Scalp showing in updos?

[Nannanej]

Hey everyone!
So.. I love some of the more intricate updos I see here, but the fun stops when I start practicing them myself. Basically almost anything that requires sectioning (except single English braids) will cause me to end up with a pretty pathetic result where my scalp is showing a lot. Even single French/Dutch braids have that effect and I'd love to be able to do those :(
So I can usually only do a single English braid, cinnabun or braided bun, which is not a lot to choose from.
Now, I have completely straight and fine hair, and that could be the problem.. Though I'm pretty sure I've seen people here with my hair type, who still manage avoid this problem? Am I right?
Anyway, do any of you guys have this problem too? Know any ways to work around it?
I'd loooove to be able to do some of the more complicated multi-braid styles.
Thanks in advance!

[skyblue]

I have this problem too, I know that smoothing your hair into position with a bbb brush helps a lot

[CarpeDM]

I have this problem too, I know that smoothing your hair into position with a bbb brush helps a lot

Yup, that was what I was going to suggest...

[Nannanej]

Hm, thanks both of you, maybe it's time to get one of those.. Do they work well with braided styles though?

[moxamoll]

I have this problem too. My scalp seems to glow white along the parts. I've started to either try to plan one part of a style to cover the part or just try and place the part so that it seems deliberate.

I'll be eagerly watching for other answers!

[AnqeIicDemise]

I've used a rat tail comb successfully. I use it to part the sections of hair. As in, I gather a section of hair with the teeth and pull that into the braid. It somehow manages to splay the hair wide enough to cover the scalp. If I don't have time to do it that way, I braid as usual and gently pass the comb along the really big parts.

I only started doing this because I tend to loose my BBB a lot. The cat likes my BBB brush and drags it away. xD

[jacqueline101]

Mine shows around the temple and part line.

[Madora]

Hey everyone!
So.. I love some of the more intricate updos I see here, but the fun stops when I start practicing them myself. Basically almost anything that requires sectioning (except single English braids) will cause me to end up with a pretty pathetic result where my scalp is showing a lot. Even single French/Dutch braids have that effect and I'd love to be able to do those :(
So I can usually only do a single English braid, cinnabun or braided bun, which is not a lot to choose from.
Now, I have completely straight and fine hair, and that could be the problem.. Though I'm pretty sure I've seen people here with my hair type, who still manage avoid this problem? Am I right?
Anyway, do any of you guys have this problem too? Know any ways to work around it?
I'd loooove to be able to do some of the more complicated multi-braid styles.
Thanks in advance!

HOW you section your hair is what makes the difference. Sometimes you just have to play around with sectioning different ways in order to find the happy medium.

Also, tension (how loose or not you position the strands) can play an important part.

[heidi w.]

A BBB may not be overly helpful with braided hair styles. But if you want to kind of congeal a look, such as drawing all the hair back from the forehead hairline, you can tip the BBB on its side, and gently draw the side of the bristles over the top of this hair to kind of undo the sectiony-ness of the hair. A BBB so used will flatten the top of the hair. Sebum/oil adds weight. Just FYI. But the top of your hair will shine a bit more, kind of that "Latino" look....

heidi w.

[Anje]

Sometimes running a fine-toothed comb from your hairline back toward where the hair is gathered, over the scalp cleavage zone, will work well. Similar to the BBB, but I find it grabs at the hair less when I lift the comb back out than a BBB does.

Similarly, making sure you comb or brush the hair backward toward where you're going to gather it for an updo tends to help reduce how much the hair separates to show the scalp. Or at least slows down the process a bit.

[Nannanej]

Sometimes running a fine-toothed comb from your hairline back toward where the hair is gathered, over the scalp cleavage zone, will work well. Similar to the BBB, but I find it grabs at the hair less when I lift the comb back out than a BBB does.

Similarly, making sure you comb or brush the hair backward toward where you're going to gather it for an updo tends to help reduce how much the hair separates to show the scalp. Or at least slows down the process a bit.

Thank you, I'll keep that in mind.
I didn't only mean the normal part/scalp cleavage, but also in something like a french braid, the little individual sections show a lot of my scalp for some reason, and I'm not sure if there's even anything to do about that :eek:

[lunalocks]

I have tried something new to make more volume with the hair covering my scalp that I think might help. I take side front sections, and hold them loosely straight up, then take each back side section and loosely join the rest at the top of my head, then start my bun up there. I hold the bun in place with 3 spin pins. It looks like sort of a messy bun, but with more volume than if I pulled everything tight.
I have to figure out how to put some pics up, now that I am allowed. This technology is so bafflling to me...

[Nannanej]

I have tried something new to make more volume with the hair covering my scalp that I think might help. I take side front sections, and hold them loosely straight up, then take each back side section and loosely join the rest at the top of my head, then start my bun up there. I hold the bun in place with 3 spin pins. It looks like sort of a messy bun, but with more volume than if I pulled everything tight.
I have to figure out how to put some pics up, now that I am allowed. This technology is so bafflling to me...

Hm, that makes sense! Pictures would still be great though :D Maybe with that method I could avoid showing that scalp-y cowlick-y area at the back of my head..

[auburntressed]

Thank you, I'll keep that in mind.
I didn't only mean the normal part/scalp cleavage, but also in something like a french braid, the little individual sections show a lot of my scalp for some reason, and I'm not sure if there's even anything to do about that :eek:
I don't usually have this problem with regular French braids, but when I do doubles, it can get tricky. I just have to play around with it until I feel like I've got the hair evened out a bit. Using a comb to help re-position where the hair falls helps a lot.

Of course, playing around with the parting until it looks nice necessitates looking in a mirror while doing your hair. Which I almost never do.

[fridgee]

Thank you, I'll keep that in mind.
I didn't only mean the normal part/scalp cleavage, but also in something like a french braid, the little individual sections show a lot of my scalp for some reason, and I'm not sure if there's even anything to do about that :eek:

Maybe you could trying doing the French braid a bit lower so the sections are slightly tilting downwards towards the braid and so would cover the scalp they are coming from, if that makes sense? Rather than being pulled upwards and showing the scalp underneath. (I can't think how else to explain it :/ )

[Nannanej]

Thank you both, I like your suggestions! I'll try to practice those techniques. :)