Best Long Hair/Healthy Hair/Long Hair Styling Books

[Cinnamon Hair]

I would like to create a list of long hair books that relate to either hair care or updo styles. Please list and give a short review of any you have read or want to read.

Believe it or not, in all my time here I have only read one hair book. It was

Hair: A Book of Braiding and Styles link to Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Hair-Braiding-Styles-Scrunchies-Klutz/dp/1570540187/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1211761802&sr=8-1)
Good for photos and I was surprised to find it features Mei Fa sticks in some of the styles. If you don't know many styles this is a good book, but it is pretty basic. The braids are nice to look at.

Hair books on my wishlist:
Curly Girl --just because I have never read it and really should, especially since I CO and Curly Girl invented the method (although not exactly how I do it).
George Michael's book --because he's the probably the most famous long hair lover ever, even if I don't completely agree with his views. Haven't bought it since it's about $200 and out of print.
The Hair Growers Handbook by Neil of TLHS --supposedly has lots of typos and mistakes but it's by a diehard longhair who has been around the hair boards for ages, so it's a compilation of his hair knowledge.

[Eboshi]

I found the "Topsytail" hair styling book to be very helpful.
http://www.amazon.com/Topsytail-Book-Tomima-L-Edmark/dp/0446670618/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1211762791&sr=1-1

Who knew that you could do so many styles out of a plain 'ol Topsy ?

[Riot Crrl]

I don't have a title to add, but I just wanted to say that it's possible you may find Curly Girl a little disappointing after all the hype. I find it sort of badly edited and organized, and the overall theme a little negative to tell you the truth.

It does have things in it that helped me a lot, but those are more broad tenets rather than specific directions. For example, it told me I could CO, then said to start with a teaspoon of conditioner and adjust from there. I don't think I know a curly who could even spread a teaspoon over their scalp unless their head was shaved, and the same goes for straight haired longhairs. I haven't even tried any of the homemade recipes in it, they all sound weird and I can't think why I would want them. Reddi-Whip?

It's a good book for some basic concepts, but it leaves a lot lacking in my opinion.

[shrimp]

I agree with Curly Girl being disappointing.

I felt like I was reading a teenage girls magazine half the time, a few good tips (which you probably already know) and a lot of self esteem type stuff. Maybe I spend too much time with my head buried in techy jurisprudence books, but it was way too pink and fluffy and has been living under my bed for a while.

:shrug:

[Flaxen]

Double :doh::doh: for forgetting about Curly Girl, too! :wink: I did like that one.

My favorite book so far is one whose contents are online, actually, but I liked it so much that I bought a hard copy. It's Richard Stein's Set Free: The Book About Hair (http://www.richardsteinhair.com/book.htm).

[Shimmy]

Flaxen ~ Thanks for the link to "set free". I've bookmarked it! :flower:

[Flaxen]

You're very welcome, Shimmy. :grin:

[Leisa]

Flaxen:) - thanks for 'set free'.
I was in the no trimming club but now I'm reconsidering. He makes a convincing case for regular trims. Thats a hard decision for me to make.

[hurricane_gia]

I couldn't have made it this far without the Klutz Book of Braiding. Very easy to follow directions for things that a normal person might have learned from their mothers or their friends at school, if that person weren't too much of a bookworm to notice other people's hair! :)

[Angellen]

I also love the Klutz book. It has great pictures and instructions. :flower:

[n3m3sis42]

Flaxen:) - thanks for 'set free'.
I was in the no trimming club but now I'm reconsidering. He makes a convincing case for regular trims. Thats a hard decision for me to make.

I know what you mean... I sort of want to go out and get my hair trimmed RIGHT NOW. I'm actually not sure I can stop myself. ;-)

[Tekakwitha]

I really like "Naturally Healthy Hair" by Mary Beth Janssen. You can find reviews of it at Amazon.

[drquartz1970]

I do have a collection of books on long hair. The books by Dr George Michael are definately a good read.

