Hair pin help!

[FroggyMonkeyMom]

I'm a 35 year old woman who can not figure out hair pins or Bobby pins!! All the tutorials I see are for buns, I need help with wrapping braids around my head. They just slip right out or open too wide while inserted in the hair so they are not doing what they should be doing. My hair is very fine, if that makes a difference. Any help appreciated!

[Kelikea]

Try criss-crossing two bobby pins at each insertion point(like an x). That may help them not slip out.

[arwenevenstar37]

try using small amish pins instead of bobby pins. I have found that bobby pins open up too wide as you say and do not stay in the hair...the otehr pins are very comfortable and after a little experimentation you will find the places in which they will hold up your braids. Also, they come in different sizes so you can choose the one that works best.

[jesis]

I think your hair is way too long for bobby pins, unless you use a lot of them. They could just end up tearing your hair and damaging it more than anything.

[Madora]

Bobby pins are meant for short hairs.

I use 3 inch crimped hair pins for all my styles. It is HOW you insert the pin that makes the difference.

For instance, if you're doing a double braided bun, you take the first braid and begin to coil it around the ponytail base, holding it in place with one hand while your other hand takes a crimped hairpin and inserts it in the outter edge of the braid. Then take the pin and try and snag a tiny piece of scalp hair right next to where your inserted the pin, then weave the hair pin in an up and down motion into the center of the bun.

Continue to coil the braid (hold it flat against the head) and pin in the 4 directions (North, South, East and West). Tuck the tassle under the coiled braid.

Now take the remaining braid and repeat as before.

Special note: The braids should be loosely braided if possible. More flexibility makes the braids easier to coil.

Special note 2: I would strongly caution you against crossing hairpins -- i. e. in an "X" pattern. This puts too much pressure at one spot.

If the hairpins pull or feel too tight, take them out and try another part of the braid.

[ladyfey]

Exactly what Madora said! Invest in some Amish pins, I got a 1 pound box on Amazon. :)

[GlennaGirl]

Yes, Amish pins, or perhaps Good Hair Days pins. I'm not sure Good Hair Days would work on you because your hair is very long, so there is probably a lot of it once coiled up, but I know you have an average thickness so who knows? I absolutely love my Good Hair Days pins. They are amazingly non-damaging, easy and (for me) they hold all day.

[FroggyMonkeyMom]

My hair is not quite as long as in the picture I have uploaded. I actually can't see the pic because I don't have access yet. But I assume that's what you were talking about. The braids are just long enough to wrap one full time around. Start at the ear, around the head, end at the same ear. A problem I have is they seem to slip back duringthe day. I kind of prefer them back a little (not right on top of the head) but then they tend to fall backwards no matter how much I pin or clip them.

[Yozhik]

Interesting way of wrapping them. :)
Do you wrap the braids up and over (around your forehead first) or back and over?

I tend to wrap my braids by criss-crossing them in the back, and then bringing them up around the forehead and back down. I don't know if this makes them more stable or not, but you could give it a try.

As for how to secure them, I third-fourth-fifth the suggestion of Amish pins. I weave them in and out of my braid, trying to catch scalp hair as well, and go opposite the direction the braid is lying. :)

[FroggyMonkeyMom]

Imma google Amish pins. Yeah I wrap them down. Otherwise I get weird sideburns flyaway hairs.

[MJheals]

I've found that regular old bobby pins are much too weak for longer hair, they bend too easily and can't take the weight. If you have a Sally beauty supply near you, I would suggest a trip down there to the section with the rollers. They have packages of hair pins that look like bobby pins, but are much longer, thicker, and stronger. They're called 'Sta-Right' pins (in the jumbo size).
http://www.sallybeauty.com/Jumbo-Hair-Pins/STARTE2,default,pd.html?cm_vc=SEARCH
I only need three to hold a cinnamon bun in my MBL hair all day.
HTH :)

[owlathena]

so many different kinds of pins! Bobby pins work fine for me, but I want to try out some others...

[FroggyMonkeyMom]

Thanks for all the replies :) Weight is not much of a problem, even when it was knee length. (it's tailbone now.) it's pretty fine and not too heavy. I'm just not doing the pins right, I guess.

[Nae]

I don't have many pin tips but you might want to check out Elizabethan Hair Taping. Torrinpaige (one of our members) uses it a lot and she says it doesn't budge. Here is a link to her tutorial. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqbAdvL8kME

If you like, she has a ton of tutorials (and she is a hoot to listen to) here is her regular youtube channel for more ideas. http://www.youtube.com/user/torrinpaige#p/c/F3508F6411A91FDE

[FroggyMonkeyMom]

Is she the one who did the Princess Leia braiding video? I actually have some PL braids right now. Again i tried to use pins and again I failed. They are sitting up on my head with tiny clips, but they stick out to much. :-/ and i lost a pin in my hair somewhere :-P

[papera]

Have you tried spin pins? They look like a cork screwier and you just twist them in your hair, perfect for a normally coiled bun!
Here's a link on how to use them: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qngf8eXsrzQ

I also agree that bobby pins are not really suitable for long hair, it's better to use hair pins. If you have long hair you may like to try really long hair pins as they stay put. When putting them into your hair, take some (not too less, but also not too much, just try for the right amount) hair from your coil/ braid, press the hair pin slightly together and push them into your hair, using hair from the braid and from your head. Then let go of the hair pin once it is completely in your hair.
Good luck! :thumbsup:

[long&blonde]

I'm a 35 year old woman who can not figure out hair pins or Bobby pins!! All the tutorials I see are for buns, I need help with wrapping braids around my head. They just slip right out or open too wide while inserted in the hair so they are not doing what they should be doing. My hair is very fine, if that makes a difference. Any help appreciated!
I too have fine hair. I had the same problem with bobby pins. It is purely thru being on this forum, that I heard about, and had the courage to try "Spin Pins"! They are awesome! I never would have tried them going by appearances; I have had projects untangling bobby pins,barettes,brushs and combs stuck in my hair. But I saw so many on this site raving about Spin Pins; I trust LHC'ers! So I got a set. I adore them! They are my routine sleep hairdo bun holder now, plus I wear them out. Two hold a bun like a rock. And they do not tangle or catch even the most tangly hair. They just screw in and out. So simple:even I could do it! But I gave 2 sets to long haired coworkers,not on LHC? Neither has tried them yet;going by appearances, you think they will tangle in your hair,and you'll never get them out. So not so. They are awesome. I totally have my trust in LHC'ers to thank for my current favorite hair toy: 2 blonde spin pins.

[lunalocks]

I love spin pins. Please try them (and I have LHC to thank). I found mine at Bartels. They come in 2 colors and sizes, but I mostly use the longer ones. 2 hold a bun. I just did aerobic dance for an hour, and the bun held!

[QMacrocarpa]

For wrapping a braid around your head, another possibility would be big haircombs, as described here:
http://www.prismnet.com/~cortese/hair/styling.html#coronet
There's a photo showing the kind of comb toward the top of the page.

[teal]

Nth recommendation for spin pins. They hold very well. :)

[Racquel831]

once you get the hair sitting where you want it, insert the pin just a little and then push it in the opposite way to secure the braid.