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RebekahE
December 9th, 2015, 07:12 PM
I thought there was a thread with this question but can't find it. If someone can link me to it, I will say no more.
For my WHOLE life I have worn my hair in braid(s). When I was younger my Mom did two french braids and sometimes one french. For the last few years it has mostly been just a straight, plain, english braid down my back. And most recently it has been either a dutch braid or french braid.
I've always had short strands. I call them wispies. It's just been a way of life for me. I am a highly active outdoorsy type person. I make my living training horses. I also train dogs and compete with both them and horses. I raise rabbits. I spend most of my time outside. And buns just haven't ever held very well with my fine, thick, straight, slippery hair. The ones I could get to actually sorta hold gave me a headache.
I have recently become interested in growing my hair back out again and seeing how long I can go. Currently it is waist length, but I have gone to classic before. My question is: Are braids more damaging than say, buns? I always use a soft goodie "ouchless" hair tie and I try not to put it in the same place all the time.

Entangled
December 9th, 2015, 08:18 PM
Yes, because there are two aspects to a protective hairstyle. One is preventing tangles, so there isn't too much damage in detangling. Braids protect against this, as do buns. The second aspect is preventing friction. Braids do not really do this as much; the hair is still swinging around, hitting things and rubbing on things. Buns keep hair out of contact with most objects, and so protect the ends more.

However, braids are better than loose hair! They keep it contained and prone to fewer tangles. If buns don't work, perhaps think about using some sort of silky braid sleeve? Something to minimize contact with chairs, tree branches, clothes, chairs, etc. if a bun hurts your head, perhaps try a sectioned bun. Sectioned buns split the tension so headaches are less likely. A nice easy one would be to French braid your hair and then bun it. What pins have you used? I've had success with spin pins, though my hair isn't particularly slippy.

Sarahlabyrinth
December 9th, 2015, 08:58 PM
Yes, because there are two aspects to a protective hairstyle. One is preventing tangles, so there isn't too much damage in detangling. Braids protect against this, as do buns. The secon aspect is preventing friction. Braids do not really do this as much; te hair is still swinging around, hitting things and rubbing on things. Buns keep hair out of contact with most objects, and so protect the ends more.

However, braids are better than loose hair! They keep it contained and prone to fewer tangles. If buns don't work, perhaps think about using some sort of silky braid sleeve? Something to minimize contact with chairs, tree branches, clothes, chairs, etc. if a bun hurts your head, perhaps try a sectioned bun. Sectioned buns split the tension so headaches are less likely. A nice easy one would be to French braid your hair and then bun it. What pins have you used? I've had success with spin pins, though my hair isn't particularly slippy.

Very well said :)

Kherome
December 9th, 2015, 09:02 PM
I used to barrel race in a LWB. If you do it right it won't move allllll day long.

Nique1202
December 10th, 2015, 05:10 AM
Anything that touches your hair or moves it is damaging in the long run, including styling it, but keeping it contained in a braid is better than wearing it loose and bunning it or pinning it to your head in the style of milkmaid braids or hair taping are even safer than braids. The idea is to reduce points of contact. A braid hanging down your back will keep the hair from tangling and will protect the hairs that are in the middle, but the hairs on the outside can still rub against clothing and anything that you lean against (chairs, etc).

But, it's not like wearing a braid or even wearing your hair loose are guarantees that your hair will get damaged and break off before your goal. You may find that your hair suddenly seems to stop growing from breakage at some point if you don't wear it up, in which case you'll have to weigh the options of having hair that's only that long or protecting your hair more and having it longer. Or you may find that wearing your hair in a braid gets you to a very happy and comfortable length with no visible damage. You'll never know until you try.:blossom:

Anje
December 10th, 2015, 06:50 AM
Say instead that living life is damaging to hair. Tangles and friction are the enemies, and you risk those if your hair is long enough to tangle or rub on anything. Accumulate enough damage, and the hair breaks.

So to grow long hair, it helps to accumulate less damage. Braids are good for reducing tangles,but don't eliminate friction all that much. Leaning on hair when you're sitting is a big source of friction, but moving your hair out of the way is sufficient to prevent it. (College lecture halls are an amazing place to observe this in action. You see so much lovely hair that suddenly has splits right where the chair back is, as the student in front of you leans back.) Buns are particularly good at reducing both friction and tangles, but if you do them badly and create knots, those tangles might outweigh the benefits.

So it's not that braids are damaging (though you'll want to be careful of the elastic you use at the end), it's just that they may not be optimally protective. Or they might be enough protection for your hair to grow and look the way you want, depending on an assortment of other factors like hair texture and toughness, clothing choices, habits to keep the braid out of trouble, and just what you do.

RebekahE
December 10th, 2015, 06:56 AM
Thank you, everyone.
Bobby pins and I are mortal enemies. I hate them!! Spin pins seem to hold relatively well but after a while I notice a headache starting. My hair doesn't hold the greatest with a hair stick, probably because it's not quite long enough and I hate doing ponytails which might help the bun stay. I am hoping to try a flexi-8 but the large doesn't fit so I am exchanging it.
I could check into a cover, I guess.
I feel like a dumby, but what is a LWB?

Entangled
December 10th, 2015, 07:18 AM
Lazy wrap bun.

Daydreamer.
January 9th, 2016, 02:50 AM
I don't think they are damaging, unless they are very tight on the scalp.

stelz
January 9th, 2016, 03:25 AM
I have the same slippy-type hair. I wore a long braid hanging down most of the time for years because I had that problem. At one time I had it to almost knee length. Yes, there was some damage - the ends were very old hair, after all, and they were always hitting and dragging on things. But for the most part, even a hanging braid is protective, at least to tailbone/classic. Rubbing on your cotton shirt is not the same as rubbing on whatever rough surface you may find yourself sitting on. But I finally found Ficcare and those things freed me up to do a lot of different buns, and I don't have to make them tight or painful. The spring is really strong and holds like a rock.

Sometimes I'll do a stick or fork, maybe with a couple of spin pins for added stability, but if I need a guarantee that my hair will stay all day or night, not just a few hours, I use a Ficcare.

Some of the wispies are just new hair coming in - hair naturally sheds, even under the best of circumstances.

stelz
January 9th, 2016, 11:11 PM
Something else, I've noticed that buns that are more "distributed", like a Figure 8 or Infinity Bun, don't give me headaches the way that a plain bun held by a stick or fork does. You might try that.

curlysamantha
January 16th, 2016, 09:19 AM
If they are too tight then they will be damaging to the scalp. In my personal experience, I have found that braiding my hair more has made it softer and easier to manage.