Lovely hairstyle! And a quick question.

[rose_in_bloom]

I just discovered this hair style http://www.hairstyles-teacher.com/elegant-updo.html and I tried it on myself, and it looks awesome! Especially on day-old hair that is much easier to work with. It's a perfect style for my APL hair, and it would probably work on slightly shorter lengths, as well as longer ones. It's very comfortable too. I'll try to come up with a picture of it on my hair.

Side note: I did this style without any bobby pins at all, and it worked great! I just used a little claw clip to secure the ends at the bottom underneath the hair. (Um...I hope that was a coherent sentence. It's late! :o)

And the question is: Is this style harmful for hair? I was trying to be really gentle with tying the knots etc, but I wanted to get all your expert opinions before I start wearing it on a regular basis. :)

[Natalia]

Wow i dont have an answer as to regular wear but the style is BEAUTIFUL. I added it to my favorites to try someday :)

[manderly]

Wow! That is simply gorgeous! I'm definitely going to have to try it :D

[Pegasus Marsters]

Doesn't look even remotely harmful to me, but its so pretty! Go for it. :)

[serious]

I am not an expert, so I can t tell whether it is harmful or not, but I really like this style!

My hair is heavily layered so maybe it won t work for me, but I have to try it.

Thanks for sharing!

[Heavenly Locks]

I would be careful with the knotting, since you're rubbing some of the hairs against each other, the wrong way (against the lay of the cuticle) but for once in a while I bet it's fine. Thanks for sharing the style! It looks a little like a french braid. :)

[Flynn]

I would be careful with the knotting, since you're rubbing some of the hairs against each other, the wrong way (against the lay of the cuticle) but for once in a while I bet it's fine. Thanks for sharing the style! It looks a little like a french braid. :)

A question about that: if the hair slides very smoothly past itself when you do that (to the point that, even on day old hair, I'm having an awful lot of trouble getting it to stay!) is it still particularly bad? My "old" hair (before I chopped it all off a few years ago) always felt like it was sort of scraping past itself, even at braiding angle, but now, not so much. This is something I'd like to try to wear (if I can get it to stop slipping and just work!) on a fairly regular basis...

[enfys]

I'd be more worried about where it says "pull tight". Don't pull it tight, just tight enough to not look baggy.

Done loosely I don't think it would be a very damaging hair style, but I agree that maybe it's best not to wear it too regularly.

[MemSahib]

You did this on yourself? It's beautiful, but I can imagine having a lot of trouble with my long, slippery stuff. Do post a nice, close picture of it if you can, rose in bloom, and thank you for the link!

[Juanita]

Nice style. I don't think it would be too damaging if not pulled too tight.

[KajiKodomo]

It's beautiful! I don't think it would be too damaging... :D

[Suldrun]

Thanks. This looks very pretty. My hair is longer but I think I will try this anyway.

Please post a picture when you can.

[starshinedarkly]

I tried this very quickly (and sloppily). It doesn't look like the picture at all because I think my hair is too curly, short and layered but it didn't look terrible considering I literally never do anything with my hair except leave it down (bad, I know, but its too short right now for most things). Anyway, it was kind of a messy, frizzy version but it was very easy (I didn't need hair pins to put it up, only to pin down the crazy curly bits) and I think if I had spent more time it might have actually looked half decent, but its great that even people with barely shoulder length, layered hair like me can do it. And here is a picture anyway:

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h320/starrxlite/random239.jpg

[GlassEyes]

Remember Star, that's barely shoulder length with CURLS. Which probably means your hair would be APL pulled straight, which is what updos do.

It also looks nice with all the curls. Pretty romantic-period in my opinion.

Also, your hair is SIMILAR to mine (though looser) AND of a similar length...which means I MAY be able to try this...nah. It might be elegant on a girl, but it looks too much like a prom updo thing for me to try.

...though maybe once...

[MsBubbles]

Looks like she has one of those bump-its in her hair in the profile shot at the end of the instructions, either that or she has thick hair that poofs up a bit in updo's. Mine doesn't and it would probably pull flat against my skull unless I used a bump-it or back-combed (neither!).

[Silver Strands]

Very pretty!
You could use aloe gel to prevent friction and to help hold it in place.

[melrose1985]

That's really pretty!! thanks for sharing.

[rose_in_bloom]

Starshinedarkly, that style looks so nice on you! Thanks for sharing the pic.

Silver Strands, thanks for the aloe gel suggestion -- I hadn't thought of that, and will try it next time I do the style.

[az_sweetie01]

Now THAT is something I could do! Thank you for posting this :)

Also, I don't think it could be too bad if you're careful not to pull too tight, in my humble opinion.

[hennared]

That's really nice. But... while I think it isn't damaging to *wear*, I would be worried, on me, with damage occurring trying to undo it! How did that go for you, taking it down out of the 'knots'?

[serious]

This is how mine turned out:
http://hotimg25.fotki.com/a/89_216/128_129/elegantupdo-vi.jpg (http://hotimg25.fotki.com/p/a/89_216/128_129/elegantupdo-vi.jpg)

It was easy to make and I really love it!

[practikalmagik]

My take on the hairdo (plus an excuse to show off my pretty henna):

http://i43.tinypic.com/qs4adx.jpg

This is just the back of my head with the bottom tied off so you can see the braidy bit well.


http://i43.tinypic.com/2yl670k.jpg

This is further down to show how I had tied it off.

http://i39.tinypic.com/2hx2irl.jpg

My personal favourite, i didnt like the little loop thing so I bunned the bottom with a hairband that had a pretty flower.

So yeah. That's my attempt at it. No brushing, loosely done and no hair pins. It took like 2 mins to do, and I think it looks really good.

