What a difference between my hair and someone else's!

[Eirelin]

I really would like to be able to do hair at Renaissance festivals, etc., but I am having difficulties finding people to practice upon. So, in return for giving him girly styles, my roommate lets me practice upon him, simply because he likes having his head rubbed and massaged and the hair played with.

The only problem is that he is a 54-year-old man with thin, fine, hair that ranges from straight on top to spirals and knots further down, which makes it very difficult to do the kinds of styles I want to do.

However, even with this, it is still amazing what it difference it makes when you can see the hair from all around as you braid.

First attempt at a 5-strand braid

Me:
http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn245/Eirelin/Hair/09-12-2011_5-Strand_braid_2-1.jpg

Him:
http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn245/Eirelin/Hair/09-12-2011_Dan_5-Strand_Braid_1-1.jpg

Dutch Lace classic on him:
http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn245/Eirelin/Hair/09-12-2011_Dan_Dutch_Classic_3-1.jpg

and on me:
http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn245/Eirelin/Hair/09-12-2011_FrenchLace_Classic_1-1.jpg

I really need more people to practice on!

[SpinDance]

Perhaps offer to do a free or low cost braid session at a local church or daycare, or as part of a small local festival of some sort? You could specifically target kids or teens, even. Maybe something at a library, book store, thrift/second hand store, where there could be some advertisement about you being there at a particular time? If you have a local weaver's or knitters guild braiding seems like it would be a fun thing to do as part of their activities, part of a fun day, or added attraction.

[halo_tightens]

I wish I knew someone with this problem! I'd be more than happy to be a guinea pig for all sorts of styles that I could never do on my own head. :)

[Eirelin]

Perhaps offer to do a free or low cost braid session at a local church or daycare, or as part of a small local festival of some sort? You could specifically target kids or teens, even. Maybe something at a library, book store, thrift/second hand store, where there could be some advertisement about you being there at a particular time? If you have a local weaver's or knitters guild braiding seems like it would be a fun thing to do as part of their activities, part of a fun day, or added attraction.

I have thought about that sort of thing. Here in Florida, you have to take a sanitation course and have a license with the state (kind of ridiculous, but at least it is not like some other states where you have to actually take a 1500-hour cosmetology course before you can get a license) to be able to braid hair. Luckily, after poking around for a while, I have found a place where it can be done online for a lot less money.

I guess I will have to go ahead and get the license before I can even offer to do it for low cost or even free.

I miss my old neighbor, who moved away about 6 months ago. She had a lot of long, thick hair.

[Eirelin]

I wish I knew someone with this problem! I'd be more than happy to be a guinea pig for all sorts of styles that I could never do on my own head. :)

Too bad you are so far away!

A Crown braid for sleeping (messy because I was just going to bed); I like to make them lower down on the head for sleep so that no part of your head is actually lying on it. Also, this is nice for performing weddings, making it stand up a bit like Yulia Tymoshenko's braid (please ignore the roots, fuzzy camera, and dirty mirror).

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn245/Eirelin/Hair/09-10-2011CrownbraidA.jpg http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn245/Eirelin/Hair/09-10-2011Crownbraid.jpg http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn245/Eirelin/Hair/09-10-2011CrownbraidB.jpg

And then there is the cascading Crown:
http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn245/Eirelin/Hair/08-13-2011_cascading_Dutch_lace_crown_slept-on_A.jpg

And this one is just so hard to see! It is a twin lace Dutch classic with 2 rope accents, but my flash wasn't working. Maybe you can at least get the idea.
http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn245/Eirelin/Hair/08-17-2011_Double_French_bun_2-Accents_2-1.jpg

Does anybody in Central Florida want to play guinea pig??

[annieangel149]

you are doing really well practicing on your own hair :)

i love your crown braid! i think it's very neat! and your cascading crown style is just stunning! :D

[Eirelin]

you are doing really well practicing on your own hair :)

i love your crown braid! i think it's very neat! and your cascading crown style is just stunning! :D

Thank you so much. They always look so much nicer in person than in the pictures. I also have a difficult time getting my roommate to take pictures of my hair, so I always have to take them myself (unless I am doing a wedding and he is along to take pictures; then I MIGHT be able to coax him into it once in a while). I have so many more styles that I do but no pictures!

