What's a good hairstick diameter?

[ynne]

So I'll be buying a hairstick soon, and I've experimented a bit to figure out an ideal length range, but I ran into an issue with the diameter/thickness: I find it a lot easier to use very narrow ones!

For reference:

• my barette's "hairstick" works best, if it weren't so short, and it's just 0.5 cm (0.19 inches) – it holds really well and does not tug
• a pencil is still kind of okay, 0.6 cm (0.23 inchs)
• a handmade one barely works, does not feel secure, and tugs too much at scalp when inserting it, 0.9 cm or maybe up to 1 cm (0.39 inches), which is also near the size of the hairsticks I was checking out online :(

I'm thinking it may be partially because my hair is relatively thick and not that long, and the bun has to be tight to work, and I'll only be able to use bigger diameter much later? Or maybe I'm doing it wrong?
I was also considering a flat hairstick instead, but that'd be anyone's guess if it'll work.

I'd appreciate anyone's experience or advice. c:

[jane_marie]

It's a bit odd but I have found that very thin sticks work best in my hair. Specifically I have a set of Quattro Serpentines that are comfortable and give a reliable hold. I don't think Quattro makes Serpentines anymore but they do still have flex sticks which look like they are the same size.

My second best hold comes from sticks that are flat. Like these:
https://i.imgur.com/kR0H41k.jpg?1

It seems like most people have better luck with thicker sticks though so YMMV.

[Lady Neeva]

Before I reached BSL (3 in ponytail circumference for reference) my hair sticks would slip out because I didn’t have enough length. I primarily used spin pins then to secure my hair in a really tight bun or make a braid, flip it over and secure it to my scalp with a beak clip.

[Lady Stardust]

The only hairsticks I’ve got are Ketylos, and they hold well without tugging. They have a bend in the middle which helps with the hold. They’re slightly thicker than a barrette/slide stick. I’ve got one wood and one acrylic. I started wearing them at around collarbone length.

[ynne]

jane_marie, I really like the thinness of the Serpentines you mention (if google brought up correct images), I can imagine those would work for me, too. I don't know if you'll see my reply, but how wide are the flat sticks that work for you? :0 I was considering Alpenlandkunst's flat hairsticks, but they are fairly wide so that may defeat the point...

Lady Neeva & Lady Stardust (oh, nice name match :)), thank you for sharing your experiences!

[AmaryllisRed]

Lilla Rose sticks have a pretty small diameter, too. Smaller than a pencil, I'd say.

[jane_marie]

I just measured and the widest part of both of the flat sticks is around 1/4" (one is slightly narrower and one is slightly larger) and the widest part of the narrow edge is 1/8". They were custom made for me by Koordikamber on etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/Koordikamber?search_query=hair). They were made to replace my best stick ever which were even thinner and smaller in width.

Here is a photo of the Serpentines.
https://i.imgur.com/R6ZH0B7.jpg?2
They are the metal sticks in the middle. For reference the black stick is a TT which I am hoping to eventually grow into but so far I have not been able to get my hair to stay in a bun more than five minutes using it.

For me it seems like if a stick is flat in one dimension it can be a bit wider and still work. I have one self made stick that is around 1/2"x 1/4" that holds... pretty well.

Here is a photo of it for reference
https://i.imgur.com/KpFYIsc.jpg?1

There are some texture issues at play as well. I have found that heavily lacquered or plastic/acrylic pieces don't hold as well for me. I can't explain that one since my hair seems to like metal, and bone (the Koordikamber sticks). I just know that out of all of my wood pieces the ones that I made and coated with beeswax work better than ones that have a polished finish.

I hope some of this info helps you out. :)

[Tinyponies]

For sticks I can’t recommend eads enough. They are comfortable, strong, slim and light and I love how they look.

https://i.imgur.com/tjDFX7O.jpg

Thread for these:
https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=61471

Edit, they’re about 0.8 cm wide :)

[ynne]

Lilla Rose sticks have a pretty small diameter, too. Smaller than a pencil, I'd say.
They are pretty! They remind me of those old, fancy walking sticks. Thank you!


