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View Full Version : Which Causes More Mechanical Damage, Braids or Buns?



Daydreamer.
May 12th, 2016, 03:21 AM
I have been wearing a French braid or a single braid daily. I wonder if I'm causing my hair more mechanical damage by braiding rather than bunning with a spin pin. I mean, with braids, I have to manipulate my hair more to make a braid. My hair is very curly, so I have to thoroughly finger detangle before and during braiding to avoid knots/tangles. With buns, however, I just twist my hair and roll it and stick a spin pin in it. So, am I causing my hair more damage/thinning by wearing braids daily? Should I go back to bunning? So, which causes more damage in the long run, braids or buns?
Also, please share your experiences with braids/buns. Which do you wear to keep your hair up? Why did you choose it?

Adorkable One
May 12th, 2016, 03:58 AM
I've had the same concern about braids. I've been looking into getting some hair sticks, because after several months of braiding, I don't feel it's thwarting damage as much as I'd like. I have terribly short and damaged nape hair, and I think it's from my hair rubbing against my back, which of course happens with a braid or ponytail.

I assume a bun is better because it's significantly less friction.

Really, I just keep braiding my hair because it's easy and fast, and I don't own any sticks yet. Lol. But as soon as I'm home, I put my hair up in a clip to give it a break. I don't wear my clip in public though because it just looks unpolished, and like I'm going to go do laundry or something. Sticks seems like a more dressy approach to an up-do.

Adorkable One
May 12th, 2016, 04:01 AM
Also, I'd like to add, I think tying the end of my braid, is seriously rough on the ends of my hair. That seems worse than the actual braid. At least at the top of the braid, I can use a satin scrunchie....but the tip of my braid is too thin for a scrunchie.

Daydreamer.
May 12th, 2016, 04:08 AM
Also, I'd like to add, I think tying the end of my braid, is seriously rough on the ends of my hair. That seems worse than the actual braid. At least at the top of the braid, I can use a satin scrunchie....but the tip of my braid is too thin for a scrunchie. I also have a thin (and dry) braid tassel, so I usually tuck the ends into my braid. Perhaps tucking might help your ends?

Adorkable One
May 12th, 2016, 04:13 AM
I also have a thin (and dry) braid tassel, so I usually tuck the ends into my braid. Perhaps tucking might help your ends?


Hmm. I'm not sure I know what you mean. Do you mean like a slip knot?

Entangled
May 12th, 2016, 04:37 AM
Braiding is protective for me only insomuch as it prevents tangles. I see it as wearing hair down but contained. It still experiences all the friction, but isn't free to tangle. Buns prevent tangling and minimize friction, so I'd say they're almost always more protective, unless the bun in question involves lots of manipulation.

pailin
May 12th, 2016, 04:38 AM
I think bunning with a stick is probably better for mechanical damage, especially if you have a lot of trouble with tangling. It depends what you are doing- I braid a lot because I need to wear a helmet, so on those days buns aren't an option.

Nique1202
May 12th, 2016, 04:41 AM
Braids left loose will lead to more damage because more of the hair is exposed to everything around you. As it rubs on your clothing, bags, chairs, etc. it will accumulate more damage in the long term than if it were all contained on your head in either a bun or some other pinned style like Heidi braids.

But, if you like braids, then wear them! If you start to notice damage on your ends that you can't manage with S&D, then you can give it a little trim and reevaluate how often you wear it braided vs bunned. But, you have to be happy with your hair first and foremost.

Robot Ninja
May 12th, 2016, 06:18 AM
Also, I'd like to add, I think tying the end of my braid, is seriously rough on the ends of my hair. That seems worse than the actual braid. At least at the top of the braid, I can use a satin scrunchie....but the tip of my braid is too thin for a scrunchie.

You can make braid elastics out of pantyhose. Just cut a cross-section a few inches wide. If you want smaller elastics, buy some girls' tights from the dollar store and use those. They're softer and less damaging than regular elastics.

