Updo round-up: 1a F iii hair, shoulderblade length

[Ursula]

As those who follow my blog may know, my latest job has been helping my friend T, who has CP, with her various life-stuff, including hair. She's growing it out, and is at around shoulderblade length.

Now, it has been years and years (decades!) since my hair has been shoulderblade length, and it has never been as straight as hers. So, when doing updos, I'm somewhat stuck for ideas.

A french twist, held with a fakeaire, works fairly well. So does one or two french or dutch braids, or two english braids. Peacock twist doesn't work - her hair is long enough that it doesn't stick up nicely. It's too thick to twist to a chignon or cinnamon roll bun yet, or figure-8, or other coiled buns.

So, we're turning to the wisdom of LHC, to see if there are any other ideas for updos.

Available toys are a fakaire, about the size of a medium maxima, hair elastics, scrunchies, and claw clips. I could bring over my hair sticks to try, if hair stick ideas seem good, although the times we've tried them so far, her hair doesn't coil enough to give anchor points for them.

Thanks in advance from T! (And me, too!)

(Sorry if this is long - I wanted to be clear on what has been tried, because I know how annoying it is to do the work to write a nicely written post of suggestions, only to find out that whomever asked for the suggestions had already tried everything you mentioned.)

[Finoriel]

Hm that´s not easy, my hair is 1a and iii too and a basic cinnamon bun with all my hair started to hold at about waste to hip length because it was too slippery and in a blunt cut.
With iii and shoulder blade length should work:
- half-up buns
- double buns
horizontal: part the hair down on the backside of the head and do 2 low cinnamons, maybe figure8s works too
vertical: two buns on top of each other, like vertical braids pinned in cinnamon shape for example, two infinity buns or I could imagine 3 small chinese buns on top of each other)
- any kind of ponytail, low with barrette or slide, high with small accent braids, braided ponytail, rope braids
- crown braid
- heidi braids
- french or dutch classic

Try to combine braids and buns, it will hold better in straight hair and if you have two braids (or more) it splits the volume and makes it possible to do buns earlier.
Hope that makes sense, it´s been a long day here ;)

[anna1850]

Gibson tuck or the Southern Tease (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_-XBalPjVg) - don't worry, no teasing the hair involved!

[birthmarkie]

sorry, I posted double.

[birthmarkie]

Instead of a peacock twist, I use a ficcare for a twist where the hair falls over the clip, into a sort of ponytail. Another one is the french braid where the end is folded under and clipped.

[Laululintu]

Double buns might work... That way there'd be less thickness to work with in each bun.

[Druid of Alba]

Maybe a braid with the front braided at the crown and the back hanging down.

[SHELIAANN1969]

Ohhhhhhh I like that Southern Tease, (even though it sounds like a fruity drink) hehe

I want to try that, I/m such an updo retard, who knows if I can manage? lol

I'm serious, all I can do is the 10 second bun, arghhhhh.

[Ursula]

Thanks for the help everyone!

Southern tease didn't work at all, but the french braid tucked under was nice, and double braids or bun (front or back) and half ups are doing well for now. We also tried hair sticks, and while the spiral ones don't work, the straight ones will hold up a plain bun or chinese bun, if it is put up wet. On dry hair, it's too slippy to hold.

I'm just amazed at how slippy straight hair can be - it's fascinating to work with another person's hair for a change.

Thanks for all the help!

[birthmarkie]

Hi Ursula. Here is another one you might be able to do. Wrap the hair around like for a cinnabun, except that you don't have to twist, so more like a regular bun. Hold in place. Get a hairstick (5 inch ketylo worked for me). Insert hairstick at the bottom of the bun and rotate up so the end will be pointing toward you as you move it up if you are the one doing her hair. Once you get to 12 o'clock, tuck the hairstick downward. I don't know if those instructions make sense, but the style ends up looking like somewhat of a french twist.

[Ella]

How about some cute braided pigtails?

[sapphire-o]

I say let her enjoy wearing it down while she can. :) I do remember there's this hairstick style that's for shorter hair only on the old board. I think you just do a simple braid, then flip it up and fold down the ends. Secure with hairsticks or pins and it looks like a cute little braided bun. I tried it when I first joined LHC and it was nice and easy.

[Ursula]

Well, she likes updos - more convenient, out of the way, etc.

Not really a matter of me "letting" her do something - PhD candidate in analytical chemestry, one of the few people I know smarter than I am, etc. I just happen to have better-working hands, and a bit of knowledge on hair.

The look she's going for is professional and intimidating, not "cute." What with the wheelchair and all, people tend to treat her like a kid for no sane reason.

[magicatt]

The look she's going for is professional and intimidating, not "cute." What with the wheelchair and all, people tend to treat her like a kid for no sane reason.

As a fellow wheelchair user I can totally understand where she's coming from.

My suggestion is what I call a woven bun (I don't know if it ever had a better name than that.) The best part of this one is that it doesn't require a lot of hair but it looks like a big and complicated bun. If you can put her hair into a ponytail, she can do this style. You split the ponytail into fourths and then weave it around the hairsticks. Because there is less thickness and four starting points, it should work and look professional at the same time.

Directions on the Loom: http://www.network54.com/Forum/242462/thread/1180607467/Don%27t+know+what+to+call+it.

