A bit upset about my hair :(

[irishlady]

Hi everyone,

I'm feeling a bit down about my hair lately when it comes to hairtoys, I feel so limited.

This isn't because of the length, but rather because of my inability to get the toys to work for me.
It's not the length because even when I was at BSL my hair would spit sticks and forks and spin pins out after a few seconds. And even now with it just brushing my shoulders, I can very rarely get it to hold spin pins or a fork for me, so as I said it's not the length.

It just upsets me that 9 times out of 10, no matter the length, I am limited to little hair clips or elastics. Most times the spin pins or pretty forks etc will just fall right out immediately, even though I know how to insert them *sigh*

It won't stop me from buying them of course, but I'd like my hair to actually appreciate them for a change :(

Any tips?

[Zesty]

Have you ever had your hair longer than BSL? Because if not, it might actually be the length. I don't know what side of ii you lean towards, but if you have moderately thick hair you might need more length before being able to easily use some of the hairtoys LHCers love.

That being said, my advice would just be to watch lots of videos and read lots of instructions. I don't even want to know how many YouTube hours I logged figuring out hair sticks. For me, the visual is what helps. Also, try different bun styles. I did pencil, then grew out of that and started doing a nautilus, then somehow that stopped working and now I wear a cinnamon bun almost every day. But when I tried a cinnamon bun at the beginning of my long hair journey, it didn't work at all. I guess the bottom line is keep trying it from all different angles (figuratively and literally). Unless you have more specific problems to troubleshoot that seems to be your best bet. :)

[ravenheather]

Is it a thickness/thinness issue? Or a slippy hair issue?

Subbing because I have thinnish slippy hair. Putting my hair up damp seems to help some.

[irishlady]

Have you ever had your hair longer than BSL? Because if not, it might actually be the length. I don't know what side of ii you lean towards, but if you have moderately thick hair you might need more length before being able to easily use some of the hairtoys LHCers love.

That being said, my advice would just be to watch lots of videos and read lots of instructions. I don't even want to know how many YouTube hours I logged figuring out hair sticks. For me, the visual is what helps. Also, try different bun styles. I did pencil, then grew out of that and started doing a nautilus, then somehow that stopped working and now I wear a cinnamon bun almost every day. But when I tried a cinnamon bun at the beginning of my long hair journey, it didn't work at all. I guess the bottom line is keep trying it from all different angles (figuratively and literally). Unless you have more specific problems to troubleshoot that seems to be your best bet. :)

The longest I have had it is waist, but that's before I discovered hair toys.

[Of the Fae]

Have you tried braids and sticks? It holds up easier!
Also, maybe you can try out some styles with bobby pins?

[irishlady]

Is it a thickness/thinness issue? Or a slippy hair issue?

Subbing because I have thinnish slippy hair. Putting my hair up damp seems to help some.

It might be both, my hair is somewhere in the middle of ii, so it's not very thick, and it is incredibly slippery as well.

[irishlady]

Have you tried braids and sticks? It holds up easier!
Also, maybe you can try out some styles with bobby pins?

My hair is probably too short at the moment, but once it's a bit longer I'll try.

[irishlady]

Have you ever had your hair longer than BSL? Because if not, it might actually be the length. I don't know what side of ii you lean towards, but if you have moderately thick hair you might need more length before being able to easily use some of the hairtoys LHCers love.

That being said, my advice would just be to watch lots of videos and read lots of instructions. I don't even want to know how many YouTube hours I logged figuring out hair sticks. For me, the visual is what helps. Also, try different bun styles. I did pencil, then grew out of that and started doing a nautilus, then somehow that stopped working and now I wear a cinnamon bun almost every day. But when I tried a cinnamon bun at the beginning of my long hair journey, it didn't work at all. I guess the bottom line is keep trying it from all different angles (figuratively and literally). Unless you have more specific problems to troubleshoot that seems to be your best bet. :)

I can easily get it into a nice bun with little clips, the same as when it's longer, but it's so slippery it spits everything else out, when it's this length or longer.

Having said that though, I suppose you have a point, I need to be more patient until it's longer so I can experiment with it more, but it's so difficult to be patient :p

[ravenheather]

My hair is slippy, but I use the spin pins without problems. I can also use hair sticks in a french twist (all I can do right now). Hopefully I can use a fork as I have a grahtoe otw. I figure out what style my hair can go in then try to find tutorials using whatever hair toy I want to try. Like what angle to use etc. That's how I figured out the hairsticks in a french twist.

