updo tips for noobs
April 10, 2024 2:54 AM Subscribe
This seems like a silly question but I am looking to start putting my hair up more. I have never done this; I've always air dried it and worn it loose. Any tips for someone quite new to this?
What has prompted me to want to put my hair up more is that I've rediscovered 'fun earrings' but they get lost in my hair if I keep my hair loose. I haven't worn earrings for decades because there's just no point, you can't see them, even if they are quite big.
I'm thinking a few staple updos or half-updos could be a nice addition to my work uniform in addition to nice earrings.
Details about my hair - 2B/2C curls, thick, shoulder-length. I've always worn it in a wash and wear style. I wash it once a week, but wet it thoroughly in the shower every morning and style it using leave-in conditioner. It behaves well when treated this way.
In practice however I'm finding updo's tricky:
- I am fat and round-faced and I find that putting my hair up makes my face look rounder and makes it look like there is a weird hump of fat at the back of my neck!
- If I pull my hair back, I get a halo of baby hair/frizz around my head
- I can't really do the 'face framing' tendrils in front, they look so messy! My hair is mostly one length so when I put it up I just put it all up.
- The lower layer of my hair is dryer/more frizzy so if I put it half-up, half-down, the 'down' bit looks strawlike and frizzy
I'm never actually styling it deliberately to put up, if that makes sense; I just grab it and twist it up. It looks great on people with more well-behaved hair but with me it just looks like I haven't made an effort.
Look, it might just be that updo's/half-updo's don't work for me and that's fine, but I'm interested to know if there is a way to make them work for me. Seeking tips from people with similar hair types who put their hair up more and can advise ways to make this look cute and styled rather than 'Oh, someone couldn't be bothered this morning'.
What has prompted me to want to put my hair up more is that I've rediscovered 'fun earrings' but they get lost in my hair if I keep my hair loose. I haven't worn earrings for decades because there's just no point, you can't see them, even if they are quite big.
I'm thinking a few staple updos or half-updos could be a nice addition to my work uniform in addition to nice earrings.
Details about my hair - 2B/2C curls, thick, shoulder-length. I've always worn it in a wash and wear style. I wash it once a week, but wet it thoroughly in the shower every morning and style it using leave-in conditioner. It behaves well when treated this way.
In practice however I'm finding updo's tricky:
- I am fat and round-faced and I find that putting my hair up makes my face look rounder and makes it look like there is a weird hump of fat at the back of my neck!
- If I pull my hair back, I get a halo of baby hair/frizz around my head
- I can't really do the 'face framing' tendrils in front, they look so messy! My hair is mostly one length so when I put it up I just put it all up.
- The lower layer of my hair is dryer/more frizzy so if I put it half-up, half-down, the 'down' bit looks strawlike and frizzy
I'm never actually styling it deliberately to put up, if that makes sense; I just grab it and twist it up. It looks great on people with more well-behaved hair but with me it just looks like I haven't made an effort.
Look, it might just be that updo's/half-updo's don't work for me and that's fine, but I'm interested to know if there is a way to make them work for me. Seeking tips from people with similar hair types who put their hair up more and can advise ways to make this look cute and styled rather than 'Oh, someone couldn't be bothered this morning'.
You can use a cute little product like this one to tame down your baby hairs. It's like a hair chapstick.
posted by phunniemee at 4:44 AM on April 10 [1 favorite]
posted by phunniemee at 4:44 AM on April 10 [1 favorite]
It’s interesting that the lower layer of your hair is dry and frizzy - typically it would be the top layer like that, while the underneath gets more oils from your scalp and less damage from the elements. When you use your leave in conditioner do you just do the top and not the hair underneath? Try a little frizz serum or simple jojoba oil to help tame the frizz and protect it from damage on your lower layer of hair when you try a half up style.
You can try that same product on your baby hairs, just use whatever is left on your fingertips after working it into the bulk of your hair to add some weight to the finer bits along your hairline. You can also try different kinds of pomade for this, depending on your preferences.