[Libbylou]

you do a wonderful job on yourself and roomie. I am all thumbs and can hardly do a plain 3 strand braid.
I wish I lived near you!

[Eirelin]

you do a wonderful job on yourself and roomie. I am all thumbs and can hardly do a plain 3 strand braid.
I wish I lived near you!

Thank you.

A high Crown braid with 2 rope accents; like everything else, it looks better from the front. (I have tried to figure out some way to attach a mirror behind me so I could at least get an idea of what I am doing, but there literally is nowhere to attach a mirror, so I have to do it all by touch.)

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn245/Eirelin/Hair/09-13-2011_Crown-braid_High_Rope-accents_1A.jpg http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn245/Eirelin/Hair/09-13-2011_Crown-braid_High_Rope-accents_2A.jpg http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn245/Eirelin/Hair/09-13-2011_Crown-braid_High_Rope-accents_3A.jpg

Still looking for guinea pig! Maybe someone in my area will see these and let me try on them.

[Signe]

Omg, I love that last one! (actually I love all of them, but i am going to try that last one asap!)

[Eirelin]

Omg, I love that last one! (actually I love all of them, but i am going to try that last one asap!)

That one was pretty easy. I just threw it up so I could get some pictures (kind of messy, but once again, you get the idea), and it took about 10 minutes.

[invisiblebabe]

If I lived by you, I would definitely let you practice on my hair! I live probably about 12 to 15 hours away from you though. :( I would think you'd find some willing guinea pigs who enjoy having their hair styled!

[Eirelin]

One problem is that I work from home and therefore don't know many people.

I thought about putting an ad on Craigslist, but goodness only knows what you might end up with there! :eek:

[jojo]

Wish I lived near you, you could practice all you wanted. :)

[Eirelin]

Wish I lived near you, you could practice all you wanted. :)

Boy, I wish you ALL lived near me! That would be so much fun! I really do enjoy doing my roommate's hair, but (and I try to avoid putting it this way to him) it has thinned! When I do many of the braids on him, it just shows scalp, scalp, scalp, and that is just depressing to see. His hair is pretty nice and healthy now (since I started taking care of it, hid his brush, use coconut oil, etc.), but there is not enough of it. The next day, after I take the braid out from the night before, it's all nice and fluffy and you really can't see the scalp anymore, but for any kind of braided updo--forget it!

Although, if I can get a decent braided style out of that, I think I'm doing pretty well :D

[Apple_Betty]

You do GORGEOUS work! Have you thought about looking on meetup.com to see if there are any "hair" meetups in your area?

[Eirelin]

You do GORGEOUS work! Have you thought about looking on meetup.com to see if there are any "hair" meetups in your area?

I never thought of that. I will check it out now. Thanks for the tip :)

[Jean Stuart]

Heeeeey giiirl, I live in Florida. ;)

[Eirelin]

Oooh! What part? I'm in the Orlando area.

[Airmide]

Your braids look great! I also wish I had more people to practice on, and would volunteer my hair for braiding practice. (Portland Oregon anyone?)

What about organizing a meet in your area and asking LHC folks near you if they'd be willing/interested? You could ask on the thread for volunteers, or ask in person.

[luthein]

Oooh! What part? I'm in the Orlando area.

:( Please move to central Illinois.

[Apple_Betty]

Is your high crown braid (with the rope accents) a dutch lace or regular dutch? I'm starting to play around more with braids and I would love to try that!

[julliams]

I think you are good at this and should go for it. When you have finished a style, start taking photos in the same blank background area so that you can develop a portfolio of pictures. I imagine that people would love to be able to see a photo and say "that one" when they purchase. If you have a backlog of stuff from all this time, it will be easy to set up and make either a book or poster.

You could get some kind of pull down screen like they do for passport photos and make the photos really professional looking.

[SilentGuardian]

That cascading crown is so beautiful..

[Jean Stuart]

Oooh! What part? I'm in the Orlando area.


