PDA

View Full Version : is something wrong with the shape of my head???!



piratejenny23
December 16th, 2009, 08:01 PM
i can NOT get scarves, bandannas, or even headbands to stay on my head. they all slowly slip towards the back of my head and pop right off!!!

i KNOW not everyone has to re-do their scarves every half hour...i've hung out all day with people wearing bandannas, etc, and they don't mess with them :(

the scullcap kinda works, but is not big enough to go over a bun. and i am NOT a hat person. i have a ginormous head; hats never fit me! snoods might work but i have pretty scarves that i would like to use sometime!

i cook at work and i would like to--sometimes, please, just sometimes--not smell like onions; keeping my hair covered helps to keep the cooking odors out. oh, and keeping my stray hairs out of strangers' food is apparently not looked down upon.

i have tried holding them on with barrettes & bobby pins; i have tried bunning or braiding my hair under the scarf so it had something to hold on to. staples? should i try staples?

does anyone else have this problem?

Gvnagitlvgei
December 16th, 2009, 08:05 PM
My scarves always end up under the covers, on the floor, down my shirt...someplace other than on my head all night. Maybe I toss and turn violently. But I know that I cannot wear most hats because my head is shaped funny and that my scarves do not stay on unless I tie them so tightly, I lose consciousness lol.

ArienEllariel
December 16th, 2009, 08:06 PM
I bought one of those stretchy round headbands and had the same problem! It just refuses to stay on my head... I mean, what, is my head too round??

rags
December 16th, 2009, 08:08 PM
Well, I've always blamed this on my fine, slippery hair, but you don't have fine hair. Hmmm.......
I'm about ready to go the staple route myself, so no help, but I'll be watching this thread in case a Scarf Guru comes along to let us in on the secret!

Copasetic
December 16th, 2009, 08:09 PM
I totally have the same problem. Elastic headbands slip off, and hard ones just don't fit right. There is always a weird gap between the headband and my head. I have given up on them. The only thing that kind of stays on my head is a scarf tied like this:

http://cdn-write.demandstudios.com/upload//0000/100/40/8/10148.jpg

piratejenny23
December 16th, 2009, 08:11 PM
oh wait...i need to get a "buff"! or seven!!!

http://www.buffwear.com/pages/technical/ways-to-wear.php

ETA: Copasetic, do you know of a tutorial video or instructions for this style? it looks like it would work for me in the kitchen.

there's also this:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=126
i dunno, to me it kinda looks too "mammy" ish...but it also looks very practical...

rags
December 16th, 2009, 08:16 PM
Buffs don't stay on for me either......

Copasetic
December 16th, 2009, 09:00 PM
This is pretty close to the method that I use: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKTRjQc1sTE

dolcevita
December 16th, 2009, 09:02 PM
I totally have the same problem. Elastic headbands slip off, and hard ones just don't fit right. There is always a weird gap between the headband and my head.

Same with me! Don't worry, ladies, you're not the only ones!

Xanthippe
December 16th, 2009, 09:15 PM
My scarves always slip unless I make sure they are low enough on my forehead to begin with. When I'm really cold, I like to cross the ends of the scarf together under my chin for added security. Kind of like this (http://www.greatestlook.com/techniques/kellyscarf.jpg).

ETA: Buffs are way too slippery for me too!

Themyst
December 16th, 2009, 09:16 PM
I have the same problem. But my head isn't big, it is probably on the smaller side.

I have often wondered why this happens to me when others can wear the bandanna style without effort. The only way I can get one to stay on for long is to tie it so tight that it hurts. :eek:

The back of my head is rather flat - I don't have much of a cranium and I have a small forehead. Sounds like I'm describing a caveman. :o A poll would be interesting.

motormuffin
December 16th, 2009, 09:19 PM
They do that to me too. The only way anything comes close to staying on is if it goes almost down to my eyebrows when I tie it on.

ravenreed
December 16th, 2009, 09:20 PM
Some people have a little bump at the base of the skull that scarves can hold onto. Some of us don't. I have none and scarves are so hard to keep on my head. I have had some luck with clips, two at the back, two at the temples. It is a lot of clips and they still slide, but at least things stay on for a few hours.

piratejenny23
December 16th, 2009, 09:34 PM
wow, so many replies...thank you...i don't feel like such a freak now :)

bummer about the Buff being slippery; i really thought that would be a solution. plus i'm in & out of the walk-in freezers a lot; putting my hair up leaves me with cold neck & ears, and the Buff could cover those! well, i might buy one anyway, and give it to my son if it doesn't work out for me.

