Styling -What tiny changes made a huge impact for you?

[shikara]

Wearing my hair in a single braid most times caused a few small problems. First, like someone else posted on this site somewhere, I got 'fear of the braid' after a friend grabbed my braid and pretended they were going to cut if off with a scissors. (I'm shuddering even now!) It was also pulling a lot whenever I sat at my desk and moved my head around, but just bringing it to the front because I get the heebie jeebies when my hair is touching my neck. One day, I moved the braid to rest on my shoulders and liked the gentle curve of the braid as it came around the front, so I opened a safety pin under my blouse, and caught a small cord of it on top, so now it is safe from the jokesters, doesn't touch my neck or get caught between me and the chair, and looks nice!

[Purdy Bear]

Sounds like a brilliant idea!

For me it was just finding LHC. The overall positive energy this forum gives off is just amazing. Its like we're all in a huge cafe having a blast! Its a shame they dont have cheese cafes or coffee bars that serve cheese, chocolate, bananas, all those wonderful rich good hair foods.

[EmiliaF]

Haha!
I love the comparison to a cafe! Sounds great. Some day we should open LHC cafes all over the world to meet LHCers everywhere... :cheer:

For me it's also mostly finding LHC. The positive energy is great. You can ask anything and people take you serious.
I've had long hair for years and I've tried stuff like avocado oil if I read it in a magazine somewhere, but I never knew anyone who was also interested in things like that and if you're alone trying stuff and it doesn't work at some point you just stop, because you don't know what's the problem.
Also, if you look for tips in magazines or salons you'll soon notice that it's mostly about money and they'll tell you anything to sell stuff.

So, styling changes? Use hair sticks... I am trying to get a little collections with different colors to match clothes... I tried to spread that message in time before christmas, so I'm hoping for some new ones next week :D

[JulietCapulet]

If I wear my hair in a braid after I shower or after it dries, it looks shiner and smoother when I take it out. Also using Moroccan hair oil. those two things.

[frizzinator]

I make these changes when I practice making hairstyles. They are the result of trying different things in an effort to eliminate problems. They are difficult for me to remember off the top of my head and be able to list here.

These ideas pop up in the threads where hairstyles are discussed. That is when I can remember them because it's only when I read about how other people make a style and I think about how I make the style, that I can remember what I do that is different.

My brain cannot grasp someone else's verbal description of a styling change unless I physically try it, and I don't think of my own styling changes as being unique until I read about how other people do the same style.

[girlthursday]

For me, it was not shampooing every day! I had an oily scalp and dry hair. I thought if I didn't shampoo every single day that my hair would become an oil slick. Ha! My hair is 100% better off with less frequent shampooing or CO.

[Intransigentia]

For me, it was discovering that there are other ways of securing updos than bobby pins, which my hair tends to spit out like bullets from a Gatling gun. Now that I have sticks and forks and Amish pins, my hair can actually stay put all day!

[Nightshade]

I think for me it was figuring out the Updo Lift thing (there's an article on it) to give a bit of volume and make my updos not look so severe from the front :)

[luxepiggy]

There were 2 key moments of enlightenment in piggy long hair history (^(oo)^)

The first was the discovery of hairsticks, which occurred in 8th grade. Interestingly, the girl who taught me is now a hair stylist, I hear! I loved how much more comfortable and secure my updos became once I learned how to put up my hair with sticks instead of a claw clip or elastic!

When I started university I was really busy, and I just didn't find any time to cut my hair at all. It was getting too long and unwieldy for a regular bun; that's why I ended up inventing my little pork bun updo! (^(oo)~)

[jojo]

although I have tried every experiment going; the main difference which has helped my hair is air drying. It really has made a huge difference to my hair.

[spidermom]

Discovering hair sticks and hair forks was huge! I used to be limited to bobby pins or claw clips to try to secure up-dos, neither of which work at this length. If I hadn't found LHC, chances are I wouldn't have found out about such useful implements.

Also, I discovered that I can't wear buns that require twisting. It seems that too much twisting causes friction damage in my hair.

[MsBubbles]

Ditching the heavy Ficcares, which just slide out of my hair anyway, and using a handful of tiny claw clips instead!

Realizing which hairstyles/updos my hair will hold, and saying buh-bye to those that it won't.

[Fiordiligi]

In terms of tiny changes, I would say that being more careful removing elastics and hair accessories has had a really big effect on the state of my hair. Of course I always knew that I should be more careful, but it's only recently that I've actually made a point of taking those extra few seconds. Ditto with detangling before washing.

[triumphator!]

Putting aloe gel in my damp hair and then twisting it into a cinnabun has made my drying process less frizzy, and it defines my wave pattern a little more ;)

[hayesa]

It's got to be ditching the straighteners. My hair didn't like being super-heated almost every day, and was terribly dry and was breaking everywhere. After stopping using heat, it calmed down, and now I've found shinier, nicer-feeling hair, that isn't anywhere near as hard to manage!

I think on top of that as well, it's made a big difference since I stopped having haircuts that were designed for straight hair on my mop. :)

[Anje]

It may not be a small change, but it made a big difference: I stopped wearing ponytails.

