, 01:44 PM
I got over it by decorating my ears.
Me too. I never liked my ears, but then I started to pierce them (I've got about 10 ear piercings atm) and suddenly it was fun to show them off.

SHELIAANN1969
January 19th, 2009, 02:03 PM
What I am giggling about is, all I could see was "Updo for people with ears" and not the rest of it! :rollin:

SHW
January 19th, 2009, 02:23 PM
I was going to ask the same question. Funny I had very short hair for years and got used to my ears, but I had the top kind of puffed out and/or spiked so I felt it balanced off my ears. Now that my hair is long I'm going through the whole I gotta hide my ears thing. I tried decorating. On my birthday this year I added earring hole number 3. I loved it, but in 6 months they kept getting infected and I finally had to let them close up. So much for decorating my ears.

So, I too am interested in answers to this topic.

sahiba
January 19th, 2009, 10:17 PM
Me too. I never liked my ears, but then I started to pierce them (I've got about 10 ear piercings atm) and suddenly it was fun to show them off.

:blueeek: You have ten and I can't get a third one ? Life is not fair , I'm going to kill my dh ;and here d is not for dear, guys. :flamed:

RocketDog
January 19th, 2009, 11:50 PM
my ears stick out on purpose :D

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t154/littlereptilian/2008_0615ears0038.jpg

(don't mind the zombieface)

crystal_89
January 20th, 2009, 06:08 AM
If I want to hide my ears I wear looser updos, buns, braids etc that slightly cover the top tip or rest on the top tip of my ears. My side fringe helps hide it too, or a thickish fringe that can be tucked behind ears.

sandigirl
January 20th, 2009, 07:19 AM
You could start with a ponytail where your hair covers/holds down the top half of your ear and then twist it up and around your head. You could also loosely tuck it behind your ears before you ponytail and twist up. This would hide the space between your head and back of ears. They also have this tiny ball of gummy/gluey/sticky stuff that you can just stick between your ear and head. One of my friend's kids did this for years and no one ever knew he had VERY protruding ears. I'm sure your ears are just fine and that you are adorable but I understand your concern and the question.

bjt
January 20th, 2009, 07:39 AM
I have the same problem, and I have straight hair, too. I can't just get used to them, so I hide them.
First of all, when I wear up-dos, I almost always have a little tail sticking out. I have one ear that is worse than the other, so having a little hair stick out on that side that you can see from the front helps the ear from looking so prominent.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=1852&pictureid=23986

Then, I often wear side combs--this also keeps the hair from being plastered flat against my head so my ears don't look like they are so far out from my head.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=1852&pictureid=22305

I did cut a few whispy bangs into the front and sides of my hair. my hair is always parted on the side OPPOSITE from the most sticking-out ear, so that there is more hair over that ear. and with the whispy side swept bangs, there is a bit of distraction again from that ear.

lastly, I'm learning out how to do all the up-dos in such a way that the hair on the sides is not pulled ultra tight. When I'm doing a cinnabun for example, I do the first twist/loop of the bun, and then I slide a couple of fingers under the hair on the sides and pull it out a little. then I finish the rest of the cinnabun. doing this keeps the hair on the sides from being plastered down flat (without sticking out or being too poofy) and so my ears don't look like they stick out very far. also, sometimes I can get the hair to sweep over one ear before going up in the updo, which helps too.

hope this helps.

Honestwitness
April 6th, 2009, 08:55 PM
I have a similar problem. My ears don't stick out, but they're gargantuan. (You can see them in my album "My Very First Updo."). You all have such petite and lovely ears, but my ear lobes hang down really long and look huge. I also have a short neck so the ears look way out of proportion. AND I'm allergic to metal, so I can't wear jewelry.

So, in order to start utilizing updos, I will have to learn how to distract attention from them, cover them with hanging-down hair, camouflage them, or embrace them the way they are.

One idea that came to me is to think of my large earlobes as blank canvasses. Does anyone know where I can find some little peel, off-stick on tattos? I don't want anything permanent.

marialena
April 6th, 2009, 09:09 PM
Hey girls.. You are not just an ear ( or ears ). And you are not just noses, or eyes of any other kind of facial feature.
FIRST OF ALL YOU ARE PERSONS, with their beautiful and not so beautiful features, but still persons who have to be loved for that they are and not for that fashions order.
( and if the fashion change and is in fashion the big ears what are you going to do.. some plastic surgery in order to make them bigger?? )
Love yourself for what it is!