Tangles
December 16th, 2009, 09:55 PM
I have a pretty small head, but it's flat on top and at the back, whereas headbands seem to be designed as if heads were perfectly rounded balls.

ETA: When my hair is greasy you can really see how flat it is; not an attractive look. Which is one of the reasons I need to wash every 2nd or 3rd day.

Pierre
December 16th, 2009, 10:08 PM
bummer about the Buff being slippery; i really thought that would be a solution. plus i'm in & out of the walk-in freezers a lot; putting my hair up leaves me with cold neck & ears, and the Buff could cover those! well, i might buy one anyway, and give it to my son if it doesn't work out for me.
In that case, try the Polar Buff. It's longer than the regular Buff; you can scrunch the thick part around your neck to keep it warm, and the other end goes around your face.

julliams
December 17th, 2009, 04:45 AM
I could be wrong but it sounds like it could be the slipperiness of your hair rather than your head shape???

Juliette

marzipanthecat
December 17th, 2009, 04:50 AM
I can't headbands to stay on for very long - and I wear them a lot. They just kind of slide right off the back of my head. I don't have silky/smooth hair (it's a slightly coarse texture) so I always assumed I just had a cone head and things just ping right off!

This has always been the case, my whole life. It's not a new thing.

I'm rather relieved to hear other people have the smae problem.

Melisande
December 17th, 2009, 04:57 AM
I have a large head, flat in the back - a really weird head shape. Even the Garlands of Grace lacey headband that I ordered with such high hopes slips away. Nothing holds on that weirdly shaped head of mine, only the PrettyWrap, and it presses on my ears :-(

I think it's the head shape. Even on oiled hair nothing will hold. That's unfair because I love the look of snoods, scarves and headbands!!!

Isadora Lewie
December 17th, 2009, 05:10 AM
scarves etc. are all way too slippery on me too. i have to use bobby pins to keep them on, and there is no way i could keep a scarf on all night.

i have quite a big head too, but maybe it gets narrower towards the back causing them to slip off?

:shrug:

HildeMV
December 17th, 2009, 05:19 AM
Do you wear bobby pins or clips to make them stay on though? If I don't they usually slip off.

Nini
December 17th, 2009, 05:39 AM
You should definitely give the Buff a chance! I can't get anything to stay either, except the Buff. I still need to balance it somewhat, and I don't look my best with it;) But it stays.

I just bought a 100% Merino Buff, that's as long as the Polar Buff's but without the fleece part. I've worn it several times this week (There's a pic in my blog by the way), and I like it a lot.

Nini

myrrhmaiden
December 17th, 2009, 06:50 AM
I have the same problem. Someone once asked me if I had a little nub at the base of my skull, just above the nape of my neck. I felt around, but no. Apparently they did have one, which is why they claimed to be able to wear such things without trouble.

Shanarana
December 17th, 2009, 06:51 AM
I can't wear them either which is frustrating to me because I really like the look.

halo_tightens
December 17th, 2009, 07:04 AM
My "occipital bulge" (lol) is humongous, but I still wind up with most things slipping off too. Apparently this is more common than I thought!

I can keep a tightly-tied biker-style bandanna doo-rag on, though. That seems to work for some reason.

bumblebums
December 17th, 2009, 07:05 AM
Two things. First, I am pretty sure that it's a head shape problem and not a hair type problem. I have always had a hard time keeping a bandanna on my head, and I've had my hair in a variety of textures and cuts over the years. I even had it cut into a buzz cut when I worked in a kitchen, and it still slipped off. My head is on the big side (I'm tall, too), but the important thing is that I have a mesocephalic to brachycephalic skull--as opposed to dolichocephalic. (these are old terms from physical anthropology referring to head dimensions).

