So many people sit in my chair and tell me that they have “the thickest hair” and I just smile and say “of course you do!”  In reality there are only 8 or 9 people I work with in a year (and I work with close to 1000) who truly have the thickest hair.  These people have as much hair as three people all squashed onto one little head and when you try to do any kind of style on them it either looks too big for their face or it gets pulled tightly back into a confining style.   Neither of those options are options for the women I work with – and if your hair falls into this category, they won’t be options for you anymore either after reading this Hair How To.

Jacki draws a map to reconstruct her designs from on the wedding day

The Key to styling extra thick hair is to remove 1/3 to 1/2 of the hair.  No, I don’t mean remove it from the head!  Simply remove it from the hair you are using to build your style with .    I accomplish this with a simple braiding technique I have developed.  This spring I worked with Kelly at a gorgeous facility on Cape Cod, The Wequassett Inn, and she was gracious enough to let me snap a few pics of the process so that I could share with you this Thick Hair How To.

Step 1,  Section the hair into 4 quadrants:  the triangle that encompasses the ear to the cheek to the rounding of the top of the head (sections #1 and #2), then from the crown of the head to the forehead (section #3), and finally from the top of the occipital bone to the crown (this is the rounding bone on the back of your head) (section #4).

This is steps 1 and 2

Step 2, Gather the hair hanging down into one of your hands and then, without securing it with a ponytail wrap, braid it to the ends and secure with a small elastic. (alternatively,  wrap a small elastic around the hair making a ponytail -  braid the hair, secure at the end and  snip off the top, initial, elastic).

Step 3, Lay the braid flat onto the head in a zigzag pattern and secure with large 3″ bobby pins at even intervals.  5 or 6 pins should be plenty.

Step 3

Pin the braid flat to the head without overlap

Step 4, Let the hair down from section #4 tease the roots, and curl it with a 3/4″ ceramic curling iron.

Step 4 looks like you haven't even begun! There is still plenty of hair....

All curled and ready to pin!

Step 5, Beginning from the bottom layer of section #4, begin pinning the curls to the braid,  layering them  so that they create the look you want – either an all updo (in that case pin a few to the braid to mask it and continue building the style up up up), or off to one side as a side pony or bun, or, as in this case a gorgeous full low back bun.

Step 5, Tease and curl sections #1, #2 and #3 with a 3/4″ ceramic curling iron.

Step 6, Add the sides (#1 and #2) back into the hair design keeping with the look you are designing.

Step 5 completes the look - you design the style!

Step 7, Tease section #3 and smooth it over the top of the crown for down dos or keep it in curl formation and add it to the design for updos.

The finishing touches are the most perfect!

Step 8, Donne the veil, or in this case a gorgeous Gardenia.

And Voila!!!  A normal sized Bridal Hair Do for super sized hair!