MsBubbles
April 6th, 2009, 10:19 PM
They also have this tiny ball of gummy/gluey/sticky stuff that you can just stick between your ear and head. One of my friend's kids did this for years and no one ever knew he had VERY protruding ears.

See now this is what I need!! I tried looking for something like this online - does anybody know the name of this stuff? I am otherwise seriously considering surgery. I know it's just a body part but my ears stick out through my hair when it's down too, ALL the time and it gets really old.

A lot of these ideas posted here are great if you have thick and/or wavy hair. But if you've got sticky out ears and flat, thin straight hair, nothing short of back combing and hairspraying will stop them from poking through! (No, I don't do that any more). :o

Stevy
April 7th, 2009, 07:10 AM
I've just got used to my ears sticking through my hair. Someone asked me whether I'd had surgery to get Lord of the Rings 'elf ears' once. :)

longhairedfairy
April 7th, 2009, 07:18 AM
:blueeek: You have ten and I can't get a third one ? Life is not fair , I'm going to kill my dh ;and here d is not for dear, guys. :flamed:

LMAO! :laugh:

longhairedfairy
April 7th, 2009, 07:21 AM
Maybe you could sort of twist the sides (of your hair, not your ears :D) and then pull it back into a ponytail. That could make the sides of your hair stick out a little more.

aries
April 7th, 2009, 07:28 AM
I would try loose braids and updo's that come down over the top of my ears and tighten that area just enough to pull the ear in if you can't get comfortable with your ears showing. There are plenty of hairstyles you can do that keep the sides low over the ears but pulled in just that right amount. Hope that helped a little.

earthdancer
April 7th, 2009, 08:10 AM
My glasses make my ears stick out, and since my hair is very fine and mostly straight, covering my ears is not an option. There just isn't enough hair to do the job. To solve the problem, I make sure that my hair is not pulled back too tightly. Hair combs, as someone else suggested, also help to provide lift to the hair behind you ears. If I put my hair in a ponytail, I use my fingers to push forward on the sides of my head to loosen the hair from the elastic band a little. Also, head bands can be a real help if you like them; the band itself creates some bulk behind your ears and also lets you create the little poof in your hair. I also bought a fabric head band at Claire's Boutique. It has elastic at the bottom of it so that I can wear it over the tips of my ears or just behind--I love it!

Here are some sites with the kind of fabric head band I'm talking about:
http://marketplaceadvisor.channeladvisor.com/storefrontprofiles/processfeed.aspx?sfid=38450&i=243065557&mpid=751&dfid=1
http://serenitycrystals.com/Head-Band-Multi-Dots-Seafoam-with/M/B000QV1X6I.htm?traffic_src=froogle&utm_medium=organic&utm_source=froogle

GlassEyes
April 7th, 2009, 09:15 AM
You could always do lower, looser stuff with hair covering the ears if you're self-conscious.

vampodrama
April 7th, 2009, 09:22 AM
you could also sort of... use your hair to tape your ears to your head. as in, take like 2 inch wide strands of hair, pull them over the tops of your ears when you make an updo....

I saw this on a competitive dancer who used to perform on our local version of Dancing With The Stars - she has her ears sticking out, so when she had a tight bunned updo, strands of hair were pulled over her ears. but then again, dancers use hair products by metric ton, so this strategy might not work so well for us common people...

enfys
April 7th, 2009, 11:56 AM
My ears poke out through my hair, too. My right ear, especially, and you can always see it in any of my length pictures. I got over it by decorating my ears. Sometimes, when I wear my hair down, it looks like my hair is pierced because the earrings poke out of my hair further than my ears do.

Yup. Even normal pretty dangly earrings went some way towards remedying, by making a distraction.

Pulling my hair over my ears never worked, because the shape of them, straining to pop back out, wasn't a better look for me!

It's another reason why I rarely wear my hair down. I think ears poking through my hair looks worse than an up do pulling my hair away from them.

Combs help too, or anthong creating a little puffy bit on the sides.