Second, a question: when you fold your scarf, do you fold it along the diagonal line into a triangle? I had a devil of a time with scarves when I folded them that way. Then someone taught me to fold slightly off center. The fold is still parallel to the diagonal/triangle line, but it doesn't run from corner to opposite corner. That shorter end is what goes over the front, and it gives you more scarf to work with. That way the scarf can grip on itself, not just depend on the shape of your head to stay up. (Hope this makes sense--I've looked for online pics/videos but couldn't find any.)

I don't like to use bobby pins on my hair anymore, but I've used them in the past to help the scarf stay up.

Anje
December 17th, 2009, 07:28 AM
Scarves and Buffs come off my head, too, and it's fairly big.

I haven't tried it, but I've seen some sort of trick to keep scarves on where you put a snap clip in your hair an inch or so back from the hairline, put the scarf over it, and then somehow pin it in front of the clip to immobilize the thing. Maybe that'd work?

kdaniels8811
December 17th, 2009, 09:53 AM
They fall off my head, too. The only thing that works for me is an old fashioned hat pin! They are sharp on one end and weave into the hair like a fork, then poke back through the fabric. Only way to make a hat stay for me and I love the old fashioned look, too. They are 3" - 5" long and I have found them at antique stores.

ravenreed
December 17th, 2009, 10:28 AM
Duh! Of course! I even have a few around. Thanks for the brain nudge.


They fall off my head, too. The only thing that works for me is an old fashioned hat pin! They are sharp on one end and weave into the hair like a fork, then poke back through the fabric. Only way to make a hat stay for me and I love the old fashioned look, too. They are 3" - 5" long and I have found them at antique stores.

Sara Smile
December 17th, 2009, 10:34 AM
I've found that the fabric makes a difference. I can't get cotton bandanas to stay, or polyester scarves, but a real silk scarf ties with a finer/tighter knot, and I can get that one tied on tightly. It will stay for a few hours, and then I'll readjust it, since usually my bun needs readjusting by then anyway.

ravenreed
December 17th, 2009, 11:14 AM
I have a couple of caps that look like those skull caps that tie in the back. They seem to stay on.

Islandgrrl
December 17th, 2009, 11:18 AM
You should definitely give the Buff a chance! I can't get anything to stay either, except the Buff. I still need to balance it somewhat, and I don't look my best with it;) But it stays.


What Nini said. Buffs rock. :rockerdud

piratejenny23
December 17th, 2009, 11:19 AM
ravenreed: "I have a couple of caps that look like those skull caps that tie in the back. They seem to stay on."

they do stay on me, too, but my hair doesn't fit under them so they're not ideal for the kitchen :(

plus the only one i have right now has skulls & crossbones on it! which is a warning sign for poison, so may not be confidence-inspiring when serving food! :laugh:

linda g
December 17th, 2009, 11:19 AM
My "occipital bulge" (lol) is humongous, but I still wind up with most things slipping off too. Apparently this is more common than I thought!

I can keep a tightly-tied biker-style bandanna doo-rag on, though. That seems to work for some reason.

My occipital bulge is under-endowed :(

:laugh:

faeflame
December 17th, 2009, 12:17 PM
I agree with the headshape theory, even when my perm was at its wildest, kinkiest stage most scarves and the little round fabric headbands would eventually work their way off the back of my head. I am able to get long thin sashes wrapped twice around my head to stay on (usually). I'm not sure if it is the double wrap or maybe the long ends I bring over my shoulder pulling them a bit forward but it was my go to staple look for awhile.

ravenreed
December 17th, 2009, 12:46 PM
I would so wear it anyway! I love skullies. ( have two skull hair toys, so I must!)

