something different?

[Katze]

Have any of you ever had the desire to do something different with your hair? I feel like I have the same look, no matter what i do: messy, partially wavy, frizzy hair. I can sleek it back with oil and lots of brushing, but then I have to wear my hair like that until I wash it again, and can't wear it down. Coronet braids are fun, but I'd like to add more "unusual" 'dos to my repertoire.

What I'd like to do is be able to get bigger hair, more of a retro-punk kind of look (within reason, at my age) - playing on its messiness, finding some way to "tease" it up and out without damaging it. Headbands with something "big" in the back? But how to secure hair and make it stay? I've lost my hair rat, so that's out.

The other day we went out for a drink and there was a woman sitting at the next table whose "look" exemplified how I'd like to look, at least part of the time - she was tall, lean, with a long neck, small head, sharp features and a prominent nose, big eyes, and maroon-dyed hair in an eccentric, skull-hugging shag bob thing with straight bangs. Basically, the opposite of me, no matter what, and honestly, I DON'T want to walk around that punk/goth 24/7, but being able to rock that look once in a while would be fun. In my 20s I had no fear of doing the vampiric, cleavage everyday, teased dyed hair thing, but now I don't want to dye, spray, tease my hair up all the time - still, being a bit edgier once in a while would be fun.

Does anyone have any style ideas for my almost-BSL, messy hair, or suggestions for being able to play with my hair and create some really "different" looks? Things that might be a bit edgy, eccentric, but still appropriate for a 35 year old? ;)

thanks

Katze

[jel]

A wig?

Pin-curls, maybe helped with aloe or styling gel, then fingercombed and pinned at the nape? Alternatively, scrunched with a little wax at the ends? Another alternative, pinning them up in a vintage look?

Starting 4-5 French or Dutch braids at the front hairline, braiding to the crown then leaving the rest loose?

Have you got any pic you can post of styles you admire, so more imaginative and skilled people can chip in? For me, you desire to play up the messiness doesn't agree with a skull hugging bob with a straight fringe you describe. But it's because I have very bad style visualisation skills!

[Katze]

uh, maybe I wasn't so clear. The woman I saw didn't have a 'do that I can do with my hair, no, that's true. And she can only do the one thing with hers. :D But something a bit weirder, wilder, MUST be possible with BSL-tapering-to-APL, dark blonde, naturally messy hair...?

I'm wondering about how to get some of these 'dos:

http://curellasays.wordpress.com/2007/12/08/chanel-paris-londres-maison-dart-show/

without the alien-head looking thing in the back - more of an all around big/messy than a false back? I have one student who has a false back to her hair - I have no idea what this is called - and from the side it looks REALLY WEIRD. At my age, this might be too much but I kind of like the overall look.

jel - thanks for the idea of Pincurls...yeah! I need to spend the time learning them and making them work. That might be an idea. Braids left loose, nah, not with my thin hair...but you've got it.

Just feeling bored with my hair/look and the desire to dress up a bit and take advantage of my hair's natural messiness. In my heart, I am still the same white-makeuped kid I was at 21, and sometimes she wants to come out!

[icydove]

If I want bigger hair, the easiest thing is to flip my head over and scrunch or fluff it out.

One way to try to get a similar look as in the picture is to pull your hair back in a half-up near the middle to front of your head, then twist your hair at the point your would secure it, hold the twist and push it forward before securing it. After you secure it, you can try to poof your hair some more by gently fingercombing it up toward the ceiling. That probably made no sense at all :rolleyes:, but that is how we got big hair (minus the teasing) in elementary school in the 80s :lol: I still use the twist trick to secure half-ups because it is more secure.

[minkstole]

An Amy Winehouse look (hair only!) would seem wild but still somewhat grown up, seeing as it is a punkyfied 50-ies look. Plus you get to keep your length - no shaving required!

[mommy101405]

To get those looks on the site you need to tease your crown and then smooth some hair over it so you dont see the teased part. I love those styles too. You're prob going to need to flat iron the rest to really emphasis the crown. The only thing is they are prob quite damaging. Its prob a matter of whether or not you want to do that to your hair. That being said I do on occasion flat iron and things like that. I'm trying to less and less to keep it growing. But I feel like if I cant have fun with my hair what's the point.

Also, I just tried pillow rollers last night and Holy Curls Batman. I have MAJOR curl this morning. I'm planning on putting on a thick headband and letting the curls be wild and funky.

Good luck and I hope you can find some styles that you like!

[suicides_eve]

when i do all my "styles" i simply have a fake pony or clip in hair piece that i teased the crap out of, then put in on my natural hair and blend in, that way i save my hair from severe damage and it only cost me a few bucks.
and cheapo will work because the natural hair is set over it so no one really sees it. I know some have a tendency to look like Barbie hair

[mommy101405]

when i do all my "styles" i simply have a fake pony or clip in hair piece that i teased the crap out of, then put in on my natural hair and blend in, that way i save my hair from severe damage and it only cost me a few bucks.
and cheapo will work because the natural hair is set over it so no one really sees it. I know some have a tendency to look like Barbie hair

Good idea! I'll have to remember that!

[Katze]

suicides_eve, that's a great idea! I love your avatar pic, would love to be able to put something like that on for a day or so (and had hair a similar color...once upon a time lol)but then go back to "normal." Maybe some dark teal or jade colored hairpieces, hmmm....

We're going to a pro-Tibet rally in a bit and I think I am going to play with some poofed up half-ups - thanks icydove! I wasn't that skilled in my goth days - just ratted and sprayed, and never really had "big" hair before.

Will try to get pics...:D

[Jason]

I don't have a suggestion but just encouragement to not let age overly affect your choices. Just have fun and wear your hair how you want to!

I'm sure people look at me and think a 36 year old man shouldn't be wearing his hair this long or in some of the styles I've worn out.

[spidermom]

The long-hair at the bank had an interesting style last week. She had gathered her hair high and twisted it down into coils, which she pinned to her scalp with long bobby pins in a spiraling circle - it reminded me of flower petals opening. Then she fanned the ends out at the top and sprayed them. It looked really cool and as soon as I remember to pick up some of those long bobby pins, I'm going to try it.