David's Bride
April 7th, 2009, 02:53 PM
I also have this problem. Not only do my ears stick out, they're huge and I wear in-the-ear hearing aids! I am very self-conscious of this unfortunately (I wish I wasn't). I find making my hair look thicker by setting it with curlers and using my sugar water hairspray works great. Doing this makes my hair look twice as full and my ears don't stick out nearly as much. I would also be incredibly interested in that glue stuff that someone posted to keep my ears in check. Also, I just ordered that bumpit thing which I believe will help this problem as well.

As far as wearing it up, I tend to cover the top of my ears with the hair as other posters mentioned. It definitely distracts from the size of the ear doing this, but I must admit that I usually wear my hair down to hide my awful ears.

I hope this helps.

Tina

joyellen
April 7th, 2009, 03:02 PM
I feel self conscious about my ears as well. Usually I just put my hair up without trying to hide them and hope that other people aren't concentrating on them too hard :)

pointydog
April 7th, 2009, 03:47 PM
Y'know, ears are soft tissue...if they really bother you, you can wear a stretchy headband over them when you sleep. In a few weeks you'll see a difference. You can't make them completely flat (nor would you want to), but you can make them stick out less :-)

bjt
June 15th, 2009, 06:56 AM
I went to the hairdresser recently for a small trim and she did this cool hair style that worked great to cover my ears (when looking at me from the front!)
she tied my hair in a knot (basically any bun will do here) but before that she took out the shocks of hair that hang in front of my ears. after she did the bun with what is left, she used bobby pins to pin up that hair in twists & curls on the sides of my head, and then pinned what was left over and around the bun. It was really beautiful. I've since done this technique a lot, using not only pins but little mini-maximas (ficcarre) and other little clips and it looks so great.
I took a pic of what the hair dresser did--you can just see the piece on the right side that is twisted & pinned:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=1852&pictureid=41848

Heavenly Locks
June 15th, 2009, 07:43 AM
;) Just make sure that your updos are so amazing that no one can pull their eyes off them to notice your ears. :)

:flower:

In all honesty, most people don't ever notice the stuff that we look at negatively about ourselves. My husband and I had a talk about this. I was VERY upset about a pimple that I got, it was right next to my nose...it was huge and ugly and RED!

Then he asked me, "When is the last time I had a pimple?" And I couldn't answer...He told me "I had a big one right on my forehead last week...and you never noticed it...and you LIVE with me!" Everyone gets pimples or whatever, it's normal.

We examine ourselves in great detail and often overlook things that are glaringly WONDERFUL about ourselves. That great big wonderful always outshines one small blemish. You are beautiful and that's what people will notice.

wackyredtangles
June 15th, 2009, 07:55 AM
My ears stick out some, and I think its cute. I have this picture from a few years ago of my hair down, worn very wurly (it was wurlier when it was shorter), and it tucked behind my ears. I'm sticking out my tongue and look impish. Its the 'imperfections' that make us beautiful.

This is kind of funny. I was reading some of the little house on the prairie books over the last few days, and there's a story in there about how one day when Ma was a girl she went to school without having her ears covered by her hair and the teacher brought her up and shamed her in front of the school for being so immodest.

I guess if you really want to cover them I'd suggest doing a side part, away from your sticky out ear. Then comb down in front of the ears so you have your part and a line going perpendicular to that. Keep those from the rest of the updo. Do your bun or whatever, and take those pieces down and sort of wrap them around your head making sure you get your ears.

ElenTikvah
June 15th, 2009, 08:18 AM
Well, I can definitely relate to the big, sticky-out ears problem...and fine, thin hair to boot!

As a child, I was routinely called Dumbo, because of my ears...kids can be cruel. My hair has always been very fine, and subsequently, I wore perms until my 20's. Then, I decided to just wear my hair the way that I wanted...

I can't wear styles that actually cover my ears (I wish I could) because my ears will poke through; but I second the suggestions of using side-combs and twists of hair to increase the horizontal volume while in updos. Also, in the beginning, I used scarves and bandanas to cover my ears while I was getting used to pulling my hair back.

Nowadays, I just wear my hair the way that I enjoy...I've gotta a second piercing in my ears (which is really OUT THERE for me) and I'm loving it. I love my hair up, and no one evens mentions my ears anymore...

