Welcome and Intro

Three little girls who love hair and hairdoing.  We are doing this together for fun and it's our hobby.  We also like long hair at our house, no particular reason--we just like it.  Star is 10 and thought about cutting hers a year ago when most of her friends were, but has since changed her mind and wants to be the girl with the longest hair possible.  She still likes "little girl 'dos" but also wants more "grownup" looks.  Snowflake, 5, idolizes Rapunzel and so wants her hair as long as it can get.  She sometimes wants it blonde and straight too, but she'll have to live with brown and wurly.  Rainbow is 2 and just loves "pretty" hair.  She is finally willing to let her hair be styled--although with her baby-short hair her styles are fairly limited.  I also had waist-length hair until January this year when I chopped it to my shoulders.  I immediately missed my long hair and am growing it back out. 

With these girls (and myself) wanting long hair, and especially with their hair being fine, breaking from damage is a concern.  So we will practice more natural haircare to keep from styling damage, particularly heat damage.  That means I will not be using curling irons or flat irons and rarely even blowdryers on them.  We'll use combs and special brushes, and if we want more or less curl--we will do it heatless.  There will be no hair teasing.  Hair accessories will be as hair-friendly as possible and styles will still be fun, but we'll try to avoid mechanical damage.

Tools and accessories we'll use:

Seamless combs--plastic, wood , or horn, wide or fine-toothed.  As long as the surface is very smooth and won't snag or tear hair.  Plastic combs with seams can be sanded off with sandpaper.  For detangling and smoothing.

Boar Bristle Brush--brush made from coarse, stiff hair of a boar.  Smoothes the cuticle of the hair, increases shine, and distributes natural oils.  Not very good for detangling, better for smoothing.  Ours is round.

Hair pins--for securing hair in updos, mainly when hair is moved in ways differently than the underlying hair. 

Bobby pins--for securing wisps of hair.  Mainly for hair that is lying in the same direction as the underneath hair.

Hair elastics--"fabric" covered (no metal) or polyurethane.  Polyurethane ones can be soaked in coconut oil prior to use to minimize damage, and as they are cheap, cut out later with small scissors or sewing ripper (just don't cut the hair!)  Probably will keep these down to a minimum as the girls hate them and they pull on the hair alot.

Hair clips, barrettes, bows, flexis, etc--pretty and fun of course!  But we'll mostly avoid those with clasps that may snag in the hair.

Hair sticks or forks--to secure updos and be pretty!

We'll do braids, buns, ponytails, etc. some simple, some elaborate.  If I get an idea from somewhere else, I will try to make sure to give credit and include a link.  If I talk like you don't know anything about hair--well I try to assume there is someone out there who doesn't.  Because once upon a time, I didn't either.