Will wearing my bangs pinned back constantly slow their growth?

[schnibbles]

I read somewhere if you are trying to grow your bangs out you should refrain from pinning them back all the time. Do you think this is true?

I don't pin them tightly (actually, the looser the better, I like a little volume or 'pouf' on top) but I do usually use 2 bobby pins. Is that bad? Sometimes I use a tiny plastic claw-clip, those seem pretty gentle. (?) I don't see any breakage or anything. My bangs seem pretty healthy, but they are growing very slowly. It's been 8 months of growing (so, since May) and they are only at my chin. That doesn't seem right.

I try to wear them down, but I refuse to flat iron them and they get sort of mushroom-y when down. I think I look like a water buffalo. At this rate it's going to take years. Any thoughts?

[Madora]

I've never had bangs, but it seems to me having them loose would exercise the follicle more than having them pinned. However, you don't want them to be such a nuisance that they impair your vision, so pinning them back is a good idea. Just don't pin them with crossed bobby pins..i.e. this way X.

To encourage the follicles in front, why not try bending at the waist and gentle massaging your front hairline where the bangs are every day?

[schnibbles]

@ Madora - yes! Maybe the follicles are not getting enough exercise and they are lazy. They seem to like gentle massage with a Tangle Teaser...I will do this more. The bangs also tuck behind my ear now so that's a good thing. Maybe pinning them up all the time is becoming mostly psychological. I absolutely loathe them, so everytime I have to deal with them, I get crabby. So up they go.

[Anje]

Sure hope not, because mine are mouth-length right now and pinned back most of the time!

In general, I don't believe follicles sense what's going on with the hair attached to them, unless it's being pulled, but I am unaware of actual peer-reviewed research on the matter, just a bunch of assertions. Do make sure that your clips aren't damaging the hairs, since if they break off the process will take longer!

[ositarosita]

NOOOOOO if anything I find it helps mine grow FASTER ... I cut my bangs on October 31st of this year and have only warn them "out" about 5 times other then that they're pinned back securely and they have grown over an inch in that time ... I put it down to the extra stimulation that part of the scalp receives due to the slight tension.

[snakes&stuff]

I don't think pinning them back would make them grow slower. When I was growing mine out I pinned them back every.single.day until they were at a length I liked. It took about a year to get them to neck length. Now they are collarbone at the shortest point.

[schnibbles]

Thank you, everyone. You made me feel better.

@ Anje - I agree, HOW would a follicle know really what the hair is doing unless the hair is being severely mis-treated in some way. I mean, I'm not flat-iroining the crap out of it or pulling it tightly in the same direction day after day... and of course, I don't pin them up at night to sleep. Only during waking hours when I need to um, see. Or function. Or be in public.

@ ositarosita - very interesting. Does your hair generally grow fast? Over an inch since October 31st does seem speedy. (I'm slightly jealous lol)

@ snakes&stuff - This makes me feel like there is light at the end of the tunnel. It will probably take me a full year also to get to neck length... if I'm at chin length now. (I think?) I feel like once they get to collarbone, life will be much, much better. I have had layers at that length before and they didn't bother me.

[browneyedsusan]

I pinned my bangs up for months on end--probably the better part of a year, actually--, and did all sorts of things to them: french braided back, twisted them, pinned with bobbypins, teased and sprayed and poufed with little jaw clips, lacebraided from ear to ear, you name it, I did it. (Except heat. I didn't go that far!) They grew 1/2" a month, just like the rest of my head. I've trimmed them a couple of times now to keep at chin length.

[ositarosita]

no actually the rest of my hair grows at about ,5" steadily ... that's why I think the tension has something to do with the increased growth because it's only bangs that have grown that fast

[Kikina]

... Just don't pin them with crossed bobby pins..i.e. this way X. ...

I'm really curious about that. When I grew my bangs out I always used to pin them like that (but loose), everybody with annoying bangs seems to do that. Is it bad or something?
:confused:

[Madora]

I'm really curious about that. When I grew my bangs out I always used to pin them like that (but loose), everybody with annoying bangs seems to do that. Is it bad or something?
:confused:

It's bad because it is putting too much pressure at one point (where the pins intersect). If you need to use more than one bobby pin, then place the pins parallel to each other...like this.../ /.

[Kikina]

Wow, so many years, so many mistakes... :applause

[MeowScat]

I don't think you are slowing your bang growth. It's good that you wear them poufy, you're not constantly yanking on the roots/follicles at your hairline. Just be careful how you pin them back, you could damage the follicles further back where your pins and clips are grabbing.

No matter how you pull them back, just make sure you don't do it the same thing over and over all the time. Loose hairbands, scarves/bandannas, mini claw clips, etc. shouldn't "pull" or "dig" into your scalp.

Growing out bangs can be very annoying, I've done it many times. Just remember that every length can give you a different, new look that frames your face during those annoying stages. When no one is around, or when you sleep, just wear them down to give your roots a rest.

By the way, your growth sounds normal to me!

[0xalis]

From my eyebrows to my chin is 4 inches. So, if your face is close to the size mine is [which is pretty average I must say] then your bangs are growing at a completely average rate. Unless the rest of your hair grows an inch a month, or your bangs were long ones, there's nothing to worry about!

[jacqueline101]

Years ago my sophomore year of high school I decided to grow out part of my bangs. They were thick so I parted of half of them to keep the other part I wore pinned back. Mine grew fast that year for some reason. I do remember this because it was in the winter in December when I began my task by June I cut the bangs I wanted to keep. Anyways mine grew and when I pinned them back I kept them pinned back in a pony tail. I shampooed and all with it in.

[robin000]

I don't know how long your bangs were initially, but reaching your chin in 8 months sounds like it could easily be a totally normal growth rate. For me, nose bridge to chin is about 5 inches, which would be a faster rate than the .5"/month average that's usually cited. Bangs just take forever. I'm in a constant cycle of WANT and NEVER AGAIN with them.

[schnibbles]

For maybe 2 or 3 weeks at first I was using these:
(they say "no damage" :disgust: )
http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=193689&catid=183396
I think these are damaging. They are too tight, plus catch hair and snag it. They went out the window

I am catching most of the bangs now when I do higher buns, which is encouraging I guess.
We went to a Christmas Party last night and I curled my hair with Caruso Steam rollers, I used a large roller on my bangs and it actually looked sort of nice (didn't really curl them, just sort of smoothed them and made them lay better) so I wore them down for the first time in a long time.

Thank you everyone for your thoughts, I feel better that my growth rate sounds pretty normal ... I was starting to wonder if I was doing something wrong. :shrug:

[prettyinpink]

I dont have bangs, but I keep the front section of hair pinned back most of the time. I have noticed that the front section dosent grow much