Fabrics that destroy / Shirts of Danger

[Knifegill]

Do we know what fabrics are most and least damaging to hair? Is there a spectrum? What kind of fabric should I look for in a shirt to minimize damage?

Keeping hair up is in the works, but I don't know how to do it yet.

[Amapola]

I would think silk would be the least damaging... but it's not just the shirt. It's also the chair or couch back or whatever that you are leaning against. I've got a friend who's hair has a false terminal length due to her computer chair. If she started putting her hair up, it would be able to grow past that length.

Start practicing your bunning skills and before you know it, you will be able to bun with the best of them. Check out Rowie's posts; he does fantastic buns.

[neko_kawaii]

I agree with silk being most protective. Rayon and micro modals are also very silky. The worst thing I've come across wasn't a fabric, but an exposed hook on the collar of a shirt created amazing tangles in a very short time.

[Nevb1973]

I noticed that my hair is long enough now that it rubs the computer chair when I sit at work and my ponytail is starting to matt up. So I think I am going to have to really get serious about putting my hair up.

[cathair]

Not a shirt, but the furry (polyester?) throw I have on the sofa is a destroyer of hair. It sheds fluff from the non-furry side and it is capable of making the biggest tangles known to mankind, at ten paces. Cat loves it, so it's his now.

[Chromis]

I had to change my camera strap because that was bad on both my hair and also my shirts!

[Majorane]

Well, I have two uniform jacketsparka'sthings. They are really awesome ad waterproof and I love 'em, nut they both have collars of polar fleece. Do not ever get a collar of polar fleece. If I have worn one of those jackets for an hour, and I haven't had my scarf on the right way, ALL my babynapehairs are deading. And my hair i 1b, smooth, and hardy ever ever tangles from anyhing :( So while I don't know of a spectrum, if there was one, polar fleece would be rather high up in the 'to be avoided' section.

Question: Silk satin is hailed as The Best For Hair Protection. But what about cotton satin? Or even polyester satin? I'd rather sleep on cotton satin pillowcases, easier to wash, you see....

[Nenyath]

I would think silk would be the least damaging... but it's not just the shirt. It's also the chair or couch back or whatever that you are leaning against. I've got a friend who's hair has a false terminal length due to her computer chair. If she started putting her hair up, it would be able to grow past that length.

Start practicing your bunning skills and before you know it, you will be able to bun with the best of them. Check out Rowie's posts; he does fantastic buns.

Agree with the chair issue, my hair was mid back before LHC and tangled and split like no one's business, partly curtesy of my office chair..

[MINAKO]

latex would be even better than silk i guess, lol. but basically avoid anything that feels rough to the touch. if i wear my hair down i certainly dont go for wool or cotton materials.

[Nettyx]

Hmm. I work for a fabric company and you really have me thinking!
I'd guess something with long smooth fibres with a tight weave? Silk has fine smooth fibres which gives it the shine. Satin too. Mohair usually has short fibres so that would cause shedding and probably get stuck in the hair. Bamboo is super soft (more so than cotton) and breathable to would probably work too.

[Anje]

I've got this lovely chenille sweater that puts off hair-eating lint. Wear it once, and all exposed hair (and everything else) is covered with a fine layer of short burgundy fuzz. Beware!

ETA: I've also got a coat collar that hates updos. It's not directly dangerous to hair, but it IS hazardous to sticks and forks.

Velcro and zippers aren't exactly friendly things either.

[CremeTron]

Anything smooth is good for hair. My problem is fuzzy chair backs and my outerwear that comes with my work uniform.

I am looking forward to being able to put all my hair over one shoulder and have it stay there. You could do a fold- over pony or a highish pony whenever you have to wear something fleecy or absorbent or sit on an office chair.

[lapushka]

latex would be even better than silk i guess, lol. but basically avoid anything that feels rough to the touch. if i wear my hair down i certainly dont go for wool or cotton materials.