I bought a couple of these cap things at a store that sold clothing items from around the world and they are less informal looking, with nice a woven fabric that looks almost like tapestry, but is thinner. I don't know what the fabric is called. They also had delightful silk ones. I think the store closed though. =(



ravenreed: plus the only one i have right now has skulls & crossbones on it! which is a warning sign for poison, so may not be confidence-inspiring when serving food! :laugh:

ravenreed
December 17th, 2009, 12:47 PM
I am occipital bulge challenged!


My occipital bulge is under-endowed :(

:laugh:

Spike
December 17th, 2009, 01:51 PM
Two things. First, I am pretty sure that it's a head shape problem and not a hair type problem. I have always had a hard time keeping a bandanna on my head . . . My head is on the big side (I'm tall, too), but the important thing is that I have a mesocephalic to brachycephalic skull--as opposed to dolichocephalic. (these are old terms from physical anthropology referring to head dimensions).

Bumblebums, thanks for the terms. I finally know how to refer to my big ol' leonine skull. When I took a costuming class, I became the official hat-stretcher due to my cranium.

Your suggestion about folding a triangle scarf off-center was right on; that's the best way for me to get a do-rag bandanna to stay. I also like the huge honkin' headscarves from tznius dot com, and it helps that they have tying instructions as well. (No affiliation, etc. etc. I use a headscarf to keep my hair under control in my convertible--and they stay, even flying down the highway at 80 m.p.h.)

embee
December 17th, 2009, 02:11 PM
I have this problem too, and how my wedding veil stayed on for the ceremony is beyond my understanding! Slick hair and the wrong shaped head are a bad combo! ;)

heidi w.
December 17th, 2009, 03:41 PM
I have a similar problem if I wear scarves the usual way.

I have to take a large bandana, fold it on the triangle and put that folded edge very close to my eyebrows, covering up all of my forehead, and then tie in the back under a bun. In fact, I fold it so it's not perfectly in half, but that the underside of the bandana is a lot shorter than the topside so that the point of the topside can fit under my tie-off point, ETA and thus covering bunned up hair.

This does eventually slip a bit too, but won't literally fall off.

I also have to tie very tightly, very close to the head with a fair amount of pressure on the head.

The key for me is a wide swath of bandana covering my forehead.

heidi w.
I hike this way, garden this way, mow the lawn this way, and have been in a sports car at 80mph (as the above poster also does), top down, this way, and on motorcycles this way. Now I will admit that even with the high wind I have only lost 2 bandanas but that's because I didn't tie super duper puper tight!

ravenreed
December 17th, 2009, 03:44 PM
I can't tie things tightly or I get an immediate and major headache. :( That is why I use four clips.


I have a similar problem if I wear scarves the usual way.

I have to take a large bandana, fold it on the triangle and put that folded edge very close to my eyebrows, covering up all of my forehead, and then tie in the back under a bun. In fact, I fold it so it's not perfectly in half, but that the underside of the bandana is a lot shorter than the topside so that the point of the topside can fit under my tie-off point, ETA and thus covering bunned up hair.

This does eventually slip a bit too, but won't literally fall off.

I also have to tie very tightly, very close to the head with a fair amount of pressure on the head.

The key for me is a wide swath of bandana covering my forehead.

heidi w.
I hike this way, garden this way, mow the lawn this way, and have been in a sports car at 80mph (as the above poster also does), top down, this way, and on motorcycles this way. Now I will admit that even with the high wind I have only lost 2 bandanas but that's because I didn't tie super duper puper tight!

Angela_Rose
December 17th, 2009, 08:03 PM
I have this problem!!! To counteract it, I make a lace braid near my hairline, tie the scarf/wrap/cheese around my head, and run two quilting pins through the material, through the braid, and back out through the material. Works for me!

bumblebums
December 18th, 2009, 08:36 AM
Thanks, Spike! Always happy to help. Yep, it really doesn't help to have a big head... Most "one size" hats are too tight on me, and kerchiefs are often not quite long enough to tie. I was really glad when I discovered folding off-center!

squiggyflop
December 18th, 2009, 09:16 AM
I totally have the same problem. Elastic headbands slip off, and hard ones just don't fit right. There is always a weird gap between the headband and my head. I have given up on them. The only thing that kind of stays on my head is a scarf tied like this:

http://cdn-write.demandstudios.com/upload//0000/100/40/8/10148.jpg
grrr i cant even get one to stay like that.. everything just slipps right off my head..

ravenreed
December 18th, 2009, 09:59 AM
Awesome idea!

