Hi,
I'm new to the forums. Did a quick search on the topic but couldn't find what I was looking for.

I'm looking for some information about lighting for self-portraiture. I'd like to develop my portfolio, even when other photographers aren't available. What should I know in order to produce attractive photographs? This is for face shots, physique photos and fashion/editorial photos as well. Explain it like I know nothing, please and thank you.

Start with one light. Learn what it can do. Move it into different locations/angles and see what happens.
Add a reflector and learn how that works.

When you have a good grasp of one light and reflector, add another and do the same thing.

Most portraiture can be lit with 1-4 lights and reflectors. Not all portraits need a reflector, it depends on the rest of the environment and the effect desired.

Sort little by little and you will know how you want to use lighting soon enough.

Depending on how deeply you want to dig into the topic, you might want to pick up a copy of "Light, Science & Magic," which has been through many editions.  Pick up an older edition from Amazon (or whoever), which is a lot cheaper and good enough for your purpose.

Good luck - you can have a lot of fun and learn a lot with a project like this.

For my birthday last year I took some self portraits. I started with just a main light (AD600) in a parabolic softbox that was gridded. I also had a AD200 in the background with a blue gel on it to light up the background and in some of the shots acted like a rim light when I adjusted the angle. Like someone else said, Get your lights out and move them around to get different looks. I was pleased with how my images came out.

Start with understanding light. Light has quality, color, direction and quantity. Those all affect an image. Once you have a basic understanding of hard vs soft light, color temperature, direction and quantity, look at portraits and headshots that you think are attractive. Analyze the light and try to determine the direction, softness/hardness, color, etc. Clues are in the shadows, catchlights in the eyes etc. When you see something you’d like, try to recreate it in your self-portrait. Your failures will teach you a lot about what it will take to achieve success. 

Keep in mind that an attractive portrait is also about lens choice, wardrobe, hair, makeup and pose as well.

This is a great place to start;
https://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html

Hire (or trade time) with a photographer willing to show you how to set up lights for what you might like.

Realize it can take a lifetime to achieve the knowledge to light multiple situations. But it might only take an hour to learn one basic setup for whatever lights you have.

Most photographers have their go-to lighting setup for basic portraits: one-light, two-lights or three-lights.