You would probably benefit from a haircut that gives you some carefully trimmed lengths in the front, or even some curly fringe, to frame your face. I’m all about embracing the roundness but as a fellow round faced person I do agree that breaking up the face in certain ways is much more appealing. You can also do this with things that are not hair, but tend to be more high maintenance, like dramatic eye makeup, cool statement glasses, and strong eyebrows. Your question doesn’t seem written by a snatched brows sort of person though.
Look into different kinds of bobby and slide pins for curly hair. There are a lot of options on the market now. I like the goody Bobby pin slides, which have sort of a big long U shape, for holding small pieces of hair in place. Try bringing a section from in front of your ear forward and then looping the bottom of that section back so it sits behind the shell of your ear, and pin it in place. Your hair from the back of your head should cover the ends of the pinned section, and you should be able to see your earlobes. Bringing it forward first helps preserve a little body around your face so it’s not pulled tight to your head, but adjust as needed for your curls. If that doesn’t work for you, twist the front pieces away from your face and back behind your head, adding some more pieces as you go along the side and back of your head, so it pulls in a lot of the top layer of your hair, and secure at the back of your head. Try using pins or slides to help keep it in place. Securing it higher on your head will help give more shape to the top but it will be more stable if it’s lower, find your own preference.
Try making a small bun with the back section of your hair. Using one of those hair ties that look like landline phone cord is helpful. Then, separate your loose curls into large chunks. Working with the curl of each section, twist it back and incorporate it into the bun, using a pin slid into the coily hair tie. This should give you some body and texture around your head in the end, and a big messy bun that shows off your curl pattern. You might like a high bun, which can be easier to get shorter lengths of hair attached to it, and also help elongate your face a bit. Or if you prefer a lower bun it can easily become a partial updo if you choose a few curls to leave out without looking like you have just traipsed across the moors.
It can take a bit to figure out a way to put up your hair that you like when you’re so used to having it long and down. It’s a big change! It might be that you are just not used to seeing so much of your face. Give it a bunch of chances and experiment a lot. Have fun with it and play with your hair. It will bounce back!
posted by Mizu at 6:21 AM on April 10 [1 favorite]
You can try that same product on your baby hairs, just use whatever is left on your fingertips after working it into the bulk of your hair to add some weight to the finer bits along your hairline. You can also try different kinds of pomade for this, depending on your preferences.
You would probably benefit from a haircut that gives you some carefully trimmed lengths in the front, or even some curly fringe, to frame your face. I’m all about embracing the roundness but as a fellow round faced person I do agree that breaking up the face in certain ways is much more appealing. You can also do this with things that are not hair, but tend to be more high maintenance, like dramatic eye makeup, cool statement glasses, and strong eyebrows. Your question doesn’t seem written by a snatched brows sort of person though.
Look into different kinds of bobby and slide pins for curly hair. There are a lot of options on the market now. I like the goody Bobby pin slides, which have sort of a big long U shape, for holding small pieces of hair in place. Try bringing a section from in front of your ear forward and then looping the bottom of that section back so it sits behind the shell of your ear, and pin it in place. Your hair from the back of your head should cover the ends of the pinned section, and you should be able to see your earlobes. Bringing it forward first helps preserve a little body around your face so it’s not pulled tight to your head, but adjust as needed for your curls. If that doesn’t work for you, twist the front pieces away from your face and back behind your head, adding some more pieces as you go along the side and back of your head, so it pulls in a lot of the top layer of your hair, and secure at the back of your head. Try using pins or slides to help keep it in place. Securing it higher on your head will help give more shape to the top but it will be more stable if it’s lower, find your own preference.
Try making a small bun with the back section of your hair. Using one of those hair ties that look like landline phone cord is helpful. Then, separate your loose curls into large chunks. Working with the curl of each section, twist it back and incorporate it into the bun, using a pin slid into the coily hair tie. This should give you some body and texture around your head in the end, and a big messy bun that shows off your curl pattern. You might like a high bun, which can be easier to get shorter lengths of hair attached to it, and also help elongate your face a bit. Or if you prefer a lower bun it can easily become a partial updo if you choose a few curls to leave out without looking like you have just traipsed across the moors.
