Wedding Hairstyles For Black Women

For black women, like all women, their wedding day is one of the most significant and memorable days of their lives. Because of the occasion's importance, much thought should be given to the bride's hairstyle. Because black women have hair of all types, lengths, textures, colors and thicknesses, the choice of hairstyles for the wedding day are innumerable. Here are some things to keep in mind when planning your wedding hairstyle.

Significance

The way a woman wears her hair on her wedding day is significant because it is a reflection of her personal style and the style of the wedding. For instance, if the hair is worn up and off the neck and back, it can signify the formal elegance, traditional style and grace of the bride, her gown and the wedding. For black women who choose a culturally specific theme, the hairstyle can be used to reflect and echo the traditions of her ancestors. Because black women come from many parts of the world and have many textures, lengths and colors of hair, the possibilities of using the hairstyles to signify their culture and traditions are endless.

Types

Just as black women have many types of hair, they also have just as many, if not more, types of hairstyles to choose from for their wedding day. The types of hairstyles mostly depend on the length of the hair. The hair can be worn down and around the face, or down and off the face behind the ears. It can also be worn with the front pulled off the face and styled with the back down. The hair may also be styled with all of it off the face and neck. The type of hairstyle will also depend on whether any accessories will be worn on the head, in the hair or behind the ears.

Considerations

The goal should be to look like your best self, not someone else. If your personal style is demure and subtle, then choosing a hairstyle that is trendy and extreme may not be the best choice. You may end up shocking your fiance when he sees you walking down the aisle. In the future, you may look back at your pictures with regret instead of fond memories if you choose a style that doesn't suit you. It's okay to consider a hairstyle that you haven't worn before for your wedding day to make it special. For instance, if your hair is shoulder length but you would like to wear long, cascading curls, then consider hair extensions. Just make sure the essence of the hairstyle is compatible with yours.

Time Frame

Give yourself enough time to have your stylist do a trial run with your hairstyle of choice, at least a month before your wedding. You will not have enough time or mental space to rethink your hairstyle if you wait until the last minute. Talk to your stylist about what chemical services you may want and whether they can be done at the same time. For instance, if you want a relaxer and permanent hair color for your wedding hairstyle, you may need to have them done during separate visits.

Warning

Consider the time of day and location of your wedding when choosing a hairstyle. If you're getting married in a humid, wet environment and your hair tends to frizz, consider a hairstyle that can be set in place. You will also want to communicate with your stylist about which products will help you battle the humidity so your hairstyle holds up and looks great all day. Be sure your attendants communicate this as well. Don't assume that they will think of this ahead of time.

Tags: your wedding, black women, hairstyle that, your hairstyle, your stylist, Because black, Because black women

Create Spiral Curls In A Layered Bob

With a bit of work, you can create spiral curls in your layered bob.

Creating spiral curls in a layered bob haircut can give your short hair a soft, romantic look, and knowing do so will open a completely new avenue of styles to your regular hair routine. You can leave the curls loose and flowing or pin them back for a pretty and sophisticated up do. The most important part of creating spiral curls in a layered bob is to keep the curls as long as possible, especially with shorter bobs, to avoid hair being too tight at the scalp.

Instructions

1. Work a curl enhancing cream, gel or mouse into damp hair. Avoid placing too much product at the roots, as this can weigh hair down.

2. Spray your hair with a heat protectant spray all over, and apply the product liberally to the ends of your hair. This will protect them from the heat of your blow dryer and curling iron.

3. Blow dry hair smooth with a large, round brush. To avoid fly-aways, make sure to use a nozzle attachment on your blow dryer, and move the nozzle with the brush while styling, pointing it down to seal the hair cuticle. While straightening your hair prior to curling may seem counterproductive, spiral curls are easiest to create in a layered bob haircut when the hair is already smooth.

4. Spray your hair with a heat protectant again. This will apply another layer of protection to your hair, and help to keep your spiral curls shiny and soft.

5. Heat up a clipless spiral curling iron. This hot tool looks exactly like a normal curling iron, except it has a guide around the barrel to create tight curls. Using an iron without a clip will help to prevent any dents from forming in the curls.

6. Section your hair into three parts: the back and the hair on either side of your head. Leave the bottom layer from the back section out.

7. Take a 1 inch piece from the first section and wrap it around the barrel, following the guide and making sure not to overlap the hair. To keep length, wrap the hair loosely enough so that it goes from one end of the barrel to the other.

8. Remove the next section of hair, going by your layers, and repeat the curling process. Keep moving up your head until the entire back section is curled.

9. Repeat the process on both sides of your head, working from the bottom up. For pieces next to your face, wrap the hair around the curling iron so the curls move away from your face.

