How do you secure your braids?

[Kaelee]

I've FINALLY started being able to braid my hair for sleep. :D I've done this the past three nights in a row without it going somehow wrong (and woke up with the braid still intact when I woke up in the morning the past TWO nights...mostly because it's still damp from the shower when I braid it I think.) I've been securing the braid with a scrunchie (I finally found some of those that work, too. My hair spits some of them out. :mad:). Is this OK? I'm trying to avoid harsher elastics as much as possible (and haven't had to resort to them in a long time.) What do you girls (and guys) use to secure the end of your braids?

[In2wishin]

I don't. I braid all the way to the very end and just leave it. If my hair is still damp or if it is summer, the braid loosens slightly over time but pretty much stays put. In winter, the braid will loosen quicker but if I am just braiding for sleep it will still hold until morning.

[Bagginslover]

I use a mini, metal-less elastic. Scrunchies just don't have enough grip to stay in, and my hair won't stay braided without.

[Naiadryade]

I use scrunchies. It doesn't feel like they damage my hair, but I do wonder if they dry my ends out by absorbing oils into all that jersey fabric. I've thought about wrapping a silk ribbon around the ends of my braids and tying a string or even an elastic around that, but I haven't done it yet...

[jacqueline101]

I use an elastic pony tail holder.

[Rainbow2911]

I use a paranda tied in a knot usually. Metal-less elastic band if I'm not using the paranda.

[Kaelee]

I don't. I braid all the way to the very end and just leave it. If my hair is still damp or if it is summer, the braid loosens slightly over time but pretty much stays put. In winter, the braid will loosen quicker but if I am just braiding for sleep it will still hold until morning.

Oh goodness. My braid wouldn't last two minutes!!!! :lol:


I use scrunchies. It doesn't feel like they damage my hair, but I do wonder if they dry my ends out by absorbing oils into all that jersey fabric. I've thought about wrapping a silk ribbon around the ends of my braids and tying a string or even an elastic around that, but I haven't done it yet...

I'm wondering that too, though I've started conditioning more heavily and just bought some coconut oil to oil my hair before I put it up for work, to protect it more (I wash daily).

I just realized that my hair has been dry, I wondered why it seemed more fragile. I doubled the amount of conditioner I usually use (leave in) and make sure it's more evenly distributed and voila! Problem solved. *lol*

[ouseljay]

I usually use a scrap of suede cord. I had some left over from a project so I tried it out one day, and it holds surprisingly well. Since it just requires tying and untying it seems to me that it's less damaging than elastics.

[sisi33]

I add a slim ribbon half way down my braid, and tie it off that way. It doesn't stay tight all night, but it's better than those evil little plastic elastics, which always break on me

[Jenny31557]

If I braid my hair, I'll use a fabric covered elastic.
But for the last few nights I've been doing a caterpillar braid, you know, you band your hair multiple times down the length of the ponytail. That's held like a rock and I haven't had any tangles or breakage. Hope you try it!

[HylianGirl]

I used to secure with a elastic band, the ones that are covered by fabric, without the metal. But I have bought some yarn and I intend to make a paranda today ^-^

Check this video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORTatPrRWGk

Parandas are good to protect the ends of the hair and avoids spaghetti ends on your braid waves ^-^

[faellen]

Metal-less elastic usually

[Sharysa]

Metal-less elastics. They do really well for my hair, although I'm thinking of trying yarn that's leftover from my paranda yarns. (Yes, I bought skeins just to make parandas. :P)

[RileyJane]

i do the ribbon method. i wrap some ribbon(walmart like $1.25) about 3-4 times around where i want my hair elastic to be. then i wrap the hair elastic right dead center of the ribbon, and have yet even after hours of wearing my hair like that, to see any dents or negative uses.

[Kittykins]

I use either a metal free hair tie or a paranda with a knot in the end.

[rowie]

I do Heidi braids and secure them with pins and tiny clear silicone elastics. I can't stand having hair braided and still able to move, and so I need to do styles that reinforce security that my hair won't move around at night.

[sugarpixie10988]

For some reason whenever I sleep with just one braid in, it will be a mostly fallen out mess in the morning. If I do two braids though, they'll usually be in pretty good condition when I wake up. I always secure my sleep braids with scrunchies.

