Wednesday 16 May 2012

Reverse U shape for long hair?


I’ve had this idea rattling around in my head for quite a while:  
Would a reverse U shape be the perfect haircut for a longhair who wears the hair up a lot?
I wear braids a lot but I often find myself being unhappy with the taper. I want them to stay thick all the way down!

The natural taper is accented by the braid-parts having to first “travel” around the head to get to the back where it will be gathered into the braid. Naturally since the hair from the front has to take that “detour” it will “run out” first when braiding and the tassel will be mostly the braid-part from the back of the head.
The same happens for any buns as well: The hair has to go around before being gathered into a bun. When my hair was short the layers actually helped me secure a bun, but now at knee length a near-blunt cut has been just fine.
So would it be beneficial for a longhair wearing a lot of braids to maintain a reverse U shape?
        
 
         
Now that I think about it, actually what you should do it have a slightly shorter “under layer” instead since the hair from the top of your scalp also needs to “travel” a bit too. Especially if you wear Dutch or French braids where the top is lifted and shaped.
         
 
           
Maybe the ideal shape isn’t as much a “revere U shape” but a slightly shorter under layer for a section of your hair?  

Something like the green rectangle, maybe with the top slightly arched instead?
    
         
I think I might go for this some time after I have walked for the modelling. But of course this raises a few questions?

Would it thicken up my braids all the way down?
Would it make my buns less stabile?
Would I notice a shorter under layer when my hair is down?
Would I be happy with this?

And… How in the world would I explain this to a stylist? 

8 comments:

  1. I hear you about the taper problem when braiding. I have the same problem... That's why I think you're on to something. I have a reasonably thick hemline when my hair is down, but when I braid, due to the sectioning, my tassels are anything but thick. So it would be beneficial to do some hair trim maneuver to have thick, even tassels.
    There is undeniable logic in your reasoning, but the thing that first went through my head was the last sentence in your post! I laughed when I saw it :) I guess the predicament here would be to find a proficient stylist who understands advanced hair theory :D

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  2. or... and this is maybe me being tired and illogical but I seem to remember that you actually DID have a reversed U-shaped hemline that your mom evened out for you the last time you were home in Denmark. And didn't you acheive that shape from snipping the end of your braidtassel instead of trimming when the hair was loose? So why not just do that again but maybe with a helping hand from hubby if needed to correct any mistakes you can't reach for yourself?

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  3. Ohtawen: *Chuckle* I have a feeling THAT special order will go to hubby. I like his “scared shitless” attitude when it comes to trimming my hair. No fancy and full of herself-stylist for me thankyouverymuch. I think I will be able to do a sufficient sectioning myself, so if I can get him to take 1-2 cm off extra it might work, hmm?

    RockPaperScissorLizardSpock: That is true, but I never felt happy with the shape it had braided or down then. It had more of a wedge cut into the blunt shape when down and when braided it only shortened the tassel where I guess I’m more after a general thickening of the last braided part and the tassel. I think I would get a better shape from a purposeful cut than from a more or less random snipping. But since this is the first I’ve ever heard of this trim-idea I think I will have to make a guinea pig out of myself and see how it goes. It might not work at all or it might actually be a good idea…

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  4. Hope it works out :)Btw are there any nice places/stuff to do/good restaurants/beer joints you could recommend in Lund? I'm kind of lost :/

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  5. Here's an interesting thing:
    I asked my hair dresser about this method of cutting: When she was on maternity leave, I got my hair done at just a local first choice--there was one or two ladies there that were excellent with long hair. But, the one thing they did differently than my hair dresser is that they sections my hair from the underneath and then the top.

    I often wondered if that made hair more 'even' in regards to thickness, but I asked my hair dresser this and she said it would only work if you were cutting substantial length (meaning more than my 1 inch).

    My hairdresser then explained that with extra long hair the way it grows would make that method (the sectioning/clipping the under part) make the hair uneven in a sense, but I am wondering now if it would thicken my braid too. I find if I section my hair just right, my tassle isn't too skimpy, but usually I'm always doing a mega fast braid and find it really uneven/skimpy at the ends.

    I have to get my bangs done at some point so I'll ask her again. I'm curious now :)

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  6. RockPaperScissorLizardSpock: I still haven’t tried all the places in Lund yet but I really like the Indian buffet at Bantorget. Have you been there? It’s simple, unpretentious and good. The Thai place at Mortenstorget is the best Thai place out of the 5 or so in the city. I like Bishops Arms for beer :) Have you been to Stadsparken? It’s surprisingly nice for a city of Lunds size :) It makes me wish I lived closer to it.

    Darkhorse: I do think you need to take about an inch off to make it work, but I’ll give it a try with ½ inch or so first…

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  7. Thanks! I'll check out all of these places, it's nice to have somewhere to start and I feel waaaaay to old for "kåren" where noone seems older than 23 so bishops arms sounds like a nice place to go for a beer :)

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  8. I also wonder if that it's because as the hair gets longer, the ends are thinner generally due to breakage? Were your braid tassels always thick? Did they start to get smaller as your hair got longer? I wonder by sectioning hair in a trim, if the under layer/hair at the back would create a better tassel when braiding because the sides would be longer than the underneath part, right?

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