QuoteReplyTopic: Props to all you DIYers!!! Posted: March 19 2005 at 8:17am
So, last night had all my tips layed out, heat clamp ready, hair sectioned... going along pretty smoothly, until it came time to loop my hair through the shrinkie! I used the sheild to seperate my piece for the extension, even glued the extension tip to the inside of the shrinkie for a easier/quicker install, I even had my hubby helping me! It took over an hour for 5 extensions in! I said the hell with this and took them out, came out pretty good, used baby oil and it worked with no complaints.
I going to have a friend come over hopefully tomorrow and have her do them for me! I'm so bummmmmed! I wanted these damn things in once and for all!
Question: About how many tips would you say I need for a whole head? I have about 175, but they're pretty small.
Major PROPS to all you gals that can do this yourself!!
mochachip
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When I first started doing my own rings it went really slow (maybe not
5 in an hour but still SLOW). I've never used the shield and
while I think its a good idea i think it would add time to the
process. But you'll get used to it and be going much faster in no
time.
How much length are you adding? 175 small tips may be a bit lite
if you're adding a bunch of length. I'm sure its fine if you're
mostly adding volume.
What kind of tool are you using to loop your hair? I would have
expected sectioning the hair to be the most time consuming part
not pulling a section through the shrinkie.
????
goodluck!
:)al
Bridget
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Sectioning wasn't bad at all. I'm using the needle that I got from Dr locs for the shrinkies. Yeah, I think 175 might be light. My hair is just past my shoulders, adding lenght down to my hiney. I found it extremely hard to use the heat tool while holding the shrinkie w/my other hand... I burnt myselft a couple of times...
Yeah, if they're small, 250 might be a better number.
And I hear you: It's frustrating as hell doing your own hair. I've never done a whole head ever--only steaks and strands here and there--and it's maddeningly slow. This is one of the reasons why I don't do my own hair, actually. I'm sure it speeds up a lot after you've done it a few times, though.
The last time I did my boyfriend's head (about 40 streaks or so, with shrinkies), I kept using the guard, then not using the guard...it's faster without, but there are advantages to using it, too.
Good luck! :)
mochachip
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Yeah if you were doing it completely alone with the heat toolt hat
would be hard. With the pliers i don't have to worry about
causing any permanent damage.
I'm doing shrinkies next and my Husband has promised to help so I don't
burn myself or the house. of course we'll see just how
coordinated he is...
I know what you mean. I'm tipping my hair at the moment ready for install and I really can't decide what to use, whether to use extentubes at the back and then shrinkies at the sides or just give the shrinkies a bash all over xxx
delin
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I agree, it takes considerable practice to be able to do the back of your head...but after awhile I think you develop a feel. I don't use the shield, and definitely get some "strays" in where they shouldn't be, but overall it works ok.
Necessity is the "mother of invention"...and as far as I'm concerned, these things are a necessity! I've spent countless hours applying, un-applying, screwing up and having some success. Really, it's become a hobby. The whole time I'm applying a "new head", I'm thinking about what I'm going to be doing next time.
The thing with DIY is sectioning. You've got to keep hair out of the
way that you're not dealing with.
Hair layout is another tip particularly if you're a person who wants
layers. Have a vision in mind before starting and lay out the hair. All
my hair is color coded and in paper tissues and labeled in lengths.
Long 22"-& longer dark hair goes in on the bottom, 20" goes
next,then 18" etc etc. My top layers are only 10-14". If you put in
long strands on the top crown area, they will swing forward on you and
flow away from the rest of the hair in that row. You'll look like a
hair tard.
As far as like shrinkie application is concerned... section the strand,
put your shrinkie on and then tap it with the wand until it shrinks
down a little. When it's warm, that's when I insert the tip and I press
down. The shrinkie adheres to the strand and you want to make sure it's
lined up and then shrink it the rest of the way.
Sometimes I've had to do a strand over or I shrunk it down too much and the strand won't fit in but I'll get it eventually.
DIY takes a lot of patience. Never try to tackle a whole head install
in one day. Take baby steps and do the sides with some extra volume and
then try to master the length. Patience is the key.
The thing with DIY is sectioning. You've got to keep hair out of the
way that you're not dealing with.
Hair layout is another tip particularly if you're a person who wants
layers. Have a vision in mind before starting and lay out the hair. All
my hair is color coded and in paper tissues and labeled in lengths.
Long 22"-& longer dark hair goes in on the bottom, 20" goes
next,then 18" etc etc. My top layers are only 10-14". If you put in
long strands on the top crown area, they will swing forward on you and
flow away from the rest of the hair in that row. You'll look like a
hair tard.
As far as like shrinkie application is concerned... section the strand,
put your shrinkie on and then tap it with the wand until it shrinks
down a little. When it's warm, that's when I insert the tip and I press
down. The shrinkie adheres to the strand and you want to make sure it's
lined up and then shrink it the rest of the way.
Sometimes I've had to do a strand over or I shrunk it down too much and the strand won't fit in but I'll get it eventually.
DIY takes a lot of patience. Never try to tackle a whole head install
in one day. Take baby steps and do the sides with some extra volume and
then try to master the length. Patience is the key.
Somebody please magnet this post. A better description there never was.
Patience indeed. I pretipped 60 today, installed 10, and I'm thoroughly exhausted.
It's so true about the sectioning being the hardest part. I use the crochet hook (this time with extendtubes, and previously with shrinkies and microrings, too), and I have to say, I always feel like I'm just randomly grabbing at some hair with the hook, and if it seems like enough, I proceed. I'm incapable of creating nice, neat sections.
Thanks for all the pointers! I'm definitly not giving up! After reading all these responses, I'm ready to give it a shot again, like right now!! I'll keep yins' posted!
mochachip
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Jenny, why do I not believe that your hair is as haphazardly sectioned as you suggest?
Seriously though. I use lots of clips to hold everything out of
the way except the row I am working on. then I use my trusty 10
cent plastic rattail comb to make a vertical lilne for a section.
I then twist that hair around my finger a fewt ime and then put the
hook on it to pull it through the ring. Sometimes i end up with n
ot enough hair to really support a strand but I don't have a lit of
trouble with hair migrating from places it doesn't belong into my
section.
I doubt this is fundamentally different than what anone else is doing, but if so and it helps so much thebetter.
Yeah--I guess it's really laziness more than anything that's keeping me from making nice, neat sections. That's a good idea about twisting the hair around your finger first and then hooking it up. I'll try that. :)
Yup Mocha... I ended up resoting to my fingers too. For us gals with fine flyaways. Use hairspray...with a haevy alchohol content. None of that shine,silicone BS. Save that good hairspray for styling!
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