[lostchyld]

I enjoyed reading Curly Girl. The self esteem sections helped a lot with my panic when I realized my hair actually curls on its own. It was pin straight as a kid and went into a state of limbo when I hit puberty and I lived a decade in this limbo state with people telling me I should use a flat iron and really hating the flat iron because my hair never straightened for me on the super rare occasions that I tried it, mostly it just got frizzier. Then, one day, I woke up after washing the night before and saw curly hair in the mirror and promptly freaked out. So I canvased the stylists in town who were decidedly unhelpful and did some online research and found the book. I've struggled with staying out of the limbo state and sometimes I end up back there for various reasons, but I'm way more confident that, if I want my hair to behave, I can make it behave. A lot of the useful information in the book has been disseminated through places like here, so I didn't get a lot of that out of the book, but what I really wanted was someone to tell me my hair wasn't going to fall out if I screwed up. That's what the book did for me.

I lived on the Klutz Press book Braids and Bows as wells a the book of braiding. Those are how I learned to braid as a kid when Mom was too busy with my three siblings to do my hair for me. I should get those two again or ask Mom if she still has them and would be willing to part with them and brush up on my braiding skills.

[UP Lisa]

Where can I find the Klutz Book of Braiding?

[lostchyld]

Amazon has copies. I don't know about anywhere else, but I was just looking at it on Amazon this morning. I can't remember if it's a "new and used from these sellers" or just "buy new" book.

[UP Lisa]

Funny. I just looked on Amazon, and I didn't see it. What is the exact title?

[lostchyld]

I just searched Klutz Press hair.

Here's the Braid book (http://http://www.amazon.com/Hair-Braiding-Styles-Anne-Johnson/dp/1570540187/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330359443&sr=8-1)

Here's Braids and Bows (http://http://www.amazon.com/Braids-Bows-Instruction-Anne-Johnson/dp/187825717X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1330359443&sr=8-2)

[going gray]

I don't have a title to add, but I just wanted to say that it's possible you may find Curly Girl a little disappointing after all the hype. I find it sort of badly edited and organized, and the overall theme a little negative to tell you the truth.

It does have things in it that helped me a lot, but those are more broad tenets rather than specific directions. For example, it told me I could CO, then said to start with a teaspoon of conditioner and adjust from there. I don't think I know a curly who could even spread a teaspoon over their scalp unless their head was shaved, and the same goes for straight haired longhairs. I haven't even tried any of the homemade recipes in it, they all sound weird and I can't think why I would want them. Reddi-Whip?

It's a good book for some basic concepts, but it leaves a lot lacking in my opinion.

Yes, I also agree, bought it too thinking wow, finally all my questions answered in one place a handy book.....nope, didn't find it helpful at all.

[UP Lisa]

I really liked the Curly Girl book. I'm talking about the original. I haven't seen the new edition.

[UP Lisa]

That book is too expensive.

[lostchyld]

I suppose. I'd buy it at that price if I didn't potentially have a copy already. Truthfully, there are youtube tutorials which are just as easy to follow, I just like the layout of the klutz press books.

[afu]

Just wanted add my contribution to the reading list:

'Don't go shopping for hair products without me' by Paula Begoun

There are reviews on Amazon, but really it is just a really good book for getting to know hair product ingredients and how they work, what to avoid, what to use for your hair type, colouring, scalp issues, hair structure and much more. It also reviews over 4,000 products (mainly products available in the USA so not much use to me, but I didn't buy it for the reviews so it doesn't bother me). Really handy book to have around

[Madora]

Granted, the following are old, but I thought the best I've ever seen.

Braids and Styles for Long Hair
Andrea Jeffery and Vickie Terner
Publisher: Zopfe 1988 (Calgary, Canada)
spiral bound
Lots of diagrams and beautiful full page color photos
ISBN 0-9693543-0-4

Braids and More
Andrea Jeffery
Publisher: Zopfe 1993
spiral bound
Diagrams and more full page color pics
ISBN 0-9693543-1-2

The Systematic Approach to Long Hair Graphics
A Pivot Point International Publication
Copyright 1979
Chockfull of b/w photos of very creative hairstyles done on long hair mannequin heads
There is also a few pages devoted to Dr. George Michael's
methods

Braids & Updos Made Easy
Jamie Rines Jones
Salon Ovations/Milady Publishing 1996
(a division of Delmar Publishing)
ISBN 1-56253-318-5
Many diagrams and full page color photos

[Sable]

This is a good one on hair care, mainly for curly hair, but good hair care tips for everyone.

Live Curly, Live Free
Unlocking the Secrets Behind the World of Beautiful Curly Hair - by Tiffany E. Anderson (Amazon.com)

Also she does have long hair herself, so she knows how important caring for our hair is to us.