~Tik

Leneveu
June 15th, 2009, 08:58 AM
Y'know, ears are soft tissue...if they really bother you, you can wear a stretchy headband over them when you sleep. In a few weeks you'll see a difference. You can't make them completely flat (nor would you want to), but you can make them stick out less :-)

Intriguing!

I'm "elf-eared" too... I wear my hair up most of the time, though, and try not to see it as too negative a trait :) Oh, and as for ears poking through the hair when it's worn down, I don't personally find that unattractive.

eresh
June 15th, 2009, 09:31 AM
Something like this perhaps? (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=38&pictureid=40660)
I put the braids over the top of my ears.
I don't really pay attention to my ears, it's my nose that bugs me ;)
(and others appearantly...)
I guess everyone has their own body-issues to deal with.

MsBubbles
June 15th, 2009, 09:31 AM
Y'know, ears are soft tissue...if they really bother you, you can wear a stretchy headband over them when you sleep. In a few weeks you'll see a difference. You can't make them completely flat (nor would you want to), but you can make them stick out less :-)


Ha Ha Ha!! That's really funny. Do you have proof from someone that this works?! If you stop doing it will they stick back out again? I tried this when I was younger. Nope. My ears are gonna do whatever they're gonna do. I looked into otoplasty recently but decided I'd rather save my $2,500 per ear at this point in my financial status.


;) Just make sure that your updos are so amazing that no one can pull their eyes off them to notice your ears. :)
In all honesty, most people don't ever notice the stuff that we look at negatively about ourselves. My husband and I had a talk about this. I was VERY upset about a pimple that I got, it was right next to my nose...it was huge and ugly and RED!
Then he asked me, "When is the last time I had a pimple?" And I couldn't answer...He told me "I had a big one right on my forehead last week...and you never noticed it...and you LIVE with me!" Everyone gets pimples or whatever, it's normal.
We examine ourselves in great detail and often overlook things that are glaringly WONDERFUL about ourselves. That great big wonderful always outshines one small blemish. You are beautiful and that's what people will notice.

Pimples go away. My sticky out ears, however, will not go away unless I get surgery. And my hair is never going to suddenly become thick and curly, it will always be straight and fine. Updos are ok ears-wise - I'd just like to wear my hair down and NOT have my ear poke through my hair any more. It'd be easier to just say 'oh well I love myself the way I am, sticky out ears and all' if other people wouldn't point out that my ears are poking through my hair and would I mind if they just covered my ear back up again because they 'can't stand it'!!

Rant over. Not mad at you guys, just sensitive from years of badgering by other people since childhood!

eadwine
June 15th, 2009, 09:33 AM
I also have this problem. Not only do my ears stick out, they're huge and I wear in-the-ear hearing aids! I am very self-conscious of this unfortunately (I wish I wasn't).
I wear behind the ear aids, makes the ears stand out more as well. However.. I have learned by now to not give a dbleepn. ;)


Usually the problem is in the own head and that can be dealt with. It takes time though, trust me on that. :rolleyes: :)


Oh and as for the people so nice pointing them out.. they can be dealt with too.. but unfortunately that is kinda illegal *snicker* ;)

eresh
June 15th, 2009, 09:36 AM
Oh and as for the people so nice pointing them out.. they can be dealt with too.. but unfortunately that is kinda illegal *snicker* ;)


Urgh yea...It's nice dreaming about it sometimes though *revenge* :mad:

Renbirde
June 15th, 2009, 09:50 AM
See now this is what I need!! I tried looking for something like this online - does anybody know the name of this stuff? I am otherwise seriously considering surgery. I know it's just a body part but my ears stick out through my hair when it's down too, ALL the time and it gets really old.
The stuff that's used in the theatre to attach prosthetics is called 'spirit gum.' I've never used it myself, so I don't know how strong it is for sure, but I've read things that suggest it should work. (It can hold hobbit feet on all day, for starters ;)) It's fairly affordable, but don't forget to buy remover as well-- you can really hurt yourself if you just try to pull the gum off!