I just measured and the widest part of both of the flat sticks is around 1/4" (one is slightly narrower and one is slightly larger) and the widest part of the narrow edge is 1/8". They were custom made for me by Koordikamber on etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/Koordikamber?search_query=hair). They were made to replace my best stick ever which were even thinner and smaller in width. [...]
Oh, all of that is very helpful!! The texture problem is interesting, especially with metal vs acrylic. I have a cheap plain thin metal fork on the way, so I'll get to test that too. It'll still be a bit of trial and error but it's really good to have an experience to compare it with.
Thank you for the photos & tips, I really appreciate it! c: (I added the store to the EU thread, thanks for that too!)


For sticks I can’t recommend eads enough. They are comfortable, strong, slim and light and I love how they look. [...]
These are really pretty & simple, I can see why you like them! :) When I'm considering buying from abroad (outside of EU, from what I can tell he's in US?) or see someone reselling them in a color I like, I'd probably go for it. Thank you for the tip!

[The Lizard Wife]

I don't have any good suggestions for thin hair sticks (I see Quattro mentioned already, which is the only thing I could bring to mind), but I will say that stick diameter preference for me depends on how you're using it! If weaving through a bun, I'd need a very thin stick. I have thick, always-compacted hair, and a scalp sensitive to hair being displaced by the stick and therefore "tugged".

I'm currently only using center-hold buns (disc, L-finity; I believe Nautilus and Lazy Wrap Bun are the same idea but my hair doesn't believe in either of them), and for those I prefer bigger sticks/oval sticks because it holds the tension of the wrapped loops much better. An oval stick that's wide and flat rather than round works well for me here because it has enough width bulk to keep the loops tight and secure, but thickness-wise it's "thinner" than a round stick, and displaces less hair in the center section. I only get that effect with a center-hold, though; if I were to try to weave an oval through, say, a cinnabun, I don't get the benefit of the flatness because all of the width is displacing hair too. If that makes sense?

And hair length is also a component, I find. Of my larger sticks, I start with the proportionally smaller ones when I have smaller buns, and work up to the biggest ones when my hair is longer.

[Kat]

I personally prefer them thinner. I usually use double-pointed knitting needles. I find that a fatter stick feels more difficult to get through my hair (it has to part a wider path) and is more likely to give me a headache, because there's more to press into my scalp.

The thicker ones work fine for other people, though. Try using things of different diameters-- knitting needles, pencils, etc.-- and see how they feel.

[ynne]

I don't have any good suggestions for thin hair sticks (I see Quattro mentioned already, which is the only thing I could bring to mind), but I will say that stick diameter preference for me depends on how you're using it! If weaving through a bun, I'd need a very thin stick. I have thick, always-compacted hair, and a scalp sensitive to hair being displaced by the stick and therefore "tugged".

I'm currently only using center-hold buns (disc, L-finity; I believe Nautilus and Lazy Wrap Bun are the same idea but my hair doesn't believe in either of them), and for those I prefer bigger sticks/oval sticks because it holds the tension of the wrapped loops much better. An oval stick that's wide and flat rather than round works well for me here because it has enough width bulk to keep the loops tight and secure, but thickness-wise it's "thinner" than a round stick, and displaces less hair in the center section. I only get that effect with a center-hold, though; if I were to try to weave an oval through, say, a cinnabun, I don't get the benefit of the flatness because all of the width is displacing hair too. If that makes sense?

And hair length is also a component, I find. Of my larger sticks, I start with the proportionally smaller ones when I have smaller buns, and work up to the biggest ones when my hair is longer.
Thanks so much, these are interesting points to consider!

