Curly updo

[Stefanie]

I am looking for a style for my upcoming wedding in October, and have fallen in love with this one:

However, to me it looks like the girl has short, curly hair. I have medium length, straight hair with layers. The curl would be easy enough to take care of, but would the length of my hair and the layers be a problem?

[Toni]

Originally Posted by Stefanie

I am looking for a style for my upcoming wedding in October, and have fallen in love with this one:

However, to me it looks like the girl has short, curly hair. I have medium length, straight hair with layers. The curl would be easy enough to take care of, but would the length of my hair and the layers be a problem?

Hi Stefanie.

The hair on this model appears to have thick, curly (either natural or influenced) hair that is more of a medium length, yet probably not quite to her shoulders. Should she have any layering, they would be longer, with only feathering or layering along the bottom inch or so. Are your layers long, or grown out? Or do you have short layering on the top? If it's the latter, then your hair wouldn't be impossible to style this way. However, it wouldn't have the same affect. (i.e. front hairline and the sweeping of longer bangs)

Does your hair hold curl for any length of time? If so, I'd take this to your stylist and ask her to try it out on you for you to wear for a day to really give it good test. Of course tell him or her why so they can really charge up your hair with products. Or, if you prefer to DIY, have a friend help you mousse it up, curl it up and fasten back as shown with your preference of a hairband. The ends are then arranged in messy style with (probably) hair wax or paste and pins.

Giving your stylist, or your friend, some time to try it out would be best to ease your mind and to see if your hair type will hold out. Have fun and let us know how your experimenting works out.

[sheen]

I like that style. Where did you get the picture? It kind of looks like Jessica Simpson from her profile. I love the hair up like that with little ringlets coming down the sides.

[Stefanie]

Toni, my shortest layer is about 2 inches below my earlobe. I don't have a lot of layers, but they are there. The longest point of my hair is about 5 1/2 inches from my shoulder. It gets thinner as it goes down though, because of the layers (I hate them and I'm trying to grow it out). I'm not against cutting my hair up closer to the shortest layer, actually, to get it more evened out. Would this work for this style? My hair is actually pretty thin.

I'm not sure how long my hair will hold a curl for, with my water. The water here is very hard, and it flattens my hair. I actually have naturally wavy hair, but you can't tell here. I will be staying with my parents the week before the wedding, though, and there water actually helps bring out the natural wave, so it may help as far as curling the rest goes.

Sheen, I got the picture off of a wedding forum.

[Toni]

Hi Stefanie,

You could bring your hair length up a notch to have more density to the ends. It sounds as though you may need too if your ends are thinning. Be certain they are this way due to the layering and not splitting ends. If they are split, you must snip.

There are products that help with hard water, water with metallic properties, etc. I'm talking shampoos, etc. that would aid in ridding your strands of unwanted iron, sulfur, what have you, from your hair. Do you have a beauty supply store near you? Go in and ask for products for well water. (I am assuming that's what you have) The brands vary from area to area and right now, I am having a brain malfunction trying to remember one I have recommended. If it's not in front of me, I'm lost!

I would shampoo with this well water shampoo and experiment with curling your hair first. You may even want to rinse the shampoo out with bottled water. Gallons from the grocery store are fairly inexpensive for this step. Why wait and be down to crunch time one week before wedding. Leisurely get your hair in shape now.

Next, wrap damp, not wet, hair that has had some styling gel applied, with bendable rod rollers. Allow them to dry thoroughly. Finger comb and pull hair back with your preferred band. Next roll, and bunch curled ends to back of head and pin down only where necessary. May want a friend's help.

The applied curls will help give more fullness. If there still isn't enough density, purchase a hair rat.

Advice elsewhere in the forum

The above blog will help you understand that product and it's homemade replacement if you prefer that.

All in all, experiment whenever time allows for some curl. You may try a curling iron, yet I really think a good "set" is the way to go to enable your style to stay in longer. Try different types of curlers. Perhaps you have girlfriends who will lend you different types and help you with your experimenting? You will want a game plan to ease your mind come time for the wedding. And you will want to be sure it will stay in place throughout the ceremony and during all the dancing afterwards!

[Stefanie]

Actually, we just have really bad city water. There is a lot of limestone here, which gives the water a lot of calcium.

I believe my mom has a curling set, I'll make sure I have my brother bring it with him when he comes to visit, maybe I can recruit him for hair trials!