Braids

[braids4ever]

Braids are the perfect summer long hair answer. It's such a relief to have the hair weight lightended up, on your scalp and head. Easier for sports too. Even those winding moussed up curls look better than just uncontrolled hair.

[blondebomb]

I love braids. I love it even better when someone braids my hair for me. My arms get tired when I braid my own hair. My hair is finally long enoug to braid, but not quite long enough to stay as nicely as I'd like.

[Toni]

Hi blondebomb,

Just thought I'd drop you a line here and share a suggestion if I may.

I wondered if you braided when your hair was wet or at least damp.

Better yet, check out some hair paste like Paul Mitchell's 'elastic shaping paste'. I have fine hair myself and it can be way too silky to style in some ways, like braiding. The tackiness from this paste rubbed into your fingers gives you the control back. Try it, you'll love it.

Or some 'hair serum', like Biolage's Smoothing Serum for unruly hair. You only need a tiny bit worked into damp hair. Then braid.

Experiment with different products and you may find you love braiding your hair yourself.

[blondebomb]

Thanks Toni. I try to braid damp. Otherwise I'll never get it up. I still have too many layers from being flippy. (And the stylist who thought flippier meant cut it all off ) Then there's the being out of French braiding practice. Those products would probably really come in handy. I will give them a try.

[Toni]

Oh my. When someone says "flippy" to me, I feel they must mean the recent trends. These would require very minor layering with the shortest never being any shorter than the bottom of the ear lobes. No, 'flippy' is not getting scissors happy.

Sorry to hear about your miscommunication with your stylist. Communication is everything. That is why I always encourage lots of questions, pictures and making sure everyone is on the same page.

Oh, and you're welcome!

[blondebomb]

I wanted to cry. All I wanted was for the layers to be a little shorter so they would flip easier. When she turned me to the mirror, my hair (shoulder length at least) was no longer than my chin. I'm sure it was shorter.

[haircarebear]

I would braid my hair before going to the pool. I would make two braids and then take two little clips and put them up on each side of my hair. It is hard to describe, but it looked really cute and it held up in the water just fine.

[braids4ever]

Yes i learnt the wet hair trick in college. i have fine hair but long and blonde so if i wait until it is damp ish but still slithery and braid very tight i can get some killer volume when i unbraid.

I used to save a lot of time at night after washing hair braiding it into seven or eight ponytails of tightly wrapped braids then in the morning while i was waking up unstringing them.

a little product at the roots, a little arangement, voila. Like faking a perm. I would get incredible volume. Streaks from summer looked amazing, and natural.