I had a big broken chunk of hair coming off the crown of my head from wearing ponytails practically every day. So I swore them off and decided to start wearing buns. Found LHC a few weeks later, I think. Well, the stupid broken section is grown out enough that I haven't found it in ages, I have less breakage in general. I'm also WAY more proficient at styling than I used to be.

The other most effective tiny change has just been hanging out on LHC. I always used to want to trade hair with other people, because mine had qualities that annoyed me. No longer. I like my hair now, and while I wouldn't mind test-driving other people's, I want mine!

[RachieBaby]

coconut oil and damp bunning! My hair is soooooo much softer now!

Finding LHC was also a biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig help ;)

[myria]

Hair gel! I gave up the proper stuff because it's too stiff/drying but Ive replaced it with aloe vera gel mixed with a few drops of oil - no more fuzzy braids or flyaway crown hairs. :)

[lapushka]

I think for me it was figuring out the Updo Lift thing (there's an article on it) to give a bit of volume and make my updos not look so severe from the front :)

Just read the article. Perfect! :)

[ravenreed]

When I have the time, I like to section out the front of my hair before doing an updo. Then I part it, usually on the side, and wrap it around and add it somehow. It makes the updo less severe and more flattering to my round face.

[girlthursday]

I think for me it was figuring out the Updo Lift thing (there's an article on it) to give a bit of volume and make my updos not look so severe from the front :)

Oooo! This! I want to add this to my previous reply.

I didn't realize how much softer and more feminine I could look if I didn't have that slicked back look. Sexxeh! :eyebrows:

[principesse]

I don't know if this counts but a simple and easy change I've made was to stop highlighting. The difference in texture is astounding! ACV is also a very tiny addition to my hair routine and has helped my hair tons and made it really shiny.

[owlathena]

My hair is finally long enough for braids, until the past 6 months or so I just had it down or in a messy bun. Wearing more protective styles has helped my hair a lot.

[Barniie]

learning to french braid

[OperaTeacherMom]

although I have tried every experiment going; the main difference which has helped my hair is air drying. It really has made a huge difference to my hair.

Ditto this! Air drying and not brushing my curls while dry has made a HUGE difference!

[milagro]

It may not be a small change, but it made a big difference: I stopped wearing ponytails.

I had a big broken chunk of hair coming off the crown of my head from wearing ponytails practically every day. So I swore them off and decided to start wearing buns.

:thud: well I'm having my little enlightenment right now! I wondered much about those strange hairs, too. They are too short for any layer and too long for the ever-short hairline strands. I guess I do break them when taking off my pony holders (with one move). THANKS A LOT Anje! :flowers:

[akosei]

Discovering the sock bun...and wearing it practically every day since June plus giving up all the hair appliances. I let my hair air dry except for very special occasions when I wear my hair down and heat-styled. My hair appreciates it and I'm really enjoying the simplicity of an easy, neat hair style.

[Vapunzel91]

A friend of mine introduced me to this--Infinite thanks Ханна-ちゃん.

For the last three/four months in college, my roommate and a friend of ours on the same floor are all trying to grow out their hair. Two weeks ago we only knew amateur stuff, but now I'm reading and learning so much that I think will help all three of us to grow out our hair.

With small styling changes, I can say "Yea! I now know about the sock bun! My hair can grow and be safe from the weather with a simple hat!" Actually, I'm going to go try the sock bun now!

[CurlyTresses]

Just read the article. Perfect! :)

Can someone help me. Have been trying to find the article to the "Updo Lift thing" that's been mentioned in this thread, but cannot find it. If it is available and I have access to read this, can someone please be so kind to direct me to where I can find this interesting read. Thanks so much in advance. :):)

[OperaTeacherMom]

Can someone help me. Have been trying to find the article to the "Updo Lift thing" that's been mentioned in this thread, but cannot find it. If it is available and I have access to read this, can someone please be so kind to direct me to where I can find this interesting read. Thanks so much in advance. :):)

I think they mean this one, definitely something I'll have to try!
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=169

[Melisande]

I think it's this one:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=87

[CurlyTresses]

I think they mean this one, definitely something I'll have to try!
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=169

Thank you so much,:blossom: OperaTeacherMom. Had been searching for it for while.

[CurlyTresses]

I think it's this one:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=87

Thank you so much Melisande, the link above is the one. :)

[firefly42]

i too quit wearing ponytails; and believe it or not, all those little short hairs around my hairline have begun to grow out! I never thought that would happen!

[madeline_]

I think for me it was figuring out the Updo Lift thing (there's an article on it) to give a bit of volume and make my updos not look so severe from the front :)

This makes me very curious but unfortunately all the photos from the article have gone. :(

[madeline_]

For the record, I had this link, not the one mentioned earlier:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=87

[Becky Safari]

The pictures in the link aren't showing up, is it just me??

[madeline_]

Well yes, that is just what I was trying to point out. The article is over two years old, which might explain for the absence of image. Pity.