Originally Posted by
ksandness
... You can tell the maiko from the full-fledged geisha (known as geiko in Kyoto) by their hair or wig styles. The maiko have the hair on the top of their heads pulled straight back with a part on either side and the side hair pulled down at a slight angle, while the full-fledged geisha have all their hair pulled straight back.
Also the knot on the
obi in back. The
maiko usually have a "tail" dangling behind.
Good advice here.