Reducing Ponytail Damage

[Squirrelspring]

Hi! So, mostly what I want to do is figure out some of the ways some people get damage from wearing their hair in ponytails and find some ways that someone can still wear ponytails without hurting their hair if they like wearing them (maybe for people with shorter hair can wear them without their hair getting in the way too much), share some of my personal experience and see what your experience is with ponytails.

One of the things I have noticed when I see someone wearing a ponytail is that after they make it they pull both sides of their hair so the elastic slides back along the hair scales. :( That is probably a big reason that some people get damage there. My suggestion for people who feel the need to do it is to brush back hair with a BBB or a comb (gently, not severely pulling the hair back), something that works for you and grab the hair, and switching hands several times if you need to to make sure that it is tight enough when you put it on.

Another reason is perhaps people using non-hair safe elastics, which I think would mostly be rubber or elastic bands, as opposed to fabric-covered ones. In my personal experience the scrunchies, or scunciis, are looser but apparently are the most hair-safe ones, so I suppose they would be better for the hair as they don't apply as much pressure on the hair or scalp, but some find it annoying, especially when you don't pull the sides to make it tighter.

And my last piece of advice to preventing ponytail damage is to not pull the hair back too much when making the ponytail.

If you have other advice feel free to post here and share with people your ponytail stories or ways you can reduce damage.

:o-Squirrelspring

[ummyahya]

Another way to reduce damage could be to change the position of the elastic from day to day - going for a high or low ponytail look. This might help in not putting pressure on the same spot everyday!

[dulce]

I use no elastic ,I just twist in a half coil then clip with a maximas or innovation or signature clip.There is no downward pull on the roots and I pull sides back gently.http://i1123.photobucket.com/albums/l545/chicaaa1/long%20hair/DSC003292.jpg (http://s1123.photobucket.com/user/chicaaa1/media/long%20hair/DSC003292.jpg.html)

[meteor]

On longer hair you don't even need a ponytail holder, because you can use your length to make a knot (secure it with a fork or stick or something) and leave the ends down. Some people call it the "comet" bun.

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

[Squirrelspring]

Wow, all of these are great ideas:)
The person in the video has beautiful hair :), the knot pony-bun is a nice idea too.
I also like the idea to switch the ponytail-here's another idea that randomly appeared in my head-to french braid your hair up to the point where you want to have a ponytail and secure it, maybe if you want a high pony french braiding from the bottom up. But that is more of a decorative idea than an idea to reduce damage, I'm sure you could still find a way to make it work.

:cheese: Maybe this thread could become a thread for pony-like styles that reduce damage too.

I'm sure some people will find this thread useful, thanks to your good ideas :)

[dulce]

The knotted bun is a great idea..I will definitely do that once my hair is longer!

[meteor]

The knotted bun is a great idea..I will definitely do that once my hair is longer!

Dulce, I think it's quite possible on 42-inch-long hair. And there are multiple hair-friendly ways of doing knots:

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

[SnowbirdRose]

I like the comet bun. In a couple of years I may actually get to try it :wink:

[cathair]

You can make a ponytail with a spin pin too. All you have to do it make a ponytail with one hand, but leave one strand of hair out. Then wrap that strand around the base of the ponytail and put a spin pin (or two) through the part that is wrapped.

Arc (I apologise can't remember the last part of her username and can't find a link to her blog, she has ankle length hair) does a variation of this where the ends are folded under too so they are protected and you end up with a shorter ponytail. It looks great but I don't quite have enough length to make it yet.

[chen bao jun]

these are great ideas.
Some people though, I would like to point out, have thin and fine hair that is going to break off in ponytails no matter how nice they are to it and should leave this hairstyle alone.
I prefer to braid to protect my ends more and I use silky scrunchies that I make myself.