It can take a bit to figure out a way to put up your hair that you like when you’re so used to having it long and down. It’s a big change! It might be that you are just not used to seeing so much of your face. Give it a bunch of chances and experiment a lot. Have fun with it and play with your hair. It will bounce back!
posted by Mizu at 6:21 AM on April 10 [1 favorite]
I have thick, unruly hair that's been growing since lockdown. The best accessory I've ever found for keeping it pinned in place it is Bathsheba Grossman's hair claw. (No connection with her.)
posted by zadcat at 6:43 AM on April 10 [1 favorite]
posted by zadcat at 6:43 AM on April 10 [1 favorite]
Rub a dab of creamy hair product (leave-in or shower conditioner) in wet hands to emulsify it, and then use it smooth back the flyaways and sculpt the tendrils. A tiny bit of gel can be added to the emulsion if you want more hold (tread lightly with gel as it can look crispy).
Try leaving the bottom part out and just putting more emulsified conditioner in it to soften it.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 8:59 AM on April 10
Try leaving the bottom part out and just putting more emulsified conditioner in it to soften it.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 8:59 AM on April 10
I have curly hair and also a round face that I feel isn't suited to updos, so I'll tell you what's worked for me!
First, I ALWAYS use those phone-cord style hair ties/ponytail holders. They seem to do less damage and hold my curls up well.
Second, in terms of style, for some reason I've found that I feel cuter when I have my pony or half-pony super high up on my head with the curls flowing out like a fountain. For a full pony, I will pull it up to the crown of my head (upside down works best for me); I think this is called a pineapple ponytail. This is also what I do to preserve my curls when I sleep. If my hair is too long for this to look like a cute little poof of curls, I will loosely pin up the strands around the pony with bobby pins so it looks more like a curly top-bun.
For half-ponies, I take just a small amount of hair at the top-front of my head (the "bangs" area only, leaving some pieces on the sides around my ears), put it right at the front of my forehead, then pull the ponytail strands backwards to tighten it while also moving it a few inches back. Then I pull a little bit on the front hair part (the part that is under the ponytail holder right in front) to loosen it up and make it look a little messier/softer. This is SO HARD to describe with words, LOL--if you want pics, memail me. This style looks very 80s but I love it.
I don't have baby hairs but I do sometimes pull out some "tendrils" and what I do with those is get them very wet and scrunch them with product and let them air dry.
Hope this helps!
posted by a.steele at 10:50 AM on April 10 [1 favorite]
First, I ALWAYS use those phone-cord style hair ties/ponytail holders. They seem to do less damage and hold my curls up well.
Second, in terms of style, for some reason I've found that I feel cuter when I have my pony or half-pony super high up on my head with the curls flowing out like a fountain. For a full pony, I will pull it up to the crown of my head (upside down works best for me); I think this is called a pineapple ponytail. This is also what I do to preserve my curls when I sleep. If my hair is too long for this to look like a cute little poof of curls, I will loosely pin up the strands around the pony with bobby pins so it looks more like a curly top-bun.
For half-ponies, I take just a small amount of hair at the top-front of my head (the "bangs" area only, leaving some pieces on the sides around my ears), put it right at the front of my forehead, then pull the ponytail strands backwards to tighten it while also moving it a few inches back. Then I pull a little bit on the front hair part (the part that is under the ponytail holder right in front) to loosen it up and make it look a little messier/softer. This is SO HARD to describe with words, LOL--if you want pics, memail me. This style looks very 80s but I love it.
I don't have baby hairs but I do sometimes pull out some "tendrils" and what I do with those is get them very wet and scrunch them with product and let them air dry.
Hope this helps!
posted by a.steele at 10:50 AM on April 10 [1 favorite]
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Alternatively, I have taken the part of my hair in from about the top of my ears, and pulled it back into either a braid or semi ponytail, leaving the other half down. That will also pull it away from your face & ears.
posted by needlegrrl at 4:31 AM on April 10 [1 favorite]