Hair Pins... HELP!

Hey tots

There's no such thing as a dumb question when it comes to hair. Great hair is a wonderful thing to have, and messing with it without knowing what you're doing can have negative consequences sometimes. Did you have a style in mind when you mentioned using hair pins?

As a general rule, it's easier to create a secure style that won't let you down when the hair has already been put firmly into place with a hair tie.

Hair pins are really versatile, but I guess the most obvious use that springs to mind is for creating a quick bun. Gather the hair in your hand (you can secure it into a ponytail first if you prefer - if you haven't used pins before, creating a ponytail first is probably best) and twist into a bun. As you twist, you will feel the hair lock into place. If not, it's probably not secure enough. You'll have to find your own preference- somewhere between loose messy bun and strict Victorian teacher bun.

Once the hair is in a bun shape that you're happy with and you're holding it in position firmly, it's time to start using the pins. Using your one free hand, grab a pin and insert into the bun at a position close to the base and so the pin stays fairly flat. If you insert a pin at a strange angle, it will bend and probably dig into your head. If that happens, just remove it carefully. You can always bend it back into shape and use it again later.

When you're trying to secure a bun with a hair pin, you want to push it in as close to your scalp as possible without digging it in and causing you pain. You also want to feel the pin going through your bun and the hair underneath it. If it just stays in the bun or the other hair, you're not linking the two together and the pin has no practical use.

It is possible to create a very secure bun with only 4-8 pins, but feel free to use as many as you think you need without going overboard. If you use lots and lots of pins for a simple bun, you're going to knock it out of shape.

Something else worth noting is to be careful that the ends of the pin don't show. This should only happen if you insert the pin at an angle that's maybe too high up the bun (as opposed to the lower part of the bun where the lump meets flat hair) or if you're attempting to use pins with too thin a section of hair (e.g. if you're creating multiple buns on your head and your hair isn't thick/long enough to do so many).

When you've finished creating your hairstyle, you should be able to shake your head lightly without fear of your hair coming tumbling down. You should also feel perfectly relaxed and not as if a whole heap of pins are pressing into your head. If you feel as if that's happening, it probably is. Make sure you're not in any pain as if you don't do your hair probably and the pins press in, you'll just give yourself a "bobby pin headache" after a couple of hours.

I hope you understood some of that! If you didn't, or you need clarification, please post again and I (or someone else) will try to sort it out.

Also, once you've mastered the basic bun and want to try a more complicated look that's created with hair pins, please feel free to ask for some more advice on the board.

Have fun with your hair

Cait x

PS., just for clarification, I am assuming you mean bobby pins or "wavy tipped hair pins" when you refer to hair pins. Kirby grips are a whole different story!

I use a half-assed method when I do buns. All I need is 2 hairbands and 3 pins.

One of the hairbands/elastic thingies go where you'd make a ponytail usually. The other, near the bottom, because I'm so half-assed I don't deal with a gazillion strands. Spin it around and once you'Ve achievreed a first rotation, whatever the second and possibly third (more depending on length) length is, it rotates underneath the previous one. And it should be very tight

Pins .... well, the 2 important ones go in at 20-30 degree angles from the horizon ..... like ^ close to head. The third one, I use it to provide stability to the actual buin. A fourth wouldn't be exaggerating. Just something so that it doesn't plop into some weird shape.


And it's done. I mean, I improvised this because I don't know much about hair (plus I'm a guy, i know nothing :P) and it works. Which is the key element to anything.

Accompany with whatever you desire, scrunchie, bandanna or work hat. :P