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Hiding bobby pins

Rocketblast

One of the Regulars
Messages
107
Location
South East England
I would like some help from you ladies regarding hiding your hair pins when you're doing vintage styles, such as rolls and pin curls.
I find it difficult to hide the pins entirely while keeping the rolls/curls in place, and I hate it when I can see them. Does anyone have any tips, photos, tutorials to help me?
Also, does anyone know of any vintage hairstyling classes in the London/South East area? I would love to get some proper guidance.
 

MissHannah

One Too Many
Messages
1,248
Location
London
I think that What Katie Did do workshops occasionally. And you could always book an appointment at Nina's Hair Parlour for a set or style rather than a cut and get some tips then - I know Nina and Leila are always happy to share secrets and techniques.
 

Smuterella

One Too Many
Messages
1,776
Location
London
I really don't think it matters if your pins show, but then I don't aspire to the hollywood thing. I'm sure the everyday girl on the street had her pins showing, and wonky seams and imperfect makeup occasionally too. :)

I actually think the visible pins are rather pretty.

lol
 

Rocketblast

One of the Regulars
Messages
107
Location
South East England
It's a bit easier to hide them inside victory rolls, but a quick style I like to do is a quiffy bit at the front, and just hoiking up the sides and doing two curls on the top which should hide the pins from the front bit... These are the kind of pin curls that are demonstrated beautifully in Lauren Rennells' Vintage Hairstyling book, in which the pins are hidden away somehow... but I have no idea how this is done and the curl actually stays in place. Maybe I shouldn't worry about it but if there is a secret I would like to know!
I will post a picture later to demonstrate.
 

KittyT

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,463
Location
Boston, MA
I can never get my pins completely hidden, so I just try to get pins that are closest to my hair color and think about how everyone else will think "wow, her hair looks amazing!" and not "Guh, her pins are showing!"

I've also found shorter bobby pins that work better for pinning curls because there's less pin to hide. Often pins have a lot more length than what we actually need. Sally Beauty is the only place I've seen this shorter length.
 

BoPeep

Practically Family
Messages
637
Location
Pasturelands, Wisc
Try using more pins and less hair per pin. It seems that there is always a perfect anchor spot on my curls (that will really nail it down), but that leaves the pin far too exposed. So I go for smaller "anchors" (ie. less hair) and use two pins per curl. And a lot of hairspray! lol Of course it takes practice, but I think it's worth it. I don't mind one or two pins showing, but I find a headful to be distracting.
 

MissHannah

One Too Many
Messages
1,248
Location
London
Nobody makes pins for red hair do they? When my hair was red and long I used to use the matt brown ones - that was the best match I could find. Another trick I used to use was to shove a comb in where all the pins were, when I pinned the sides up anyway - that wouldn't work for rolls!
 

Red Diabla

One of the Regulars
Messages
178
Location
Lost Strangeles
MissHannah said:
Nobody makes pins for red hair do they? When my hair was red and long I used to use the matt brown ones - that was the best match I could find. Another trick I used to use was to shove a comb in where all the pins were, when I pinned the sides up anyway - that wouldn't work for rolls!


If your hair was an unnatural shade of red, then no, I don't think there are pins that would match that. For natural redheads, the closest I've found are the usual brown/blonde pins that blend in OK...well, much better than black pins! :D

RD
 

Rocketblast

One of the Regulars
Messages
107
Location
South East England
Yeah, I use brown pins so they show as little as possible... maybe I could paint some red!

I'd like to say thank you to you all, everyone's making me feel very welcome here :)

(Hello Fleur!)
 

FAYEZY123

New in Town
Messages
43
Location
uk
Pins...

Ooooh, you could paint them with nail varnish! Say if you have bright red, or pink hair you could just find a cheap nailvarnish to match!:D
 

RainEdayWoman

Familiar Face
Messages
50
Location
louisiana
It is hard to explain without showing but they can be hidden. Maybe try going to your favorite salon and ask if someone who specializes in up-dos can give your pointers on hiding pins. But if you work them down first then push up and under the hair you can hide them. Also, for flyaways and finishing use the U pins but bend one end up leaving the other straight. the bent part is what hold it into the hair.
 

KittyT

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,463
Location
Boston, MA
MissHannah said:
Nobody makes pins for red hair do they? When my hair was red and long I used to use the matt brown ones - that was the best match I could find. Another trick I used to use was to shove a comb in where all the pins were, when I pinned the sides up anyway - that wouldn't work for rolls!

Hannah, here are some I found on Amazon. Sally Beauty also has some colored ones on their website. Obviously, they're probably not the size or quantity you need, but it shows that they're out there!
 

GoddessMama

One of the Regulars
Messages
102
Location
AZ
There was no nice light blond ones that I could buy locally and I needed them that day, so I just bought a can of pray paint and painted them that way. It worked really well and only took a few minutes.
 

KittyT

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,463
Location
Boston, MA
I just found that Etsy seller Bunnysundries has candy apple red bobby pins (as well as other colors) for $10 for 50 bobby pins. Kind of expensive... Unfortunately, the bobby pins have a glue pad on them for gluing flowers, etc, but I imagine that they could easily be removed with a sturdy pair of wire cutters.
 

Grant Fan

Practically Family
Messages
846
Location
Virginia
I hide them using my curls and then I use hair pins the looser kind made out of the thin metal help, you can't usually see them. But my hair is naturally curly so it is pretty easy to hide pins i in it.
 

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