Help, need ideas to keep a Communion veil in place

mellowcalico · #1 May 14, '12, 6:19 am

Both my daughter and I have "silky hair." It's horrible, lol (seriously, I don't "get" those commercials that tell you their product makes your hair silky--I can't imagine who would want hair like this).

Anyway, because she has fine silky hair, barrettes (even the ones with rubber grips), hair pins and bobby pins all won't stay in her hair. Same goes for my hair unless I get it professionally done--and even then hairdressers struggle with my hair. I would just bit the bullet and cost and have a hairdresser do it, but they aren't open on Sunday mornings.

I had her Holy Communion pictures taken this weekend (week before the event) and it was all we could do between my mother, the photographer, and my daughter trying not to move to keep the veil in her hair. We had to take it out and put it back in every 5 minutes. It got so annoying that my daughter got frustrated and we just half of the pictures without it. That's okay, I think the veil was crooked in most of the pictures anyway.

The whole veil is attached to a large comb. I though that would help hold it in if I put a twist in her hair, but it's not working, Plus, the comb is so big that it doesn't really follow the contours of my daughter's head.

Anyway, does anyone have any tips, tricks or ideas to help hold the veil in place? I just need it to stay in her hair for about 2 hours on the big day. Thanks!

EDIT: I should add that I am really, REALLY not talented with doing hair. Like I said, my hair is the same way (won't even hold a curl). So I never did anything with my own hair/don't have practice doing things like braiding, buns, whatever. The only thing I could do with my hair (and can do in my daughter's) is a pony tail. But that's too informal I think.

PerfectTiming · #2 May 14, '12, 7:37 am

Are you a member of the Veiled in Grace group? There are lots of people there with veiling experience who will be able to help you.

St Francis · #3 May 14, '12, 7:49 am

Do kerchiefs or headbands stay in place on her head? You might try taking the comb off and sewing the veil to something which will stay on her head, esp if you can find something in a color that would blend in with her hair.

Also, I have noticed with some things I put on my head that making the point of connection an inch and a half or so back, so that the stress is not on the very edge of the hair cover, makes it easier to keep looking nice, so if you do sew something on, try it so a little bit back from the edge.

Veils are hard to keep on under the best of circumstances, so I feel for you!

TheRealJuliane · #4 May 14, '12, 7:50 am

You may need to take her to a hairdresser and get an updo. Or, you could have the hairdresser fit the comb into an extension and stick THAT in her hair. Have you ever "teased" or back-combed her hair? You basically create a large tangle which you later have to comb out, and spray the heck out of it with hairspray. Think 1960's beehive but you don't want a beehive, just a poof where you can stick the comb.

Some gels are very powerful and will create a nice stiff spot to stick the comb into. I think with the hair you describe, even a lot of hair spray isn't going to do it.

Take the veil off the comb and attach it to a tiara.

Mary Gail 36 · #5 May 14, '12, 7:52 am

I was going to tell you to go to the hairdresser. But you said it's closed.

Would they make an exception that morning and just open for you? Or maybe the hairdresser can come to your home?

Would you be against using some product in your DD's hair? Maybe a fine mist of hairspray might thicken her hair up slightly for the comb to stay in.

Or a half pony tail (pull the top and sides of her hair into a pony tail, and insert the comb right in front the pony tail.)

I know how you feel, I could imagine the discomfort for your DD with a veil she feels might fall or move.

PatriceA · #6 May 14, '12, 8:00 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheRealJuliane

Take the veil off the comb and attach it to a tiara.

OR attach it to a headband, which is what we did for my daughter. She had similar type hair and that's the only way we could get a veil to work.

By the way, that hair type may not last once she hits puberty. My daughter's hair went from very fine, silky to thick and curly by the time she was 11 years old.

KCT · #7 May 14, '12, 8:20 am

Toss the veil and get her a crown of flowers!

mellowcalico · #8 May 14, '12, 8:28 am

Thanks everyone for the ideas! I might try the tiara ... that's a good idea. Those things seem to stay in her hair (and she can fix them if they fall out). LOL, even headbands slip out of her hair, but again, at least she can fix them herself (which she will need to do since all the kids are sitting together, away from their families).

Luna Lovecraft · #9 May 14, '12, 8:32 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by mellowcalico

Anyway, does anyone have any tips, tricks or ideas to help hold the veil in place? I just need it to stay in her hair for about 2 hours on the big day. Thanks!

Staple gun.

If you don't want to do that, you can try what I do with my stepdaughters' to keep veils in place:

affix a couple of snap clips to each side of the head (by snap clip I mean those metal hair clips that pop open when you push them in the middle);
put the veil on;
run small safety pins between the veil and the snap clips;
artfully adjust the veil so that the safety pins don't show;
tell your daughter that her futzing with her veil before pictures is a capital crime.

If you daughter's hair is so slippery that snap clips will slide, try drying her hair out a bit by washing with with a clarifying shampoo and not conditioning afterwards (be careful just to comb it with your fingers until it's dry, though, so you don't end up damaging it), or rinse it with vinegar or warm with with some lemon juice mixed in. Or, you can make her hair "sticky" with cheap hair spray before you put the clips in.

Luna

TheRealJuliane · #10 May 14, '12, 8:34 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luna Lovecraft

Staple gun.

If you don't want to do that, you can try what I do with my stepdaughters' to keep veils in place:

affix a couple of snap clips to each side of the head (by snap clip I mean those metal hair clips that pop open when you push them in the middle);
put the veil on;
run small safety pins between the veil and the snap clips;
artfully adjust the veil so that the safety pins don't show;
tell your daughter that her futzing with her veil before pictures is a capital crime.

If you daughter's hair is so slippery that snap clips will slide, try drying her hair out a bit by washing with with a clarifying shampoo and not conditioning afterwards (be careful just to comb it with your fingers until it's dry, though, so you don't end up damaging it), or rinse it with vinegar or warm with with some lemon juice mixed in. Or, you can make her hair "sticky" with cheap hair spray before you put the clips in.

Luna

Might leave a mark, though...

Rainaldo · #11 May 14, '12, 9:34 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luna Lovecraft

Staple gun.

Not even St Rita of Cascia would have done that.

gardenswithkids · #12 May 15, '12, 6:34 am

Hair spray will reduce the silkiness by creating some stickiness. It also may be easier to get combs to stay in hair if they have something stopping it, such as a bun, braid or a ponytail. Since you say you're not good with working with her hair, the simplest and easiest might be to neatly pull up a small section of her hair, put in a small hair elastic,(twisting it repeatedly until it's tight), spray hair spray, then stick the comb w/ veil just above the ponytail. If the veil slides down, it will stay put once it hits her ponytail. It would look something like this with the veil covering the ponytail

KarenElissa · #13 May 15, '12, 7:05 am

What about velcro? If you take out the comb and sew/hot glue the grippy half of the velcro to the front edge. That might hold fairly well.