Something that sometimes works for me is to braid my hair, put the scarf on with the ends under the braid, wrap the ends around the braid and then tie. The down side is that I have to want to wear a braid.



I have this problem!!! To counteract it, I make a lace braid near my hairline, tie the scarf/wrap/cheese around my head, and run two quilting pins through the material, through the braid, and back out through the material. Works for me!

Katze
December 18th, 2009, 12:46 PM
and I thought it was just me!


Buffs don't stay on for me either......

me neither. I wish I hadn't bought two of them. What a rip off. :(


Some people have a little bump at the base of the skull that scarves can hold onto. Some of us don't. I have none and scarves are so hard to keep on my head. I have had some luck with clips, two at the back, two at the temples. It is a lot of clips and they still slide, but at least things stay on for a few hours.

I have a massive round head with a huge 'balcony' in back (DH says that is where the song lyrics live) and still ahve this problem. Clips don't help.


I have a pretty small head, but it's flat on top and at the back, whereas headbands seem to be designed as if heads were perfectly rounded balls.

ETA: When my hair is greasy you can really see how flat it is; not an attractive look. Which is one of the reasons I need to wash every 2nd or 3rd day.

don't worry, they don't work on round heads either.


grrr i cant even get one to stay like that.. everything just slipps right off my head..

same here. Would love to be able to do that kind of thing...

rhubarbarin
December 18th, 2009, 04:13 PM
Maybe you have a torpedo shaped head like me? My forehead and the front of my head are narrow, and I have a round cranium. I have the same problem with tying anything around my head, and yeah, it's annoying! If I put something super-low on my forehead it will stay all right, but then it doesn't look very flattering..

Stagecoach
December 18th, 2009, 09:36 PM
I also can't keep bandanas, scarves or headbands on.

Except, this one particular style will stay for me! It's called the Tiechel and it's the method conservative jewish women use to cover their hair. But it stays great for me.

This link (http://www.coveryourhair.com/HowToTieTiechels.html) shows how to tye them. From personal experience I can say it's important that the fabric be light enough in weight. Heavy fabrics or even standard hankerchief weight get to bulky.

Demetrue
December 18th, 2009, 09:55 PM
I have a head that looks like Britney Spears; Head when she shaved it: The long egg head with flat back. That's another reason really short hair doesn't look good on me

rhondalicious
January 19th, 2010, 09:31 PM
I have a smaller than average head, and not a lot stays on me, either. I do agree with putting scarves further down on my forehead - I don't put it all the way to my eyebrows, but I do put scarves maybe an inch and a half above the eyebrows (halfway down my forehead? a little more?), and then they stay for a while before I have to re-do them.

Also, don't even bother with polyester chiffon scarves, I've discovered that no amount of coaxing convinces them to stay on. My favorite is actually the floaty 5mm silk that a lot of belly dance veils are made from - I have 2 smaller than standard veils that I also use as neck scarves and in my hair as turbans or hair coverings, and they are so fine and their knots are grippy enough that they usually stay for a couple hours, at least.

EvaSimone
January 19th, 2010, 09:55 PM
I didn't notice anyone mention underscarves. They are tubes of fabric, usually cotton. Muslim women use them to keep their scarves from slipping off. If you push them far enough back they won't even show but they will keep your scarf on.

Here's a link to some:
http://www.starscarves.com/smunsc.html

sft88
January 19th, 2010, 11:00 PM
I can't get anything to stay on my head either! :mad: The Top of my head is kind of flat so everything slides. I'm really good at balancing things on my head though. :D