GoddesJourney
June 15th, 2009, 09:52 AM
I was going to ask the same question. Funny I had very short hair for years and got used to my ears, but I had the top kind of puffed out and/or spiked so I felt it balanced off my ears. Now that my hair is long I'm going through the whole I gotta hide my ears thing. I tried decorating. On my birthday this year I added earring hole number 3. I loved it, but in 6 months they kept getting infected and I finally had to let them close up. So much for decorating my ears.

So, I too am interested in answers to this topic.

Just an informational post for those who have trouble with the healing process when getting pierced. First, if you get your ears pierced at a little girly store with a piercing gun like I do, just smile and nod at all the advice they give you, throw away the bottle of antiseptic and take my advice.:cheese:

You will need three things to make this all work out. The first thing you need is a bottle of liquid, Dial soap (no perfumes). You will also need a food grade oil that you have no sensitivity to. I used coconut oil for my last one, grape seed for another, whatever. The last and very important thing is a small captive bead ring (20 guage is about as thin as the ones they pierced your ears with).

Take the earring out. Use a little oil on the end of the captive bead ring and insert it through the hole. This will take you a little while and may be sensitive. Tip, it's often easier to do back to front for some reason. Be careful not to force it too hard. If you line it up, it should go through pretty well. Also, don't lose the bead down the bathroom sink.

Once it's inserted, close the ring with the bead. Now, cleaning will be easy. Do it in the shower when it's already soft. Take a drop or two of the Dial soap and put it on both sides of your ear and the ring. Pull the ring back and forth through your ear a few times and then rinse it the same way. Make sure you clean off any little "crusties" that form on the ring. Oil the ring and your ear the same way when you get out of the shower. It will heal in half the time.

Why the ring? Well, a small ring will not catch on anything, ever. I used to use them for grappling. Not recommended but it worked. Also, they make it so you can clean the new hole. The little studs they pierce you with are sharp on the back so they get uncomfortable. Also, they can't really be cleaned because there's no space to pull the bar through. In my experience, the little backing catches my hair also.

Why the Dial soap? The professional piercers in my area always recommend it. It works. TIP: Do not over wash. Just once a day in the shower and maybe another time if it gets dirty or if it stings (infected).

Why the oil? I discovered this when I got my cartilage pierced the first time. Your body is trying to form a new layer of "outer skin" on the inside where the ring is. The problem is that the body is producing puss with it that sticks to the ring if it gets the chance. Every time you touch it or try to turn it, it will catch and tear at the newly formed cells possibly forming scar tissue and definately making it uncomfortable and take WAY longer to heal. The longer it takes to heal, the more likely it is to get infected, etc. etc. A little lubrication fixes this problem.

This worked for me. It worked for two or three of my friends who love earrings but weren't interested in getting their ears pierced because it might get uncomfortable or infected. It also worked for a couple of guys I knew who pierced their eyebrows and wanted it to heal quickly so they could change the jewelry.

I hope this works for you all who want to decorate your ears and are having problems with it.:D

MsBubbles
June 15th, 2009, 11:20 AM
The stuff that's used in the theatre to attach prosthetics is called 'spirit gum.' I've never used it myself, so I don't know how strong it is for sure, but I've read things that suggest it should work. (It can hold hobbit feet on all day, for starters ;)) It's fairly affordable, but don't forget to buy remover as well-- you can really hurt yourself if you just try to pull the gum off!

OMG I'm gonna try this. Knowing my luck and allergies though I won't get all excited until I know I can use it and it works!!

Thanks for letting me know! If all else fails I can always wear hobbit feet, then people'll either stop telling me my ears are sticking through my hair, or they'll think it's normal. :D

rhysiana
June 15th, 2009, 11:35 AM
Alas, my hair is too fine for me to ever have figured out how to get any body up at the front, but if people are looking for ear decor that doesn't require piercing, I love ear cuffs (http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5191879&section_id=5114884). I Etsy-stalk that site, trying to justify buying more by thinking of outfits they'd match...

theshadowpuppet
June 15th, 2009, 11:40 AM
I think prominent ears are cute.

They display piercings more, too. My ears are very flat to my head and barely show except from the side.

Renbirde
June 15th, 2009, 01:10 PM
OMG I'm gonna try this. Knowing my luck and allergies though I won't get all excited until I know I can use it and it works!!
Yep, check for allergies. Reactions to resin are rare, but it happens. Best of luck!