Anje
May 12th, 2016, 07:46 AM
I don't feel like either is damaging. I'm not breaking hairs or scuffing up the scales of the cuticle when I do either. Maybe the elastic at the end creates some wear, but I'm careful and willing to accept that. But braids don't offer as much protection, which might be problematic. (On the other hand, buns are problematic for my long commutes, so I wear a lot of braids right now.)

lapushka
May 12th, 2016, 09:17 AM
I have been wearing a French braid or a single braid daily. I wonder if I'm causing my hair more mechanical damage by braiding rather than bunning with a spin pin. I mean, with braids, I have to manipulate my hair more to make a braid. My hair is very curly, so I have to thoroughly finger detangle before and during braiding to avoid knots/tangles. With buns, however, I just twist my hair and roll it and stick a spin pin in it. So, am I causing my hair more damage/thinning by wearing braids daily? Should I go back to bunning? So, which causes more damage in the long run, braids or buns?
Also, please share your experiences with braids/buns. Which do you wear to keep your hair up? Why did you choose it?

I think braiding, depending on how you braid manipulates the hair more than just picking it up and rolling it in a bun would. Not that one big braid is going to give a lot of wear on the hair. Smaller ones might do. Cornrows especially. You can lose a lot of hair doing those.

I've worn a peacock twist from APL to waist/hip (was more of a logroll the longer it got). Then I switched to a LWB and have been doing that one ever since and am now classic length+. I just find it the easiest bun to do, esp. with my layering.

genlilliana
May 12th, 2016, 09:27 AM
I bun and finish with a large satin scrunchie and haven't noticed any out of the ordinary ill effects. I like to braid more now that my hair is at a good length for it. To avoid end damage I add a little moisture/oil/leave-in condition spray to them. I think that for me, I notice the most damage is when I ponytail or try a hairstyle that requires a lot of pins.

meteor
May 12th, 2016, 09:45 AM
I have been wearing a French braid or a single braid daily. I wonder if I'm causing my hair more mechanical damage by braiding rather than bunning with a spin pin. I mean, with braids, I have to manipulate my hair more to make a braid. My hair is very curly, so I have to thoroughly finger detangle before and during braiding to avoid knots/tangles. With buns, however, I just twist my hair and roll it and stick a spin pin in it. So, am I causing my hair more damage/thinning by wearing braids daily? Should I go back to bunning? So, which causes more damage in the long run, braids or buns?
Also, please share your experiences with braids/buns. Which do you wear to keep your hair up? Why did you choose it?

If bunning works better for your hair and you like it, of course, I'd go back to bunning. :) It's great at protecting tucked ends and keeping hair compact and safe from rubbing on things.

Braiding can be a problem if it's very detailed, very sectioned (think Spiral braids, lots of teeny-tiny accent braids and such) and if the braid is not protected or has a bad type of elastic (with metal, etc) on end.

Personally, I live in braided buns and have done so for years. I think it might have something to do with iii+ thickness or slipperiness or weight of hair or something... but I can't bun my hair securely without braiding it first. I can certainly leave my braid hanging, but then I need to wear an elastic and it gets frizzy from rubbing on things and I need to worry about damage or the braid getting into things and so on and so forth. Pinning it up solves all these problems for me.
The only downsides of bunning for me are the weight (but my scalp got used to it over time, may not be true for others) and the fact that it sticks out (headrests, hats, pillows, etc) and that it doesn't hold as well as a simple braid/braid-ponytail combo during physical activity.

Hairkay
May 12th, 2016, 10:16 AM
They're about the same for me. To braid I have to manipulate the hair. To get a bun I have to manipulate the hair. Both require some detangling at some point. Kinky curlies do buns by rolling or twisting the hair to make it compact enough to wrap around in a bun. The twisting may be single strand which allows for some degree of messiness or several two strand twists. Then there's the ones where the hair is manipulated in a donut shape then tucked and sections pinned down. Many start of with the hair put in a hair band because this is easiest to control the thickness and keep hair in place as you manipulate it. There's the pony tail puff bun with the ends lightly twisted and tucked. There's also braided buns. I already tuck my braids/plaits up so they don't rub on shoulders, back etc.

MlleMC
May 12th, 2016, 11:09 AM
As several others have mentioned, a bun is more protective, especially for the ends, as it reduces friction. But if you prefer braids, there's nothing wrong with it.

