How to Create a Fishtail Pompadour and French Twist Without Pins!In an editorial styling segment at Premiere Orlando 2013, Olez’s Edward Teitel showed class members advanced long hair dressing techniques that will make your client’s feel runway ready. One of his examples, was how to create a very simple “fishtail pompadour.”

To get the look, simply fishtail braid the top of the head, secure the end with an elastic. To get the pomp, Teitel lifted the fishtail off the base of the head, and pushed it upwards to create height. (Watch the first minute of the video for the visual how-to steps.) This simple technique creates height with a neat texture! You can do the fishtail braid in the crown, the back of the head, or you can do it on the sides (if you're daring!)

After the pompadour, Teitel goes on to explain how to create a French Twist using ZERO pins!

After creating the fishtail braid pompadour, make a shoelace knot, by taking hair from both sides of the head. With a general French Twist it involves a lot of tweezing, combing over and using hair pins. This style requires zero pins.

On the left side of the head, Teitel twisted a large section of hair counterclockwise. "Keep a little 'hair tread' in the center that you will later on use to stitch the two sides together," he says. Then, move to the right side of the head, take a large section and twist it counterclockwise.

"When you do the second side, make sure you leave a gap, because if it’s flush you won’t be able to tighten it up," says Teitel. After you have created your two rolls on each side of the head, take the “hair thread” and stitch the two sides together. "This technique is much easier than using 100 pins!"

How is your client going to get this undone at home? If you started stitching together the style at the bottom, tell them to start unraveling at the bottom. If you started the stitching at the top, then advise them to start from the top. It’s just like a shoelace, says Teitel. “Just imagine if you did this style to someone at the make-up counter at the mall, I guarantee you every time she turns around someone is going to ask her where she got her hair done. Give her some of your business cards, and I guarantee you, you will get clients.

How to Create a Fishtail Pompadour and French Twist Without Pins!

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