10. Place a small amount of finishing cream in the palm of your hands and rub them together, coating your hands in the product. Then, using a scrunching motion, work the product into your curls.

11. Finish with a light hair spray, as needed.

Tags: your hair, curling iron, spiral curls, your head, around barrel, back section, blow dryer

Is A Kids' Size Six Shoe The Same As A Women'S Size Eight Shoe

Kids' shoes are cute, and just may fit a woman.

Just as women with small frames can shop in the juniors' or young boys' departments of clothing stores, ladies with small feet can wear youth-sized shoes. Women's shoe size eight does not exactly equate to a kids' six, but the fit of each shoe varies by manufacturer and style.

Size

A size eight women's shoe measures 9 1/3 to 9 1/2 inches long. Kids' size five to seven shoes measure 9 1/8 to 9 13/16 inches long. So a kids' size six shoe should fit a woman who wears size eight shoes, according to Brooks Shoes for Kids.

Alternatives

Size eight women's shoes are the exact length -- 9 1/3 to 9 1/2 inches -- as men's size six shoes. Women with size eight feet who can't find an appropriate shoe in their own size can thus try kids' and men's shoes.

Considerations

To ensure the best shoe fit possible, measure your feet before you buy shoes and be aware that the width of shoes varies by style. Look for shoes clearly marked "youth," which can refer to either boys' or girls' shoes. Shoes marked "child" or "children's" go by a different scale and will not fit women's feet.

Tags: size eight, eight women, inches long, shoes Women, with small

Short Haircuts For Teens

Teenagers with short hair can change their hair often.

Teenage years are the best time to experiment with shorter hairstyles. Because teenagers are young, their hair grows much quicker. It's also easier to carry off unique styles when you have youth on your side. There are lots of different short haircuts teenagers can have, which means they can swap their style often to keep up with the latest trends. If you want a new haircut, take a photo of what you want to the hairdresser to help give her a better idea.

Pixie Crop

This cut is very short and suits teenagers with angular faces. It's a very low-maintenance hairstyle guaranteed to turn heads. Emma Watson, who plays Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films, had this cut done in August 2010 and it really highlights her angular features. But it's a brave choice, as your hair will be cut very short and close to the face and will take some time to grow out.

Long Bob

Ask your hairdresser to give you a long bob that gets shorter at the back of your head. The front of your hair should fall about an inch below your jawline, and the back of your hair should just cover the nape of your neck. This style, sometimes called "the swing," suits just about anybody and looks really good if you volumize the hair at the back.

Short Bob and Bangs

This is a good haircut for any teenager who wants to stand out and have a bit of a vintage look. Ask your hairdresser to cut your hair into a short bob just below your ears with a short fringe about an inch above your eyes. This cut looks especially good with dark hair. It can be worn sleek, or your can flick it out with your hair straightener.

Shaggy Blond Crop

This haircut was made famous by supermodel Agyness Deyn in 2008. The peroxide-blond shaggy crop is great for teenagers who want to stand out from the crowd. Ask your hairdresser to strip the color from your hair entirely and to cut it into a shaggy crop with lots of volume at the top of the head.

Tags: your hair, your hairdresser, about inch, back your, below your, Crop This, hair should

Create Texture In Hair & Bangs

Get gorgeous beach hair with your curling iron.

As beautiful as sleek straight hair is, there may be times where you want to change up your look with more volume and texture. This is the perfect time to grab your styling tools and a few hair products to transform your straight hair. Using a curling iron, you can give your hair plenty of texture with tousled waves. If you want to look like you just stepped off the beach, give your hair and bangs some beachy waves.

Instructions

1. Wash your hair and towel dry. Remove any knots or tangles.

2. Flip your head upside down. Apply a small amount (the size of a quarter) of volumizing or texturizing gel to your hair from roots to tips. Massage the gel into your hair to create a bit of texture.

3. Blow dry your hair, keeping the nozzle facing downward. Hold it a few inches away from your hair. Flip your head upside down if you want extra volume. Set your blow dryer on cool to lock in the volume. Scrunch your hair as you dry.

4. Set your wide barrel (1 ¼ inch wide) curling iron on a high setting.

5. Separate a 1 inch section of hair. Apply a texturizing spray to this section.

6. Twist the section with your fingers to create a slight rope effect. Starting near the roots, wrap the section of hair around the curling iron, leaving about an inch unwrapped so you get flat ends. Repeat this process to create texture on the rest of your hair and bangs.

