Q for expert bobby pin/Amish pin users

[intothemist1999]

Today on a whim I decided to put my hair up in something like a French twist because I had a small handful of pins handy.

It worked really well -- or so it seemed. It seemed to be holding like a rock but within a little while it was drooping and coming loose from my head.

I re-did it, with a few more pins, same thing. What seems to be happening is that pins are holding the "bun" portion suprisingly intact but it the whole structure comes free from the back of my head. Weird.

(btw, I'm using Amish pins and "bobby pins" that are long and U shaped, but much more narrow than an Amish pin))

I tried once more, 14 pins (seemed like that should be overkill) and that seemed to hold. I'm not sure I want a 'do that need 14 or more pins, BUT -- I loved the way it looked!! lol

That one seemed to hold, but I didn't leave it up that long because my head was too hot lol.

I did them in all different directions in the hopes of supporting it, but somehow it just comes detached from my head (*intact* bun pierced with so many pins, but just not attached to the back of my head).

What am I doing wrong?

[Kibeth]

Are you making sure that the pins are catching part of the bun and part of your scalp h air?

[intothemist1999]

Are you making sure that the pins are catching part of the bun and part of your scalp h air?

Yup! As far as I can tell I'm doing it right. :shrug:

[teela1978]

Someone used to have an awesome graphic on the old site... no clue where it would be now though.

When you put pins in... you hold them perpendicular to your scalp, go down into the edge of your bun (or whatever you're putting up) till it touches your scalp, then lay it flat and slide it in, weaving a bit to keep catching scalp and bun hair as you go.

If you're already doing it that way then this probably didn't help at all :)

[intothemist1999]

Someone used to have an awesome graphic on the old site... no clue where it would be now though.

When you put pins in... you hold them perpendicular to your scalp, go down into the edge of your bun (or whatever you're putting up) till it touches your scalp, then lay it flat and slide it in, weaving a bit to keep catching scalp and bun hair as you go.

If you're already doing it that way then this probably didn't help at all :)


Actually it did! I wasn't really doing the "perpendicular" step, but inserting them flat against my head. I'll try again! :)

[Anje]

I think that's the trick -- you want to start with the pins the opposite direction, then drag them across the scalp to crank that french twist down tight.

I've got the opposite problem: french twists tend to start out too tight on me, at least on the sides, but the internal structure isn't secure and eventually falls to pieces. They also usually get puffy on the top in some weird dino-crest thing. Most of that comes down to my head being entirely the wrong shape to put any height above my forehead.

[intothemist1999]

lmao @ "dino-crest" :)