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View Full Version : Are all updos protective? Are some more protective than others?



ElvenEngineer
January 3rd, 2016, 11:25 PM
I'm pretty new to updos, but have heard the phrase "protective updos" many times, hence my question. As I'm learning a few to get started, I'm wondering where I should put my focus. :)

Nique1202
January 4th, 2016, 03:42 AM
Wearing your hair loose it comes into contact with all sorts of things (clothing, coats, bags and straps, chairs, and if it's long enough it starts to get hooked on doorknobs, stuck in car doors, etc.) so the idea of a protective updo is to keep the hair contained and away and protected from all that friction and all that mechanical damage, so that you don't get so much damage that it starts breaking off before you reach your goal.

But, it can take many years for that damage to show up, depending on how much it gets and from what sources. A lot of people find that their hair seems to stop growing around midback because of chairs, or around tailbone-to-classic because of sitting on it, but if you're careful about pulling loose hair out of danger then for some people that's enough. Some people don't need protective styles at all to reach their goals and be happy with the look of their hemline. If you're at 27.5 inches and you know you only want 30 and you're happy with how your ends look now, you can probably do whatever you're already doing and just learn the updos that you like the look of.

If you plan to grow longer, then basically buns (especially with just a stick or fork or spin pins to fasten, since elastics and bobby pins cause more friction and mechanical damage) are generally more protective than braids, and braids are generally more protective than loose hair. There are exceptions, like some people whose hair tangles more in braids than when it's loose so the detangling causes them more damage over time, but that's the general wisdom about such things.

gossamer
January 4th, 2016, 04:47 AM
There are some updos that, for me, result in more tangles than others. I'd have to say yes, some are more protective and some are less so. Anything that first involves a rope braid results in medusa-hair for me later. Nautilus buns and lazy wrap buns (the loose hair versions, not the braided ones) end up with matted sections near the points at which I insert my sticks from right to left. I think it's because I'm not doing them tightly enough, so they move around a bit, but I can't do them tighter because of comfort and weight balancing issues.

For me, the least tangle-inducing updo is the humble cinnabun. :)

Anje
January 4th, 2016, 06:01 AM
My hair breaks fairly easily and I've got a history of broken hair from ponytails. So for me, securing a bun with an elastic probably wouldn't be very protective. (Plus, it really doesn't support the weight that well, and at my length it's completely awkward.)

Updos with all kinds of damaging steps like backcombing obviously could be more harmful than helpful.

Entangled
January 4th, 2016, 08:54 AM
Fancy updos, like the kind you see for special occasions and the like, are often achieved using heat styling and back combing, so they aren't very protective. With protective updos, the less manipulation, the less damage in general, but that doesn't mean you need to eschew more complicated updos. The important thing is to keep you hair in a place where it will tangle less and be less in contact with things.

meteor
January 4th, 2016, 09:48 AM
I think some updos are more protective than others. I'd even say that in different situations and at different lengths, textures, densities some updos are going to be more protective than others. For example, for sports, I need some extremely tight styles, based on multiple braids and intertwining sections... but that's too high-manipulation and adds risk of mechanical damage for everyday wear. And some buns used to be great at shorter lengths for me (e.g. the Ellingwoman braided bun), but too tangle-inducing now.

For me, personally, I think the most protective and least damaging updos should fit some of the following criteria:

- no heat-styling, no back-combing;

- low manipulation, to avoid mechanical damage while putting it up (so, for example, a Medusa Twisted Bun would not be very good from this point of view, and a Crown braid and Spiral braid are pretty high-manipulation styles while Coronet braid is low-manipulation), many beautiful fantasy hairstyles are high-manipulation, unfortunately;

- folded in an easy structure, easy to undo later without damage, no over-wrapping that could tangle up hair (so, for example, Interlaced Dutch/Amish Braids or the Masara or a bun based on a pull-through braid would not be very good from this point of view, but folded braid or braided cinnabun is fine);

- ends tucked in, hidden, since they are the oldest and structurally weakest points of the hair (so, for example, a Peacock Twist or a Comet Bun would not be very good from this point of view, but tucking ends in solves this problem);

- compact, to reduce surface area exposed to the elements as much as possible (so, for example, a Fan Bun or some Sock Buns would not be very good from this point of view);

- requiring a minimum of tools to hold it up and only hair-friendly tools (ideally no ponytail holders, no bobby pins) (so, for example, a Vortex Bun would not be very good from this point of view).

ElvenEngineer
January 4th, 2016, 09:54 AM
I think some updos are more protective than others. I'd even say that in different situations and at different lengths, textures, densities some updos are going to be more protective than others. For example, for sports, I need some extremely tight styles, based on multiple braids and intertwining sections... but that's too high-manipulation and adds risk of mechanical damage for everyday wear. And some buns used to be great at shorter lengths for me (e.g. the Ellingwoman braided bun), but too tangle-inducing now.

For me, personally, I think the most protective and least damaging updos should fit some of the following criteria:

- no heat-styling, no back-combing;

- low manipulation, to avoid mechanical damage while putting it up (so, for example, a Medusa Twisted Bun would not be very good from this point of view, and a Crown braid and Spiral braid are pretty high-manipulation styles while Coronet braid is low-manipulation), many beautiful fantasy hairstyles are high-manipulation, unfortunately;

- folded in an easy structure, easy to undo later without damage, no over-wrapping that could tangle up hair (so, for example, Interlaced Dutch/Amish Braids or the Masara or a bun based on a pull-through braid would not be very good from this point of view, but folded braid or braided cinnabun is fine);

- ends tucked in, hidden, since they are the oldest and structurally weakest points of the hair (so, for example, a Peacock Twist or a Comet Bun would not be very good from this point of view, but tucking ends in solves this problem);

- compact, to reduce surface area exposed to the elements as much as possible (so, for example, a Fan Bun or some Sock Buns would not be very good from this point of view);

- requiring a minimum of tools to hold it up and only hair-friendly tools (ideally no ponytail holders, no bobby pins) (so, for example, a Vortex Bun would not be very good from this point of view).

This breakdown of factors is very helpful, but leaves me with a newbish question... what's left? :D

meteor
January 4th, 2016, 10:05 AM
This breakdown of factors is very helpful, but leaves me with a newbish question... what's left? :D

He-he, you are right! :D I haven't thought of listing that, sorry. :flower:
I almost always wear my hair in simple braided buns:
- braided Lazy Wrap Bun;
- braided L-Infinity Bun;
- braided Nautilus;
- braided cinnabun;
- coronet/milkmaid braids.

I know the choice of most protective updos is pretty personal: for example, some people get serious tangling from braiding or even breakage (I think especially, finer hair), but it helps corral and actually prevents tangling on my hair (which is multi-textured and dense) better. At shorter lengths, I did other updos... unfortunately, the same updos often don't work or don't work the same way at different lengths.