Do bobby pins damage hair?

[Lady Una]

I've noticed most people on LHC use hair toys--sticks, forks, ficcares, etc.--to hold buns; not very many people seem to do buns with bobby pins. I can see why someone would want to use a pretty hair toy instead of a bunch of boring old bobby pins! But is there also a damage issue? That is, are bobby pins worse on the hair than hair sticks?

I'm interested to hear the answer because at least right now I'm horrible with hair sticks (I need more practice, being new to LHC) and it takes me many tries to get a bun to stay solidly up with a hair stick. Usually I get sick of it after the first few tries and just get out my bobby pins! Is this likely to damage my hair?

[neko_kawaii]

Cheap ones that grab or old damaged ones certainly can snag and cause damage. Once you get the hang of hair sticks, you'll understand why many folks use them - it is so fast and easy! And the tool is larger than a bobby pin and thus a little harder to misplace. Keep practicing.

[molljo]

I only use bobby pins because my hair's too short for sticks and forks. I kind of think of them as training wheels for hair.

[kme81]

They can cause some amount damage, but my personal concern with bobby pins is that they are easily lost and can really add up to a lot to hold up all my hair. Using claw clips or a stick is a much quicker and easier way to get my hair put up in the mornings. That being said, i always keep a large supply on hand(ei pins in general: bobbies, spin pins, u-pins, etc.) because there are times when I want something "invisible" to be holding together my hairstyle. They are also great for playing with how I arrange my bangs.

If you use bobby pins often, don't worry about it (unless they are causing obvious damage). But, I suggest practicing other hair securing methods, simply because they are just so much quicker!

I sympathize with your trouble with sticks, I just could never get the hang of them and they always pulled uncomfortably or were never secure enough. I did try them out again recently and they hold much better(still not as long-lasting as a bun held with claw clips though), they make for a fun change of pace. Maybe all I needed was longer hair. :)

[Madora]

Bobby pins are meant to hold SMALL amounts of hair. By small I mean wingnut size. Using them to hold up buns is non productive because you need to use a lot of them if the bun is going to be stable.

If you aren't careful how you remove the bobby pins, you'll experience hair breakage from time to time.

Also, if bobby pins are used incorrectly..i.e. in the X (crossed) position instead of the // (parallel) position, over time you'll experience hair loss because the x position puts more pressure on the scalp hair.

If you want to do stable updos, consider amish hairpins with crimps. These are extremely lightweight, easy to use, and hold updos like a rock.

[prettyinpink]

I would pin the front section of my hair back every day, and now those pieces seemed to have broken off at the spot where i put the pin. I once read that criss crossing the pins is a big no no

[velorutionista]

I think you might see some damage if you use the bobby pins in the same exact place over and over (like anything), but if you're varying the placement, and not ripping them out of your hair, probably not. Like others have said, I find bobby pins just aren't very useful for holding up a lot of hair, so I rarely use them (mostly to tuck in obstinate ends or something like that).

For actually holding a style up, spin pins or amish pins are much more useful (for me), and sticks seem to get more useful the longer my hair gets (when it was shorter, thick sticks were impossible, but thinner sticks (like double-pointed knitting needle thickness) worked great)!

[hafattack]

I use bobby pins a lot, usually as a supplement. Like said before, by themselves they are inadequate but when mixed with spin pins or scrunchies (I also use them with hair sticks to get the escapees in my hair) I like them. I use them a lot more if I'm doing fancier updos, curly buns or certain things with my bangs or front of my hair.

ETA: I don't notice much damage with them. Be careful that the rubbery tip on the end is in good condition or the straight metal will definitely rip your hair, but other than that they go in and come out fine. I use 2.5 inch bobby pins, nothing smaller holds any hair at all in my opinion

[Anje]

Bobby pins are meant to hold SMALL amounts of hair. By small I mean wingnut size. Using them to hold up buns is non productive because you need to use a lot of them if the bun is going to be stable.

Pretty much this. I can hold my buns up with one hairstick, 2-3 Amish pins, or a large handful of bobby pins. Based on effort alone, bobby pins are right out to secure a big wad of hair like a bun, and they're more likely to pull hairs. I reserve them for holding back little bits, like growing-out bangs that don't quite stay in an updo yet.

[Lady Una]

Thank you all! I will practice with hair sticks and look into finding some Amish pins! :)

[Dreams_in_Pink]

I agree with Madora and Anje, people here don't use them mainly because we have more hair than an average woman and nothing gathers waist length and beyond hair like a good quality hair fork/stick. U-pins are more popular because they're not only more hair friendly, they're also more appropriate for pinning bun in place.

As for the damage, i don't think it would damage unless it snags the hair or its too tight.

[Anje]

Thank you all! I will practice with hair sticks and look into finding some Amish pins! :)
It's worth knowing that you don't use Amish pins like bobby pins. People who haven't used them before often try to use them by pinching hair between the tines, which just plain doesn't work.

Use them like they're tiny little hair forks. (Plenty of YouTube videos show how this is done -- since I'm on a phone, I'll let you hunt them down yourself. :))

[Lady Una]

It's worth knowing that you don't use Amish pins like bobby pins. People who haven't used them before often try to use them by pinching hair between the tines, which just plain doesn't work.

Use them like they're tiny little hair forks. (Plenty of YouTube videos show how this is done -- since I'm on a phone, I'll let you hunt them down yourself. :))

Thank you! I didn't know that! :)

[spidermom]

As long as the coating is nice and smooth, I think they're fine. I really like using them because there is such a wide variety of styles that I can do. Buns bore me to tears and are too aging as far as I'm concerned. Of course they're quick and convenient, so I do a bun with a stick or fork when all I want to do is get my hair out of my face and off my neck. Otherwise, I would much rather take the time to do a nice pinned up style with bobby pins.

[Nadine <3]

I use them a lot. I get rather lazy with my bangs...on wash day they look great, but after a night of sleeping on them...not so much! I wear my bangs pinned back a lot just so I don't have to wash and restyle them. I've never noticed any breakage...I make sure I carefully remove them and I'm fine. I can actually hold up all all of my hair with 2-3 bobby pins. It's apl, but very thin lol

[Aderyn]

No, provided you use them properly to hold a tiny amount of hair, as has been addressed above. And be sure to be gentle when removing the bobby pins, don't just rip them out!

When I use bobby pins, it's usually to tame a small strand of hair into submission that doesn't feel like laying flat against my head when I put my hair up (and I hide the bobby pin within the base of my bun)

[CurlMonster]

I like to use them for braided buns which I find tricky to get stable with sticks. It takes quite a few, but it's not THAT much of a hassle, and if you always take your hair down in the same place, it's easy to not lose them. I think as long as they are not rough/snagging (cheap or old ones tend to) they're not damaging.