To Jaime

Hi Jaime,Sorry my answer took so long. I have been out of town all week on business and just got a glimpse at the Hair Talk board.Yes..I have tried many of the styles in Patrick Cameron's Dressing Long Hair Styles and I have managed to create the look WITHOUT doing any backcombing as Patrick recommends.I think if your hair is long enough (mine is to my tush) and thick enough...you can avoid the backcombing idea.I think backcombing once in awhile...done carefully will not damage your hair but if it is done a lot..it may hurt your hair. Just my opinion.I think that the longer your hair, the more advantage you have of creating the same look as in the book. The reason that Patrick does so much backcombing is to compensate for thin or shorter hair. So if your hair is long and thick or if you have prepared it that way with special volume shampoos and curlers and cold blow drying..you don't need to backcomb to get the same look.The longer your hair and the thicker it is, the easier to create the styles. And all without backcombing.Where to begin? Pick the easiest style and start there.I think the French Twist or the Edwardian Roll are two of the least complicated. Don't worry about backcombing. If you want a lot of volume, use a good volume increasing shampoo like ARTec's volume shampoo and conditioner. Then blow dry your hair on cold, upside down and apply volume gel at the roots. You can even roll your hair to maximize the volume. This can make up for the backcombing.The French Twist requires practice, practice, practice. I was able to do it after about 4-6 times. Have some clips handy to pin the hair away that you are not working with.Yes..the styles will hold. Use lots of pins and hairspray. Especially the French Twist will hold well for dancing.Hope that helps. I believe it is possible to do all the styles in the book once you practice. You may want to get some help for a special event to make sure the back of the hair turns out the way you want.You can try doing the different styles without backcombing and see if you can make that work. If you can...no need to worry about damage to your hair. I certainly understand your concerns.Best wishes,KarenPS. Let me know if you have other questions. I am back online now and will try and stay more plugged in. Again my apologies.***********************************************************Karen: Have you tried any "Dressing Long Hair" StylesPosted By: JaimeTuesday, 1 December 1998, at 12:47 a.m.I recently got my own copy of Dressing Long Hair. I absolutely love the book but don't know where to start. Has anyone tried any of the styles? Has anyone tried any of the styles that require backcombing without doing the backcombing and had any luck? Will these styles stay in place if the evening involves dancing? My hair is down to my waist which is longer than any model in the book. Will it still work with all the styles or are there some I should forget about and others I should concentrate on? When it says to backcomb hair all over, how severely should I do it or can I get away with just a little bit? What is the best way to untangle very long hair that has been backcombed and sprayed? How often can I backcomb very long healthy hair and not worry about damage? Sorry about all the questions but I want to be competent with some of the styles before the holiday season arrives. So please Karen or anyone please respond with some advice!