Funny you should mention latex. This woman uses latex gloves in a lot of her videos, for detangling hair as it gives so much slip to the hair:
https://www.youtube.com/user/MoKnowsHair

[meteor]

Funny you should mention latex. This woman uses latex gloves in a lot of her videos, for detangling hair as it gives so much slip to the hair:
https://www.youtube.com/user/MoKnowsHair

Hmm, very interesting! :)


Generally, I'd say silk fabric ftw! :rockerdud: And satin is the best, smoothest kind of weave for hair-friendly materials.
I like to avoid everything that's fleecy/linty and rough to the touch, or I line it with something smooth.
So for example, since all really warm scarves I own are not smooth, I just wear a silky one underneath.
I find that lint-inducing materials are the worst (any bedding is often made with those :mad:), because the tiny pieces of material get stuck in hair causing serious tangles.

[chen bao jun]

Cotton is very drying. Cotton pillow cases are terrible for hair. Coats made of wool (harsh ) scratchy backs of couches, knit sweaters, knit scarves.

[lunalocks]

Corduroy collars. Very bad. They have them on Carhart jackets.

[dreamer152]

I've never once thought about what type of fabric I was wearing or how it affected my hair. This is all quite interesting! We've always used cotton pillowcases, and I wear fleece jackets all the time. And I knit, so of course most of my scarves are super wash wool. Haha, maybe I should consider changing a few things, could be why my hair gets so tangly underneath, and why I find hairs on EVERY jacket or shirt I wear. I'm a big fleece and cotton girl....

[Hairkay]

I have to agree on satin silk. Since that is costly to have around for everything I tend to go for satinised cotton for bedding. I have had cotton flannelette sheets before for their warm and softness but they produced a lot of lint and tangling in my hair. I stay away from wool and any animal woven products due to allergies. I have noticed that fleece collars are as bad as regular towels in trapping hair so I'd get hair pulled out every time my collar came in contact with my hair.

[meteor]

I've never once thought about what type of fabric I was wearing or how it affected my hair. This is all quite interesting! We've always used cotton pillowcases, and I wear fleece jackets all the time. And I knit, so of course most of my scarves are super wash wool. Haha, maybe I should consider changing a few things, could be why my hair gets so tangly underneath, and why I find hairs on EVERY jacket or shirt I wear. I'm a big fleece and cotton girl....

Oh yes, that could very well explain it, actually. :agree: I remember I used to get lots of tangling and static in underlayers when I wore hair down and wore wool or other warm, lint-inducing materials. Now that I always wear hair up and very mindful of scarves and collars, I can barely remember what it's like when underlayers tangle - haven't had this issue in years, thanks to the LHC advice. :cloud9:

[dreamer152]

Oh yes, that could very well explain it, actually. :agree: I remember I used to get lots of tangling and static in underlayers when I wore hair down and wore wool or other warm, lint-inducing materials. Now that I always wear hair up and very mindful of scarves and collars, I can barely remember what it's like when underlayers tangle - haven't had this issue in years, thanks to the LHC advice. :cloud9:

I bet it is why! If I curl my hair, I always end up with a matted mess underneath. Lots of my clothing has hairs actually woven in to them. I'm going to try some other fabrics and see how that helps! I will definitely be wearing hair up when wearing my knit scarves from now on! This forum is awesome. I've learned so much in such a short time!

[meteor]

I bet it is why! If I curl my hair, I always end up with a matted mess underneath. Lots of my clothing has hairs actually woven in to them. I'm going to try some other fabrics and see how that helps! I will definitely be wearing hair up when wearing my knit scarves from now on! This forum is awesome. I've learned so much in such a short time!

That's a great plan! :thumbsup: Also, when wearing knit scarves or hats, it's a good idea to line them with silk or use a silk scarf underneath, to separate the hair from the wool. HTH! :flower:

[betterhairday]

I cannot wear anything that is 100% acrylic or polyester, as soon as my hair is anywhere near it stands straight up and I look as if I have stuck my finger in an electric socket!

[frejafjord]

I have this hoodie that came with a piece of faux fur attached to the hood. The fur isn't exactly my style anymore so I detached it and now there are these little buttons all around the hood, which you can imagine are the perfect little anchors for snagging hair and catching it.. I really need to cut them off.