Other things I could do?

[Periwinkle]

So having successfully mastered the French braid (hurrah!), I've been wearing it a lot lately.

However, the only way I can put my hair 'up' as such is in a cinnabun, which only really holds when my hair is wet. My hair is very thick and also I have layers that are growing out (you can see the line in my signature pic: it's fairly obvious) that tend to fall out and drag the rest of the bun down with them.

I've experimented with the Gibson tuck, but it doesn't seem to like my thickness. I've also experimented with French twists, but since I'm pretty much a newbie to the whole hair thing, the only hairtoys I have are elastics, claw clips and a couple of hairsticks from Claire's, and I've only managed to get them to hold once or twice. I'm also a bit short on the money front at the moment, so there's not much possibility of getting some nice sticks or something like a ficarre right now.

I don't particularly like the look of Dutch braids, though I'm still persevering with learning them. I've attempted rope braids, but I just can't do them: I tie them off, and they all spiral out.

I don't have the length for longer styles.

What else can I do with my hair?

[anna1850]

I've attempted rope braids, but I just can't do them: I tie them off, and they all spiral out.

You're probably twisting them the wrong way. Start by twisting both pieces anti-clockwise separately then twist them together clockwise (or vice versa). The key is the direction you twist them separately and the direction you twist them together must be opposite.

[Katze]

Ok, I'm going to go against the mainstream here.

When I see your sig pic, I see beautiful shiny waves (1c??? I'd call that at least 2b!), an even hemline, and a rich lustrous color. In other words, hair to be envied. :D

Why not wear it down or in halfups and show off the length and thickness? While wearing your hair up all the time does protect it, in my very biased opinion it can get dull. Your hair is not long enough that you NEED to contain it indoors - is it?

Personally I don't like the look of buns; on me they emphasize my bad posture and thin hair and tend to stick out like a too-small doorknob from the back of my large, round head. For me, buns make me feel dumpy and dull; I'd rather cut my hair than wear a bun. Seriously.

Since I like to enjoy my hair down, I've come up with all kinds of halfups, loose braids, and other 'dos that take advantage of having hair frame my face. Since my hair's thin and fine, braids don't really show it off to its best, but halfups do something nice and flattering to my face and make me feel good about my hair even on dirtier days.

Recently I stole a hairdo from the film "Caramel" (she had similar hair to mine, just thicker and black) - 1) put on a headband (elastic or plastic), then 2) pull two hunks of hair (think "sideburns") so that they're in front of the headband. 3) Pull these back over the headband, helping secure it, and 4) bring them together at the back of your head. 5) You can then braid, loosely, two or three times, just enough to keep the hair together. I bet it would work with a ponytail too. 6) secure hair loose and low with an elastic, allowing the braid, and the entire 'do, to get messy. 7) I have to put claw clips or bobby pins at the part where the "sideburns" join the rest of the hair to hold them in place. This 'do holds all day, looks good even if it's messy, and contains my hair, even the wisps and bangs and layers.

If you do want to do updos, what about a French twist, peacock twist (would look nice with those thick ends of yours) or log roll? For me, French twists only work on dirty, slicked back hair, so I use them to look a bit more dressed up despite dirty hair days.

While many people here do wear their hair up all the time, I don't think you have to, and if I had hair like yours (an acquaintance of mine does, and I LOVE when she has me braid it and it falls *WHUMP* on her shoulders) I would show it off all the time. But that's just a thin, fine haired person's envy talking. :D

hope this helps.

Katze

[young&reckless]

Congrats on being able to french braid!

I do not know what is it called but here is one to try.
Pull your hair into a low pony tail, twist into a bun shape but put the ends into the inside of the bun (by your head) on top of your starting point, instead of trying to tuck them in at the end.

This holds for me a lot better then a cinnabun because more of your hair is being held against your head.

Or, you can do an english braid and put the end threw a braid bump near the top and fold it over flat against your head holding it in place and put a stick threw to hold it. (Like a braided bun but with more security)

Good luck and don't give up!

[Periwinkle]

I really have tried to wear my hair down, but I absolutely hate doing it. I've always had it tied up, all my life, and I just can't stand it when it's around my face. If it is down, I spend the entire day picking it up and shoving it off my face and after a few hours it looks like something tried to build a nest there.

Katze, that thing from Caramel that you mentioned sounds really interesting. Do you mean pull the pieces of hair all the way out, or not right to the ends (a bit like a Gibson tuck, only without the tuck)?

I've experimented with French twists, but I can't manage to get them to hold. I've tried peacock twists too, but my ends tend to stick up straight. My hair looks really curly in that photo, but when I brush it, I generally only have a slight wave where my layers sit and the rest is bullet straight and won't be moved. Braiding it does make it go wavier, though.

Thanks young&reckless - I'll certainly try those out!