As much as I like buns, they're not very practical for me since I have to wear my bike helmet most days. And I often end up redoing then a few times during the day, so they don't necessarily reduce manipulation.

I have noticed that I have many split ends around the area where I usually put the hair tie at the end of my braids, so I've started replacing those with ribbons that I add in some inches before the end (like this (http://s392.photobucket.com/user/mclairel/media/0tresse.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0)). It's gentler on my hair, and it adds touches of colour - though I could use brown or black ribbon too. I should note though that the last 6 inches of my hair are very damaged, so the splits probably aren't all due to hair ties.

spidermom
May 12th, 2016, 11:55 AM
Best of both worlds: braid then pin it up or bun it. I like to braid across the back of my head from ear to ear, then fold the braid back under or over itself and pin into place with bobby pins and roller pins.

Adorkable One
May 12th, 2016, 05:22 PM
You can make braid elastics out of pantyhose. Just cut a cross-section a few inches wide. If you want smaller elastics, buy some girls' tights from the dollar store and use those. They're softer and less damaging than regular elastics.

Omg thank you! That's pretty genius! I'm going to try this! I have satin scrunchies, but I haven't found any small versions of those. This seems like a great solution!

Qz
May 12th, 2016, 06:52 PM
I think braiding and leaving the braid hanging is probably more damaging, how much though who knows... I wear single braids daily because buns make me crazy when driving thanks to my headrests in the truck, and I don't like leaving it just loose to blow in the wind. In a perfect world though I would bun the stuff and keep it protected as much as possible if I was really worried about damage from daily handling.

omega
May 12th, 2016, 07:58 PM
Braids are more damaging.

Deborah
May 12th, 2016, 08:37 PM
I too think that braids are more damaging than buns. Buns protect the hair much better.

reilly0167
May 13th, 2016, 07:35 AM
For me, buns are more protective, its out of the way, contained and ends are tucked and protected.

Daydreamer.
May 14th, 2016, 02:36 AM
Hmm. I'm not sure I know what you mean. Do you mean like a slip knot? No, I take the end of my braid and tuck it underneath the braid near the scalp (it kind of makes a loop). My hair is thin and short (and curly), so I am able to pin it up this way without pins/clips.

Daydreamer.
May 14th, 2016, 02:39 AM
I think bunning with a stick is probably better for mechanical damage, especially if you have a lot of trouble with tangling. It depends what you are doing- I braid a lot because I need to wear a helmet, so on those days buns aren't an option. I was thinking that, too. My braids get fuzzy, so I redo morning/night.

Daydreamer.
May 14th, 2016, 02:42 AM
Braids left loose will lead to more damage because more of the hair is exposed to everything around you. As it rubs on your clothing, bags, chairs, etc. it will accumulate more damage in the long term than if it were all contained on your head in either a bun or some other pinned style like Heidi braids. But, if you like braids, then wear them! If you start to notice damage on your ends that you can't manage with S&D, then you can give it a little trim and reevaluate how often you wear it braided vs bunned. But, you have to be happy with your hair first and foremost. I usually tuck the ends of braids into my hair or weave them back into the braid. Hmmm... Your second paragraph gives me an idea...maybe I should test each for a certain amount of time to see which works best...

Daydreamer.
May 14th, 2016, 02:48 AM
I think braiding, depending on how you braid manipulates the hair more than just picking it up and rolling it in a bun would. Not that one big braid is going to give a lot of wear on the hair. Smaller ones might do. Cornrows especially. You can lose a lot of hair doing those. I've worn a peacock twist from APL to waist/hip (was more of a logroll the longer it got). Then I switched to a LWB and have been doing that one ever since and am now classic length+. I just find it the easiest bun to do, esp. with my layering. That's exactly what I mean. Sometimes, I feel like I'm manipulating too much (and might be causing some kind of damage). Detangling can be frustrating at times, too. I have a few layers, too.What kind of buns are good for layered SL hair?