So far, my only successful hairstick bun is cinnabun, which involves a lot of weaving so that may indeed be affecting it. But I like it, it holds so well (maybe especially because my hair does not need too many loops yet, it can hold with just one stick?). I did try a disc bun and nautilus (shorter hair version), and both seemed to need a lot of weaving to make them hold, too? Maybe I'm doing them wrong, I don't quite get them yet, just tried some tutorials. :) And I bet extra length with more wrapping will make a difference in future, it's just a bit hard to imagine what tool will hold them up then. But yeah, thanks again, it's really helpful!


I personally prefer them thinner. I usually use double-pointed knitting needles. I find that a fatter stick feels more difficult to get through my hair (it has to part a wider path) and is more likely to give me a headache, because there's more to press into my scalp.

The thicker ones work fine for other people, though. Try using things of different diameters-- knitting needles, pencils, etc.-- and see how they feel.
Thank you for sharing your experience! I tried just the stuff mentioned in OP, I'll look for some size inbetween to test, knitting needles are a good idea. :)

[neko_kawaii]

I don't have any good suggestions for thin hair sticks (I see Quattro mentioned already, which is the only thing I could bring to mind), but I will say that stick diameter preference for me depends on how you're using it! If weaving through a bun, I'd need a very thin stick. I have thick, always-compacted hair, and a scalp sensitive to hair being displaced by the stick and therefore "tugged".

I'm currently only using center-hold buns (disc, L-finity; I believe Nautilus and Lazy Wrap Bun are the same idea but my hair doesn't believe in either of them), and for those I prefer bigger sticks/oval sticks because it holds the tension of the wrapped loops much better. An oval stick that's wide and flat rather than round works well for me here because it has enough width bulk to keep the loops tight and secure, but thickness-wise it's "thinner" than a round stick, and displaces less hair in the center section. I only get that effect with a center-hold, though; if I were to try to weave an oval through, say, a cinnabun, I don't get the benefit of the flatness because all of the width is displacing hair too. If that makes sense?

And hair length is also a component, I find. Of my larger sticks, I start with the proportionally smaller ones when I have smaller buns, and work up to the biggest ones when my hair is longer.

I was going to say pretty much this. It really depends on the construction of the bun and how tightly it is done compared to the diameter of the stick. I have a few thin metal sticks that I only wear with certain buns because I can reliably construct those buns tightly enough (without being uncomfortable). On the flip side, the way I make a lazywrap bun holds best with a five prong fork because I do it so loose. I had a few chunky acrylic sticks, but never got the hang of constructing a bun that reliably worked with that larger diameter and I eventually stopped using them. If I’d kept at it I could probably have made something work.

[neko_kawaii]

Thanks so much, these are interesting points to consider!

So far, my only successful hairstick bun is cinnabun, which involves a lot of weaving so that may indeed be affecting it. But I like it, it holds so well (maybe especially because my hair does not need too many loops yet, it can hold with just one stick?). I did try a disc bun and nautilus (shorter hair version), and both seemed to need a lot of weaving to make them hold, too? Maybe I'm doing them wrong, I don't quite get them yet, just tried some tutorials. :) And I bet extra length with more wrapping will make a difference in future, it's just a bit hard to imagine what tool will hold them up then. But yeah, thanks again, it's really helpful!


Thank you for sharing your experience! I tried just the stuff mentioned in OP, I'll look for some size inbetween to test, knitting needles are a good idea. :)


It does sound like more length will help enormously.

[ynne]

It does sound like more length will help enormously.

Thank you for chiming in! It's my first time having this length while trying anything besides elastics so it's all very new, so I expect it'll all evolve with time, length and experience. c:

[MusicalSpoons]

For me, a wider holding implement became necessary with more length (though I didn't learn about hairsticks until TBL+ so my experience may be of zero use to you!) I do highly recommend Ketylos though, because they are slim and the bend in the middle really helps with hold - they allowed me to do my first reliable buns. Longhairedjewels (UK) sells a small selection of them, and they occasionally come up on the swap board.