7. Run your hands through your hair to release the curls.

8. Use hair pomade to define your bangs. The pomade will make these pieces stand out more.

Tags: your hair, curling iron, create texture, Flip your, Flip your head, give your, give your hair

Define Hair Perm

For a temporary change in the texture of your hair, you can use a curling iron or rollers to give straight hair curls. But these methods are only temporary. For a lasting change to your hair's structure, you can give your hair a chemical perm.

Function

The word perm is short for permanent wave, which is describes this style of hair curling. Unlike hot rollers or curling irons, a perm does not wash out after one or two days. Instead, it uses chemicals to break down and reform the hair's structure. Variations on the perm include stack perms, spiral rods, spot perms or volumizing perms. Spiral perms are used for longer hair types and produce corkscrew curls. The stack perm provides a wedge-shaped hairstyle. Spot perms are put into only part of the hair to provide a few curls or to tame frizzy hair. Volumizing perms are used in thick, flat or heavy hair to add volume.

Process

Before undergoing a perm, your hair is washed and then wrapped around rods. A chemical treatment is placed on the hair that causes it to mould around the rods. After a period of time, the hair is rinsed and a chemical neutralizer is applied. The neutralizer reforms the bonds of the hair's structure and sets the curl. A perm takes about two hours to complete and can last for up to five months. You also may be able to extend it with a perm rejuvenator.

Types

Depending on the hair's structure, some perm formulas are better than others. Alkaline hair formulas work best for hair with low elasticity, resistant hair, Asian hair types and persons with normal hair. Acid perms are better for people with over-processed or fragile hair. An acid hair perm is gentler than an alkaline formula.

Precautions

Colored hair should not be permed since it has already undergone a chemical treatment. Too many chemicals can damage hair and give it an overprocessed look. Do not wash your hair for up to 24 hours after your perm. Your hair is fragile at this point and needs time to adjust to the chemicals. Additionally, people with perms should avoid aggressive shampooing, which can further damage the hair.

Care

When washing your hair, select a shampoo formulated for chemically treated hair. Shampoos are actually detergent in nature rather than soap. A shampoo that has not been formulated for chemically treated hair may be too harsh and may dry the hair. Choose a light conditioner that has been formulated for your hair as well. Gently towel dry your hair and let it air dry. If you must use a blow dryer, only blow dry your hair 80 percent to 90 percent dry. Work tangles out with a wide-toothed comb, but otherwise don't brush or comb your hair. Avoid styling products that contain alcohol, and get regular hair trims to eliminate split ends.

Tags: your hair, hair structure, your hair, around rods, been formulated

Short Hairstyles From The 90s

Actress Terri Hatcher had a typical '90s polished bob cut.

Following the '80s big-hair era of perms, ratting and tons of hairspray, it was not surprising that many women saw the new '90s as a decade of freedom and chopped their hair off, opting for cute, simple dos. Short cuts in the '90s ranged from messy and natural to polished and styled.

Messy Layers

Women with natural waves or thickness in their hair loved the messy, layered look that highlighted those features. Stars like Meg Ryan had their naturally wavy hair cut into messy layers that framed the face and did not require much effort in styling. The cut came just below the ears and often had side-swept bangs. Women with thicker waves achieved the look by applying some shaping pomade to give the messy look texture, then allowing their hair to air dry.

Bobs

One trendy '90s look was a full, thick bob that came to below the chin. Women blew their hair dry with a round brush and curled the ends under to achieve fullness and swing to the style. Actress Terri Hatcher wore the look as Lois Lane on TV's "Lois and Clark." Another '90s bob was the baby bob made trendy by supermodel Linda Evangelista. The super short bob only came to the ears with dramatic points of hair and had very short bangs.

Tapered Crop and Bi-Level

The simple, no-muss tapered crop worked best on women with straight hair. It was cut all one length to just above the ears. It was then cut to a short, tapered point at the ears and in the back. Demi Moore wore the style with bangs in the movie "Ghost." Josie Bissett wore it with side-swept bangs on "Melrose Place." The Bi-Level cut was another side-swept do, longer on top than the tapered cut, with medium length layers, framing the face and fringing out a bit at the neck. Actress Cameron Diaz and supermodel Helena Christensen wore this adorable style.

Men's Styles

For men, the glam rock styles and mullets of the '80s were also replaced by shorter styles. The early '90s were a time of big hip-hop trends for many men and the high-top fade, worn by musicians such as Vanilla Ice, was in style. The cut was shaved on the sides and back and was gelled to stand up high on top. Another short hair trend for men was the Caesar cut. The style was very simple and cut short all over the head and then combed forward on the forehead. The popular look was worn by actors such as George Clooney.

Tags: their hair, Actress Terri, Actress Terri Hatcher, side-swept bangs, Terri Hatcher