Daydreamer.
May 14th, 2016, 02:51 AM
If bunning works better for your hair and you like it, of course, I'd go back to bunning. :) It's great at protecting tucked ends and keeping hair compact and safe from rubbing on things. Braiding can be a problem if it's very detailed, very sectioned (think Spiral braids, lots of teeny-tiny accent braids and such) and if the braid is not protected or has a bad type of elastic (with metal, etc) on end. Personally, I live in braided buns and have done so for years. I think it might have something to do with iii+ thickness or slipperiness or weight of hair or something... but I can't bun my hair securely without braiding it first. I can certainly leave my braid hanging, but then I need to wear an elastic and it gets frizzy from rubbing on things and I need to worry about damage or the braid getting into things and so on and so forth. Pinning it up solves all these problems for me. The only downsides of bunning for me are the weight (but my scalp got used to it over time, may not be true for others) and the fact that it sticks out (headrests, hats, pillows, etc) and that it doesn't hold as well as a simple braid/braid-ponytail combo during physical activity. I like bunning because it seems easier. However, with layers, my hair sticks out a little.

Daydreamer.
May 14th, 2016, 02:53 AM
They're about the same for me. To braid I have to manipulate the hair. To get a bun I have to manipulate the hair. Both require some detangling at some point. Kinky curlies do buns by rolling or twisting the hair to make it compact enough to wrap around in a bun. The twisting may be single strand which allows for some degree of messiness or several two strand twists. Then there's the ones where the hair is manipulated in a donut shape then tucked and sections pinned down. Many start of with the hair put in a hair band because this is easiest to control the thickness and keep hair in place as you manipulate it. There's the pony tail puff bun with the ends lightly twisted and tucked. There's also braided buns. I already tuck my braids/plaits up so they don't rub on shoulders, back etc. Yeah, but it seems like I have more manipulation for braids than buns. I always tuck my ends, too.

lapushka
May 14th, 2016, 04:37 AM
That's exactly what I mean. Sometimes, I feel like I'm manipulating too much (and might be causing some kind of damage). Detangling can be frustrating at times, too. I have a few layers, too.What kind of buns are good for layered SL hair?

Depends on what buns you can do at your thickness. SL is still quite short, so I would stick to a peacock twist (tails up as Flexi8 used to call it). It's a pretty updo!

Daydreamer.
May 14th, 2016, 04:40 AM
Depends on what buns you can do at your thickness. SL is still quite short, so I would stick to a peacock twist (tails up as Flexi8 used to call it). It's a pretty updo! My hair is thin. I'll give it a try. Thanks!

hayheadsbird
May 14th, 2016, 04:59 AM
On the basis braiding takes longer I tend to wear up in a peacock type twist with a claw or a stick. I'd say this was the most protective for my SL + hair as there's no tie on the ends and everything's tucked away from friction.

RottenMango
May 15th, 2019, 09:52 PM
I’d say buns would be less damaging because there is less manipulation of the hair compared to braiding.

Wusel
May 16th, 2019, 03:09 AM
I've had the same concern about braids. I've been looking into getting some hair sticks, because after several months of braiding, I don't feel it's thwarting damage as much as I'd like. I have terribly short and damaged nape hair, and I think it's from my hair rubbing against my back, which of course happens with a braid or ponytail.

I assume a bun is better because it's significantly less friction.

Really, I just keep braiding my hair because it's easy and fast, and I don't own any sticks yet. Lol. But as soon as I'm home, I put my hair up in a clip to give it a break. I don't wear my clip in public though because it just looks unpolished, and like I'm going to go do laundry or something. Sticks seems like a more dressy approach to an up-do.

Take a pencil. Does the same job.
Or a chopstick or a spoon... whatever is long and thin and sleek and goes through your hair. I do that all the time. I wear long ice cream spoons in my buns in the summer. Looks fun.

Wusel
May 16th, 2019, 03:13 AM
Buns give me more damage. Because they are tight balls on my scalp which gives me traction damage. A briad lays on my back and doesn't pull that much. I got edges from wearing buns too often when my hair was WL. And it doesn't matte where the bun sits. It has to be quite tight to not come loose ao it always pulls a bit. Which is not good. And even when it's not tight, it still pulls because it's a heavy ball hanging on my head on one place. But that's my personal experience.