Putting hair up?

Hello, everyone. I'm having a bit of a hair dilemma here that I was hoping to get some advice on.

My hair is currently just barely past shoulder-length, and I'm trying to grow it out. The problem is that since I don't like the way my hair looks down right now, and don't have much time in the mornings to get ready, I always wear it up (in a bun, or with hairpins, etc.).

Is constantly wearing it up going to cause excess breakage/damage to my hair? What are the best ways to minimize it?

I

I was just thinking about this a few hours ago when I was pulling my hair up into the pony it would hang in all day. I live in FL, so it is a survival tactic to pull the hair off of the body. You know, to prevent from dying of heat stroke!

Here's my take on this. I pull may hair into the sam spot pretty much every time I pull it up, so there is really only one major area of my hair that is being pressed on by the band - one stress point. This stress point is about 1/2 inch in width. Well, hair grows 1/2 inch or so per month, so i figure I am only putting stress on that point for 1 month...then it moves down and I am on to the next 1/2 inch of virgin hair!

maybe that's why my hair looks smoother above the pony....hmmm.

Jacqui

I think if you don't pull it "up" too tightly, you should be all right. I wear my hair up a lot and it's not damaged as a result.

Be especially careful with ponytail holders. Make sure they're soft and covered. Don't use regular rubber bands, nor those old fashioned ponytail holders with the metal on them--your hair can get stuck in there and rip (mine always did).

Welcome Johlis! Thanks for posting your question.

A few additional thoughts... vary your do's. Braid, then bun, then pony, and so on. Also, pin or secure at different spots so the same spot doesn't always receive the stress of the hair-holding accessory.

I

Just another tip---instead of using a rubber band or elastic, use a cloth-covered "scrunchie" to hold the pony tail before arranging it into a bun. It will pump up the size of the bun and you will have some extra places to tuck hair in while at the same time using fewer pins.

I agree, scrunchies are GREAT for making buns. My hair is pretty thick, and I can do a nice high bun with only two scrunchies, eliminating pins completely!

[QUOTE]y hair is pretty thick, and I can do a nice high bun with only two scrunchies, eliminating pins completely![/QUOTE]Elissa, can you briefly describe how you do this? (Not having the benefit of sisters growing up, I am catching up on long hair styling techniques).

1. I make a ponytail with a scrunchie, wrapping the scrunchie twice. This can be done low at the neck (for a chignon-type bun), at the middle of the back of the head or on top of the head for the highest bun.

2. Then I take the ponytail and wrap it around the scrunchie, making it into a circle or "O" flat against my head (you may have to do this 2 or 3 times or more depending on the length and thickness of your hair. Twice works best for me).

3. Tuck ends under the circle and secure with the 2nd scrunchie, again you may need to wrap the scrunchie 2 or 3 times to keep the bun from falling apart.

For any shorter pieces that fall out, you can either encourage them to curl or wave, or secure them with flat clips.

It's hard to write instructions--I hope I've conveyed this ok. It's really really easy!

Elissa, thanks! Those are the clearest bun instructions I've ever read. Seriously. Now I just have to get some scrunchies .

I know i'm not very popular here, but I do have a legitimate question about this thread...

Do they make scrunchies for guys? My wife used to use them before she cut hers short, and the ones she used don't seem like they'd look right for a man.

Again, I'm not being sarcastic or sexist. Would a guy just use a color appropriate for a man?

Curious observer this time.

YES!!! Do whatever it takes to get past the difficult stages. I LOVE updos! Good luck! Bob

[QUOTE=arch94] Do they make scrunchies for guys? My wife used to use them before she cut hers short, and the ones she used don't seem like they'd look right for a man.
[/QUOTE]

Not only guys shy away from pink scrunchies. I would never use any accessory that was not brown, black or made of silver, copper or dark wood in my hair. There are lots of cool, elegant stuff out there that does not look "girly" and would suit a man just fine, one just has to look for it. It

[QUOTE]o they make scrunchies for guys?[/QUOTE]Hair accessories have no gender. Many of them are designed to appeal to female tastes but this is going to change as male long hair becomes more common.

I prefer them to be plain and black or navy myself.

The technical (?) term for the hair-holding device I use at the base of my ponytail/braid is a terrycloth-covered elastic. I also use "Ouchless" No Metal Clasps from Goody to tie off the end of my braid.

I also have a Native-American inspired ponytail hair tie which is decidedly masculine-looking.

I have only seen that done once, by an actress with curly, whiteblond and, I think, rather thin hair. It looked wonderful, I think she just did a knot with it. Sooo cool!

It wouldn

What is classic length?

Classic length is all the way down to the crease at the end of your bum. Where bum becomes thigh. I think it was originally supposed to be the length of Golden Proportion (approx 62%) for the body height. It's supposed to be the most eye-appealing and aesthetically pleasing length for hair. and ... IT'S MY HAIR GOAL!!! WHOOPEEE!

Ah, yes, AnaisSatin - I

first off, i'd like to say that, yes, scrunchies are way easier on the hair than rubberbands, but my friends would laugh me off the planet if they ever saw me wearing one in public.

okay, with that out of the way i'd like to give another alternative to wearing hair up without a ton of breakage. i'm a latina and a lot of us like to wear our hair very tight off our faces whether it's in a bun or a ponytail. naturally, this causes wispies and a lot of breakage in front after a while. what i realized could prevent this is parting your hair and then pulling it back instead of just gathering it all and pulling it straight back. i've been doing this for a while and my hair has really improved. sorry if someone said this already, i didn't really read all the replies *blushing* ..::vanessa::..

My hair is pretty long -- waist-length. It's very soft and silky, so I can't get it to stay in a high bun without a scrunchie, a chopstick or a pencil on hand. I can make a low bun (at the nape of the neck) quite securely without any hair holders. I twist the length of my hair tightly, then make a loop. I bring the end through the front of the loop, then around the back and through the front again. There are usually a few loose ends falling out, but I like how they look. I'm not sure if this would work as well on shorter hair -- I think that going through the loop twice is the key to securing it.

On the subject of hair accessories for men -- I suggest soft suede covered pony tail holders. I use them almost everyday. I have them in a variety of shades from beige to dark brown. It looks good if you use a shade that blends with your hair colour. I'm a woman, but I think they would look great in a man's hair as well.

Hi korsakovhatt3 and vanessa - welcome!

korsakovhatt3, I see that glimpse of "soft and silky" hair in your avatar photo. Is that yours? Very pretty.