[Kyla]

I used tiny gentle plastic elastics sometimes, but I also like using hair tights made from tights/thin trouser socks. There very gentle! Twistbands are nice too, I have one I got for free, but have noticed that they are very expensive for a piece of colored elastic.

[Kaelee]

I have a paranda that I made, and I can't for the life of my use it yet! My braid has no taper, at all, none. No matter how thick I made the paranda, the hair just sort of....exploded out of it where the braid ended and it went to being all yarn. *sigh*

Maybe now that I have more length I should try again...or wait a few months.

It's very beautiful and I really WISH I could get it to work. I love parandas!

[Vanille_]

I use a black hair tie that doesn't have metal. I just make it a point not to twist it too tight.

[Magalo]

I sleep with a paranda too! But my hair is tapered. I tried sleeping with a normal braid with an elastic but it felt so dry and weird in the morning, a paranda seems to protect way more. Try a thicker paranda?

[jasper]

I quit securing my sleep braid. I think it works out for me because of my length. The braid might start to slip out, but it won't come all undone.

[Naiadryade]

For some reason whenever I sleep with just one braid in, it will be a mostly fallen out mess in the morning. If I do two braids though, they'll usually be in pretty good condition when I wake up. I always secure my sleep braids with scrunchies.

I have the same experience! Two braids is way more secure than one for me. I mostly blame my shorter layers on the sides for this, because they don't reach as far into the one braid in the back since it's a) farther away and b) starts lower down (nape of neck vs behind or above ears). I think when my hair gets longer it won't be as much of a problem. Also the single braid tends to... sort of loosen... but really it's just that the turns of the braid have all sort of squished to the bottom, leaving a lot of hair not really braided above that. I hate the braid waves this makes! But when I braid it tighter, it pulls and is uncomfortable. :shrug: I just either do two braids or I french/dutch braid it, as that stays too.

I'm getting tempted by parandas... but does the yarn not cause friction? And/or absorb oils and dry out your hair? I tend to think of yarn as pretty fuzzy.

[DancingQueen]

I add a slim ribbon half way down my braid, and tie it off that way. It doesn't stay tight all night, but it's better than those evil little plastic elastics, which always break on me

Just a tip for you guys who use ribbon: Once you tied the loops, make an extra knot with just the loops. People do this on kids shoe laces to avoid them unraveling, and I have yet to see it have not worked. :)

[HylianGirl]

Just a tip for you guys who use ribbon: Once you tied the loops, make an extra knot with just the loops. People do this on kids shoe laces to avoid them unraveling, and I have yet to see it have not worked. :)

Thanks for the tip! Ribbons always come loose on my hair

[In2wishin]

I quit securing my sleep braid. I think it works out for me because of my length. The braid might start to slip out, but it won't come all undone.

Yay, finally there is another one! Mine holds reasonably well because of my waves, which is why it holds better in summer or when braided damp. Some mornings I get up and don't touch my braid because I ended up with a soft "messy" braid and tendrils around my face which is a look I like.

[Dorothy]

I use a strip of silk fabric about 6 inches long - i add it toward the end of the braid, braiding it in, then wrap it twice around my hair and tie it once, pulled tight. I don't make a knot. It holds. You can also tie by wrapping one end around the other twice and pulling tight. That's more secure, even without a knot. I have trouble picking the knots out. Bows fall out easier than tied once.

[gthlvrmx]

nothing really actually. i use small elastics if i want it to last longer but i dont have to use anyting now since my hair grew longer :P it just stays in place probably because its so thin XD

[goldloli]

I use these

http://i.ebayimg.com/t/4-BLACK-THICK-HAIR-ELASTIC-PONYTAIL-BOBBLE-HAIR-BANDS-/00/$(KGrHqQOKi!E1blN(nl8BNkIURm8bw~~_35.JPG

i never experience damage or snagging, they are a little more secure than fabric scrunchies and don't leave hair tie kinks.

Love these lil guys so much, when i do pony curls and stuff where i need to secure my hair in a high ponytail over night, i always use these things just because they never leave that darned kink. Sometimes if i secure them super tight, they leave a slight kink but like 20 minutes later its gone!