St. Augustine north of Orlando

[Eirelin]

:( Please move to central Illinois.

BRRRRRR!! Too cold!


Is your high crown braid (with the rope accents) a dutch lace or regular dutch? I'm starting to play around more with braids and I would love to try that!

You know, that is actually a good question. I think this one is just Dutch. I haven't really noticed much difference in how they look. Crowns used to drive me nuts until I figured a simple little trick. You know how you get lost when you get around the head and have to switch hands? Well, I realized that it was always because in my head, as i was braiding, I was thinking something like, "Right over, left over, add, right over , left over, add...," etc. but if I stop thinking about the hands and instead think of the strands of hair, it becomes so much easier to keep track! Now, I start with the strand nearest the crown and I am thinking, "Crown over, other over, add, crown over, other over, add...," and when I switch hands, I know that my next move will be to bring the strand of hair closest to the crown over, no matter which hand is holding it. (Perhaps "other wasn't the best word, but it has been working.)


I think you are good at this and should go for it. When you have finished a style, start taking photos in the same blank background area so that you can develop a portfolio of pictures. I imagine that people would love to be able to see a photo and say "that one" when they purchase. If you have a backlog of stuff from all this time, it will be easy to set up and make either a book or poster.

You could get some kind of pull down screen like they do for passport photos and make the photos really professional looking.

I definitely will, once I have some heads to practice on. I have also been thinking about buying some cosmetology heads, since it might be easier than getting people to practice upon. Then I could also have more control over the pictures.


That cascading crown is so beautiful..

I am so glad you like it. Since then, I have done a henna gloss on my roots, and it looks better (natural red turning blah with gray.... yuck!)

I want to thank everyone for all their encouragement. I think if I had had a daughter, I probably would have been doing this a long time ago, because I would have had my own built-in guinea pig :D (To my son: Sorry, you know I love you., but did you have to go into the Jr ROTC and get all your pretty hair buzzed off??)

[Eirelin]

St. Augustine north of Orlando

Oh, I do wish I was there. I love St. Augustine, and I have family in Macclenny and Glen St. Mary.

So close, but still so far! :(

[Gumball]

I completely know what you mean. I can't do a whole lot of anything to my own head, but working on someone else nets a whole lot more in terms of styling. :lol: That and my hair and I still haven't struck an agreement where it would constantly be cooperative. That sure has something to do with it, too. Still, you have kindred here. Braiding is a lot of fun. :D

ETA:

I'll add my own example comparing trying to do something to myself (something simple I can get to work):

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=3176&pictureid=95093 (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=3176&pictureid=95093)

And trying to do something to a friend (something that works a little better):

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=4019&pictureid=110917 (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=4019&pictureid=110917)

:laugh:

[Eirelin]

I completely know what you mean. I can't do a whole lot of anything to my own head, but working on someone else nets a whole lot more in terms of styling. :lol: That and my hair and I still haven't struck an agreement where it would constantly be cooperative. That sure has something to do with it, too. Still, you have kindred here. Braiding is a lot of fun. :D

ETA:

I'll add my own example comparing trying to do something to myself (something simple I can get to work):

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=3176&pictureid=95093 (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=3176&pictureid=95093)

And trying to do something to a friend (something that works a little better):

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=4019&pictureid=110917 (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=4019&pictureid=110917)

:laugh:

:bigeyes: Wow.

[Gumball]

:bigeyes: Wow.

The first one looks so much fancier than it is, since really there are two braids. Just two. :) That and a bunch of pins. :silly:

ETA: I must say, your twin lace dutch classic looks great, Eirelin! :thumbsup: :happydance:

[beez1717]

When the rennasance fair comes to my area I'm going to both the corset and the long hair booths. I gotta love how pretty the corsets look on both guys and gals, and get some hair toys :) . Then it's off to jousting and food, and then to get a henna tattoo :)
It is so cool that the well respected Dark Garden from San Francisco has the corset booth. I totally need a custom corset from them one day even though I'm a guy. I love the look and being different and myself :happydance:

[willbe]

lol.....you