[Spike]

As far as damaging goes, I really can't imagine it would be significantly harder on your hair than braiding. You're taking large chunks of hair and crossing them in both instances; the cross to tie the knot is not necessarily tighter than the crossing of the strands.

Undoing the knots would be no problem on my slippery hair--I can't get it to stay in an overhand knot, never mind a tie like this. A few inches more and I'll be able to try it out.

And practikalmagik?? Your henna is indeed lovely, and the style looks good on you. Especially like your hairtie at the bottom.

[mariika]

wow! I love it! My hair does not look as beautiful in it though :( Check this:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=6486&pictureid=86325?h=350
but this is still a very sophisticated and interesting updo that feels very comfortable and I do not need pins for that one actually. Well, I do need to pin the bottom of it but I do not pin any of the loops - my hair just stays there. I often take my whole hair (as if I was doing a ponytail) and just knot it couple times and it stays there pretty well, so this style is just a fancy extension of that, thanks for posting the link!!

Oh, you asked if we think it's harmful. IT'S NOT - in my opinion. Cause they are just knots of huge bunches of hair! You have to use hair-friendly pins though, cause if you don't pin can damage your hair.

[Spike]

It doesn't look like the picture at all because I think my hair is too curly, short and layered but it didn't look terrible considering I literally never do anything with my hair except leave it down (bad, I know, but its too short right now for most things). Anyway, it was kind of a messy, frizzy version but it was very easy (I didn't need hair pins to put it up, only to pin down the crazy curly bits) and I think if I had spent more time it might have actually looked half decent, but its great that even people with barely shoulder length, layered hair like me can do it. And here is a picture anyway:




http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h320/starrxlite/random239.jpg



< cough > Respectfully disagree, starshinedarkly. Looks great from where I sit--it just doesn't look like it was done with type 1 stick straight hair.

The curls hanging off look awesome--like little regency ringlets that you purposely rolled, and I think your curls' texture contributes to visual thickness and body.

Very very nice!!

[BrightEyes7]

This is such a cute style... now I know what I'm going to do tonight while DBF is working!!! :D

[angelfell]

My goodness, I actually UNDERSTOOD how to do that. Usually, I'm confused by the second step, but I actually get this one! Sweet! I might try it :)

[ddiana1979]

That's a gorgeous updo. I fear my hair is far to slick to stay tied in knots though. :(

[bluesnowflake]

Very pretty! I'm going to have to try this one. One question- was it difficult to get the ends to roll up underneath at the end? The one time I tried doing a roll like that, I rolled all my hair up instead of under and it became a big poufy mess.

[Roscata]

How beautiful.

[mariika]

my attempt #2 - actually went out with it and spend the whole day wearing it - proved to be a very secure hairstyle!!
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=6486&pictureid=86418

One question- was it difficult to get the ends to roll up underneath at the end?
not at all, I used three bobby pins and that was more than enough. But this depends on your hairtype I guess.

[FrannyG]

I've worn this hairstyle and variations of it in the past, but I have no photos. It doesn't seem to be any more damaging than French braiding. When you "tie" the hair, think of it more as folding the hair.

To everyone who has posted pictures, all of your photos are gorgeous. I love the way this style looks different on every different hair type, or if you change up the technique.

[slz]

I'd try it, but any idea what to do with the remaining length ? I'm afraid I won't be able to hide it underneath. And just plain braidind would be boring ... maybe knots down to the end ? not sure it'd be nice though. I'll have to try.

[HintOfMint]

I would be careful with the knotting, since you're rubbing some of the hairs against each other, the wrong way (against the lay of the cuticle) but for once in a while I bet it's fine. Thanks for sharing the style! It looks a little like a french braid. :)

It doesn't seem any worse than doing a tight braid.

Gorgeous style and bookmarking as I speak (type).

[UrbanEast]

This is gorgeous, but it won't hold on me--despite the fact that I pinned the knots in place.

Could someone do a video tutorial on this that would show us how to bobby pin these knots securely? Pretty please? :)

[kitten1986]

This is gorgeous, but it won't hold on me--despite the fact that I pinned the knots in place.

Could someone do a video tutorial on this that would show us how to bobby pin these knots securely? Pretty please? :)

have you tried using two pins and criss crossing them in an X shape at the base of each knot? that is the most secure for me :D

[Angeletti]

I just wanted to throw it out there that you can wear this style as a half up do as well. I didn't really like it on myself completely up so I thought I'd leave half my hair down, it's kind of messy but you can still get an idea.

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a203/genazollner/h.jpg

[Jessica Trapp]

OOOOOOOOh! I wanna try that one.

[Marjolein]

It's very pretty, but I need tons of hairpins to prevent the knots from eehm, well unknotting?? I just tried it on semi-wet post-shower hair and even then I had to pull really tight in order for it to stay somewhat put. The curse of slippery hair I'm afraid.

[mariika]

Could someone do a video tutorial on this that would show us how to bobby pin these knots securely?
I could do a tutorial but I don't need pins so that wouldn't be helpful for you...

I'd try it, but any idea what to do with the remaining length ? I'm afraid I won't be able to hide it underneath. And just plain braidind would be boring ... maybe knots down to the end ? not sure it'd be nice though. I'll have to try.
You could knot it till the end. I used to knot my ponytail like that. lots of knots though as your hair is very long

[Jessica Trapp]

I tried this one this morning. It's a little messy and not quite sure what to do with the ends (I kinda just tucked them under and pinned them down.)

My husband really liked it. :love:

[Jessica Trapp]

I just took mine down and YOUCH it was a little tangled. Anyone else have that issue with this updo?