hair for acting

[podo]

Hey everyone!

I've been lucky enough to be cast as sort of a steampunk pirate in a sci-fi show (currently web-only). I have assurances from the boss that I can do my own hair, which means no one is going to come at me with a curling iron or flat iron, blowfryer, and teasing comb - but it also means that I need to do a good job on my own.

I actually have 2 questions that I'd like to get your opinions on:

1) I'd like your style suggestions for this steampunk pirate. I have TBL hair that is 1aFi.

2) On the off chance that they don't like what I did, and/or I end up doing something that requires styling products - if I get a head full of teased, gelled, sprayed, ironed, DAMAGED hair... what's the best way to get all of that out? I'm pretty sure I don't want to mess with it until I get into the shower because I don't want to chance causing more damage trying to get the tangles out with goo still in.

I'm thinking:

Take out all hairtoys & pins.
Get into the shower.
Wet hair deeply.
Apply lots of conditioner.
Gently detangle with conditioner on.
Rinse.
Then do regular shower (i.e. Shampoo, Conditioner, etc.).Will that work do you think?

[lyria]

Well your recovery process for getting out any styling products sounds good to me. But with regard to options that would allow you to style your own hair, what about doing lots of little braids? Or lots of braids of different sizes? You could insure long lasting style if you used oil to give your hair some stick first (and maybe make it look even more piratey?). I'm not familiar with "steampunk" though so if this suggestion is totally off base, my apologies!

[firefly42]

steampunk tends toward victorian/edwardian dress so i suggest you look up hairstyles from that time period. also, look up bands such as Abney Park, Deadly Nightshade Botanical Society, they're steampunk bands with female members who have short hair but you can look them up and see what they do.

Also, Google Steampunk fashion i know wikipedia has a great article on it...

[podo]

It's not "Steampunk" exactly (which is why it was lowercase) - more of a cyber thing. I'm not saying this well...

The episode is set in the future (sci-fi) and the pirates are space-pirates. They want the feel of pirates (like Pirates of the Caribbean) with some sci-fi/futeristic/cyber/steampunk(ish) things thrown in.


what about doing lots of little braids? Or lots of braids of different sizes? You could insure long lasting style if you used oil to give your hair some stick first (and maybe make it look even more piratey?)

That idea sounds pretty good, though it'd take forever to do. But it would keep the damage away and the braids themselves could be styled into something. :D

[ScarlettAdelle]

I would get spiral perm rods (not the solution, just the rods) and shampoo / condition your hair, apply a setting lotion and wrap your hair onto the rods barrel curl style, let it dry COMPLETELY, when you take the rods out, you'll have ribbon curls, which are highly popular with steampunk and other Victorian styles, then play with pinning, braids and ribbons and little gears and the like as accessories. Finish with a light coating of hairspray (I know, I know, but it's the only way to get styles to stay. Otherwise you'll have fallen curls all over the place.)

Victorian hairstyles used early forms of the curling iron and rag curling techniques to achieve their curls and tons and tond of teasing. Beauty supply shops have items like fake hair for braiding that can be bunched up and placed under the hair ti give the illusion of teased height / volume.

Have fun and take loads of pictures!

[p3_Arme]

ooohhhh My hair twin :)

How about a french braid or Dutch braid, Vortex bun, Hair Taping, or a crown braid (If you can do it, I can't yet, but I'm trying!)
See Torrinpaige on Youtube for videos.

You want a look for either 'I mean business' or 'I'm innocent' not that pirates are of course!!! Either I mean :D

[Rapunzelwannabe]

I second braiding- especially when you look at movies like Pirate of the Caribbean most of the female pirates have easy-looking hair. There's a website, dreamweaver braiding which I love to look at and the Arwen braid seems like it'd get lots of milage in different situations.
http://www.dreamweaverbraiding.com/braids/Arwen.htm

[Magdalene]

As an actor myself it can be challenging, but don't fear the styling products too much. One night of hairspray won't destroy your hair, and your proposed method sounds pretty good.

[podo]

As an actor myself it can be challenging, but don't fear the styling products too much. One night of hairspray won't destroy your hair, and your proposed method sounds pretty good.

It's actually the teasing and irons that I'm worried about. ;)

This is just a bit part, and I need to be careful not to stand out too much, especially since they already shot most of it and are just filling in some hallway-type scenes. Too bad, I started getting some really crazy ideas - like braiding around small guage wire to make the braids stand up.

I may just do some of those styles anyway, just to see. :D

[enfys]

Rather than braiding, could you twiddle your hair into faux dreads with a strong hold, matte wax? If you have time, you could get some felt dreads, like a fall, to put over a couple of small buns. No damage or effort! They are very popular with the cyber goths, which it sounds like your character could hang around with! Even some regular wool bundled and tied onto hair bands would give a similar effects. Could that be a possibility?

Your method to get the products out is exactly what I do. ;)

[podo]

Update -

Shoot was a lot of fun... :)

I took some pics with my camera, which are still on said camera, but here's one from my phone:

http://images55.fotki.com/v508/photos/0/1708930/9139968/spacepirateside-vi.jpg

[trillian]

So Pretty! Love the makeup too!