I've also found that length and bunning experience help with needing less weaving (although I've never been able to get a cinnabun to hold with a stick or a fork), and the diameter of stick / width of fork makes a difference too. Slimmer for me is more likely to need scalp hair than wider. It just takes experimenting and patience to see what buns and what stabbing technique work best with your hair and different tools :) and over time, it all gradually changes with increasing length as well, just to keep things interesting ;)


Edit: Lilla Rose has cheap international postage and as long as you buy under your country's customs/import VAT threshold, if you wanted to buy a hairstick or two from them you would not have any problems.

[The Lizard Wife]

I did try a disc bun and nautilus (shorter hair version), and both seemed to need a lot of weaving to make them hold, too? Maybe I'm doing them wrong, I don't quite get them yet, just tried some tutorials. :) And I bet extra length with more wrapping will make a difference in future, it's just a bit hard to imagine what tool will hold them up then. But yeah, thanks again, it's really helpful!

I struggled a lot with disc bun when I had a smaller thickness-to-length ratio. I can do it very easily now that I thinned my hair a lot, and I am able to wrap the ends around about 3 times. Less than 2 and a half wraps or so, and my hair won't stay secure in the bun. (I think when I originally tried, I could wrap the tail...once. Maybe. It didn't hold at all.) I also, because the bun is smaller, make tighter loops than originally in the tutorial I found. Maybe this might be a useful perspective to help you judge if you're having trouble understanding the directions, or if you hair just doesn't like it, or if your hair just isn't long enough yet for it to turn out properly? I also don't weave the stick at all when I do a disc. I pull the loops down to my scalp so that I insert the stick into one loop, go under all my wrapped coils and don't try to catch any of that hair at all, instead going through the ponytail base near the scalp, and out the other loop. So I basically make a straight line, or a very shallow curve. The tension between the stick and the loops holds all the wrapped ends snugly in place so they don't unwrap.

It really is hard to tell what tools will work as your hair grows! I never thought that large single sticks would actually be what I needed for my hair, until now here I am. And it's different for everyone, of course.

[Mdewlover02]

So I am new to LHC and.a lot of these new fun toys. However as already stated the type of bun matters. I had only ever done the cinnabon till I found this forum, if doing that I need thin hair pieces. I found metal to be best, and I actually found lilla rose swerves (their version of a.haor fork) to be very perfect for cinnabun that is a shorter hair length(APL to Bra strap) I would think the quattro basics are perfect too but I haven't gotten those yet. I have switched to a variation of the lazy wrap and disco buns and LOVE the acrylic sticks from WEII on etsy! Just ordered 2 from lady idun to try. So yeah it def depends on hair style. Btw I have straight thick hair at bra strap length for reference.

[ynne]

MusicalSpoons, thank you, the hairstick I was considering had a similar bent to Ketylos. :) "Stabbing techniques", I love that. And thanks for the tip re: Lilla Rose, I did not realize the individual sticks were so cheap (well, not cheap, but cheaper than I thought)!

The Lizard Wife, that's really helpful! Thank you. I also thinned my hair with a nape undercut in past, but for now, I'm going to keep it close to one length and see if I can manage, so that means waiting for more length. As for a disc bun, I tried it a few more times and I can get it to hold with a ponytail base but not without it, and I think it is because of the wrapping – like you said! Even if I make the loops very small, the ends wrap around just once, so after a while, it starts sticking out and falling apart. The loops also don't feel very secure, they kind of spread to the sides. It's good to know this should improve in future.

Mdewlover02, thank you for sharing your experience! Yesterday, my thin metal U fork arrived, and it does hold cinnabun really well! It doesn't have the same shape as swerves, but it's thin enough and has a similar head curve. :) I'll have to practice with it a little, but I think it'll be reliable.

Based on jane's suggestions, I ended up ordering a custom flat wooden hairstick. It should arrive soon!