[Corylina]

You're SL length, irishlady. Just wait a bit :)

You know, I was unable to do anything with hairtoys until waist or hip length, mainly because of the thickness of my hair. When my hair was shorter, I just did braids and that's all ;)

[Vanille_]

We have a similar hair type. Even at waist, hair toys can be tricky. Often times I feel I need extra support with bobby pins ... but those usually just fall out anyway. I've found that some buns that use hair sticks work, but I have to do the style several times until it's tight enough.

[pink.sara]

You're pretty close to being able to do something... Sl isn't so far from the BSL+ lengths where forks and sticks start to be useful :)

I just posted my first cinnibun at 24.5 inches, but I had to put it in a pony first then twist and spin pin to hold it!!

I dont see anything wrong with a bit of hair elastic cheating until it will hold just with a fork ;)

[sonrisa76]

Irishlady i'm in the same boat as you. my hair is incredibly thick and i also have the same thing happen to me as far as hair pins, bobby pins, hair clips etc popping back out after numerous tries. what Zesty says makes perfect sense. i'm currently about an inch past BSL when stretched. so i'm going to give my hair a chance to get a tad bit longer. of the Fae is right. it is easier to pin the hair up when its braided. that's the what i do to obtain any type of bunned style. it's time consuming but it helps a little.

[Of the Fae]

The bobby pin updo's I;ve been doing myself since it was SL, and it's really very easy to learn :) It helped me through the shoulder length stage, because I was agitated about my hairsticks not staying in also (btw, mine keep slipping out right now almost all the time as well:P but it helps to stick in a few pins additionaly as well)

[irishlady]

Thanks everyone :)...I feel a bit better now, I just have to figure out what will work for now and just learn how to be patient!

[Of the Fae]

You can do it :)

[irishlady]

You can do it :)

Thank you :)

[heidi w.]

Hi everyone,

I'm feeling a bit down about my hair lately when it comes to hairtoys, I feel so limited.

This isn't because of the length, but rather because of my inability to get the toys to work for me.
It's not the length because even when I was at BSL my hair would spit sticks and forks and spin pins out after a few seconds. And even now with it just brushing my shoulders, I can very rarely get it to hold spin pins or a fork for me, so as I said it's not the length.

It just upsets me that 9 times out of 10, no matter the length, I am limited to little hair clips or elastics. Most times the spin pins or pretty forks etc will just fall right out immediately, even though I know how to insert them *sigh*

It won't stop me from buying them of course, but I'd like my hair to actually appreciate them for a change :(

Any tips?

It actually sounds to me that you do not know how to put a hairstick in or whatever toy it is. One should never use force. The stick should fairly easily glide in. You may have to wiggle the stick back and forth or up and down to get it through the hair. Most updos that use hair sticks require that the hair be formed in a kind of "organized knot", and that one essentially locks the knot in place with the hair stick.

Something is wrong in your how-to. I wish I were there to help you.

heidi w.

[spidermom]

Just keep watching tutorials and practicing. You'll get it. I thought I'd never get sticks to hold. I tried and tried and tried and ... One day it just clicked.

Getting a style to hold is a matter of getting the ends securely pinned into place between scalp and bun. There's a trick to it.

[SpinDance]

Patience is the key, and certainly not what one wants to hear. At your length there are a number of cute things you can do, including peacock, French twist, maybe Gibson tuck and of course lots of braids. Each of these takes time for your hands to 'get' but growing long is a long term thing, so consider it plenty of time to perfect your techniques!

I also vote for watching lots of videos. Don't just look at a couple people, either. Some things I've seen my hands just don't want to do, but I saw someone else do a similar or even the same updo, using different movements, that work quite well for me. Also, try buns made with either hand. Try putting in sticks/forks with either hand as well, to figure out what you are most comfortable with. When I was learning to braid I learned from books (way before the days of video!). I sat every evening for 2 weeks with a teach yourself to braid book in my lap making knots in my hair. Suddenly one day my hands 'got it' and since then it's been pretty easy to learn any new braid, and even buns.

[ravenheather]

slight hijack: Does anyone have tips about hair slipping out of french braid? Or is it just a matter of more length if hair is slippy?
hijack over.

[SpinDance]

ravenheather, I find my hair braids best any day but wash day. The natural oils help it to 'grip' a bit better. When I swim I wet my hair a bit, apply some oil (whatever kind takes my fancy at the moment) and that helps it as well. Damp braiding helps somewhat reduce the number of whispies that try to stick out.