And a picture of me wearing that style.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a382/magicatt/wovenbun.jpg

Another suggestion is a french rope braid. I was able to wear this at a very short length and found that it was quite impressive. I'm sure you know this, but it's the same principle as a regular french braid but you use two twisted strands.

Here's a picture of me wearing that when my hair was just past shoulder length.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a382/magicatt/ropebraid1-1.jpg

[sapphire-o]

Well when I said cute mostly I meant it's smallish. :) It would look exactly like a braided bun. I'll see if I can get a friend with shoulder-blade length hair to model it sometime. :)

[sapphire-o]

OK, I couldn't wait and talked DH into being the model. :D His hair is on the thin side of ii so your friend's bun should look much bigger. It's just a braid folded up and pinned.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n39/sapphire-o/Misc/braidbun2.jpg

[Ursula]

Well when I said cute mostly I meant it's smallish. :) It would look exactly like a braided bun. I'll see if I can get a friend with shoulder-blade length hair to model it sometime. :)

We tried the braided bun, and it looks quite nice, not "cute" in the childish sense at all! It's things like pigtails and twin braids that sometimes cause issues.


As a fellow wheelchair user I can totally understand where she's coming from.

My suggestion is what I call a woven bun (I don't know if it ever had a better name than that.) The best part of this one is that it doesn't require a lot of hair but it looks like a big and complicated bun. If you can put her hair into a ponytail, she can do this style. You split the ponytail into fourths and then weave it around the hairsticks. Because there is less thickness and four starting points, it should work and look professional at the same time.

Directions on the Loom: http://www.network54.com/Forum/242462/thread/1180607467/Don%27t+know+what+to+call+it.

And a picture of me wearing that style.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a382/magicatt/wovenbun.jpg

Another suggestion is a french rope braid. I was able to wear this at a very short length and found that it was quite impressive. I'm sure you know this, but it's the same principle as a regular french braid but you use two twisted strands.

Here's a picture of me wearing that when my hair was just past shoulder length.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a382/magicatt/ropebraid1-1.jpg

Thanks for the suggestion of the woven bun. We tried it, but unfortunately her hair just slipped right out. Perhaps in another few inches.

I haven't the coordination to manage a rope braid at all, unfortunately.


Hi Ursula. Here is another one you might be able to do. Wrap the hair around like for a cinnabun, except that you don't have to twist, so more like a regular bun. Hold in place. Get a hairstick (5 inch ketylo worked for me). Insert hairstick at the bottom of the bun and rotate up so the end will be pointing toward you as you move it up if you are the one doing her hair. Once you get to 12 o'clock, tuck the hairstick downward. I don't know if those instructions make sense, but the style ends up looking like somewhat of a french twist.

Thanks for this idea, it worked quite well, and securely. I did have to put a slight twist on the hair, or else it flopped out, but not as tight as a cinnamon bun.

[LeaM07]

Is her hair long enough to be tied in a knot? I know a couple of people with medium-length hair who have had success with tying the hair in a simple slipknot, folding it upwards, and securing it with a hairstick or clip. A knot will be more secure than a twisted bun like a cinnabun or figure-8, and will have the same ends-sticking-out effect as a peacock twist.

[magicatt]

I had a suggestion for you--not a style, but something that would help with the slippery strands. I have slippery hair too and I find that doing updos and even braids with damp (as in lightly misted with water or not completely dry after washing) is the best way to make them hold. I never can keep a style if I do it with completely dry hair.

[Shermie Girl]

One of my fave 'do's for hair at that length is my faux French twist-roll. I have worn this style for many, many years. It is very easy and can look very professional and polished for work or elegant for an affair, depending on what you use to anchor it. :)

Hair pins or a strong clip (preferably with teeth) work best for this style, sticks and forks don't hold this style well.

Have a clip or hair pins at the ready. Brush the hair into a smooth, somewhat high ponytail. Don't fasten it with a tie. Wrap the ponytail, without twisting it, around the hand or fingers, depending on length and thickness. Now, rotate the hand with the hair on it so that the finger tips are against the scalp, as if they are going to dive into the head. Gently and smoothly slide the hair off the hand (or fingers) and hold the roll of hair firmly against the head and anchor with pins or clip. The finished 'do should look like a hybrid of a French twist and an un twisted cinnabun. :)

[Ursula]

One of my fave 'do's for hair at that length is my faux French twist-roll. I have worn this style for many, many years. It is very easy and can look very professional and polished for work or elegant for an affair, depending on what you use to anchor it. :)

Hair pins or a strong clip (preferably with teeth) work best for this style, sticks and forks don't hold this style well.

Have a clip or hair pins at the ready. Brush the hair into a smooth, somewhat high ponytail. Don't fasten it with a tie. Wrap the ponytail, without twisting it, around the hand or fingers, depending on length and thickness. Now, rotate the hand with the hair on it so that the finger tips are against the scalp, as if they are going to dive into the head. Gently and smoothly slide the hair off the hand (or fingers) and hold the roll of hair firmly against the head and anchor with pins or clip. The finished 'do should look like a hybrid of a French twist and an un twisted cinnabun. :)

She tried this one this morning, so far, it is staying up nicely, with the fakeare.

Thanks!