Almost every updo hurts

[speakyword]

Loose, tight, scrunchie, clip, pins... almost every updo hurts my scalp immediately after putting it in. The only ones that don’t hurt are double braids (Dutch and regular) and a loose low pony or folded over pony. I only have just past shoulder length fine straight hair so it shouldn’t be heavy. When I try to do it loose it feels like it’s always pulling one part of my hair and the style is hanging from one spot too much. A French roll is not too uncomfortable but it slips out easily. This is especially frustrating at night because I don’t want braid waves everynight

[secret soup]

Hi! I feel your pain--literally--I have the same problem (and length). But, I've noticed this problem for a couple of years now. Around the same time, I started having fungal/yeast issues on my body, face, and scalp. So, I assumed that is what my issue is; no one seems to know. Do you have any itching, flaking, bumps, etc. anywhere?

I don't have much advice on styles, except that those tiny Scunci claw clips are a lifesaver. They can be used to create almost any configuration to keep hair contained but not hurt. If an area starts to hurt, I move the clips around. I have over 20 of them in different colors!

Also, if you can tolerate it, I have had success with those stretchy wide cotton headbands. I put one on and then wrap my hair around it in a spiral, until it looks like a crown braid. My hair usually slips out but it's great until it does. No pain and gives soft waves!

[speakyword]

Thanks! I do have some mild bumps on my scalp. No itching or flaking though. I have a few spots of psoriasis on my body but it seems very different to what’s on my scalp which is like a few tiny pimples. I wash my hair about 2-3 times a week and only use a natural leave in conditioner on the length of my hair. I’ll check out those clips for sure, thanks. Would you happen to have a pic of the headband style? Sounds very helpful. Thank you!

[Jane99]

When my scalp has hurt more in the recent past, it was because I wasn’t using strong enough cleansers. There was some kind of funk growing on my scalp, I believe. CO washing was the culprit for me.

[secret soup]

I'm new so I can't post pictures yet, but if you search the internet for "headband curls" you might find some tutorials. There are usually two ways to do it that provide different comfort levels and curl patterns: putting the headband over your hair (like a hippy, like in this tutorial https://www.wikihow.com/Do-Headband-Curls ), or putting the headband under your hair (like going to wash your face).

In case there is a yeast problem causing the scalp pain, a way to find out would be to either wash every day or wash with a medicated shampoo (I use one with zinc) and see if it helps. This site might have some more info: https://dermnetnz.org/

[speakyword]

Interesting. I have co washed before and it wasn’t for me. With my extremely fine hair I find best results with not using conditioner on my roots. Helps me to a couple days between washes. I use regular strength cleansers because clarifying would be too harsh especially with no conditioner. I’ll think more about that though. Thank you

[speakyword]

Thank you!

[florenonite]

Is this a new issue, or are you new to tying your hair up?

If you've never tied your hair up before, then it might be an issue with moving the hair follicles 'against the grain', so to speak. If you run your hand up your leg so the hairs stand on end, it feels kind of weird, right? It's the same thing, but magnified, with your hair. If you have always worn your hair down and loose, then try to put it in a high ponytail position for a bun, the hair follicles will be uncomfortable, and it can take time to train them.

If it's a new thing, it could be due to mineral build-up from hard water, not rinsing your products out fully, etc. If you have straight, fine hair, then when it's freshly cleaned it should feel very soft and slippery - mine gets so slippery it can actually be hard to get it to stay up.

There is also a Goldilocks zone between too loose and too tight where an updo should be comfortable. It should be firm and secure, but not pulling tightly anywhere and without any slack, because that's how it ends up tugging on one hair. Sometimes it takes me several tries to get even a simple bun to hold without it tugging.

[lapushka]

Loose, tight, scrunchie, clip, pins... almost every updo hurts my scalp immediately after putting it in. The only ones that don’t hurt are double braids (Dutch and regular) and a loose low pony or folded over pony. I only have just past shoulder length fine straight hair so it shouldn’t be heavy. When I try to do it loose it feels like it’s always pulling one part of my hair and the style is hanging from one spot too much. A French roll is not too uncomfortable but it slips out easily. This is especially frustrating at night because I don’t want braid waves everynight

Past shoulder length is too short to mess with that much; trust me.

Just try a regular plain old peacock twist. You can secure it with a simple French barrette, a Flexi8, Ficcare, whatever it is you have on hand, even a regular simple claw clip (easiest).

I wore that style until my hair was *long enough* to do styles.

Just past shoulder is begging for misery if you want to put that up in too intricate of a style.

[spidermom]

Keep experimenting. I think there's a good chance that you will find a comfortable style at some point.

[thatsideoflife]

I will second secretsoup. When my scalp would hurt it was either hormonal or dietary. Especially after having a lot of bread. It would be all sensitive and I'd always think it was the bun. But then I'd remember it doesn't always hurt in a bun. So it was either something I ate and was having allergy type reactions to, or my hormones were imbalanced. Or both. My two cents!

[neko_kawaii]

Loose, tight, scrunchie, clip, pins... almost every updo hurts my scalp immediately after putting it in. The only ones that don’t hurt are double braids (Dutch and regular) and a loose low pony or folded over pony. I only have just past shoulder length fine straight hair so it shouldn’t be heavy. When I try to do it loose it feels like it’s always pulling one part of my hair and the style is hanging from one spot too much. A French roll is not too uncomfortable but it slips out easily. This is especially frustrating at night because I don’t want braid waves everynight


Keep experimenting. I think there's a good chance that you will find a comfortable style at some point.

This sounds like part of the learning curve and I second what Spidey said, keep trying. Redo it if it's uncomfortable, do something you are already proficient with when you don't have time to redo. I was in college when I first started to learn to bun and it took a long time before I could construct a bun that didn't pull in one way or another. Once you get it, you may not even be able to put your finger on what you started to do differently. Things will also change as your hair gets longer and you have more to work with.

[speakyword]

Omg I loved the results of the headband curl. It was very comfortable to sleep in.

I will keep an eye on my scalp too and consider increasing the frequency of my washes or what I wash with. The advice about my hair direction and finding the tension sweet spot was helpful too. Thanks all!!

[Cg]

My hair needed some length, many pins, and crocheted snoods also pinned on before buns got comfortable. By some length I mean hip. Sparse hair = a lot of pulling. You have to distribute the tension evenly.

[secret soup]

Omg I loved the results of the headband curl. It was very comfortable to sleep in.

I will keep an eye on my scalp too and consider increasing the frequency of my washes or what I wash with. The advice about my hair direction and finding the tension sweet spot was helpful too. Thanks all!!

Awesome!! :applause

[secret soup]

My hair needed some length, many pins, and crocheted snoods also pinned on before buns got comfortable. By some length I mean hip. Sparse hair = a lot of pulling. You have to distribute the tension evenly.

I think this is part of my problem too. By the time I started having scalp pain issues, I had already lost half my hair thickness and it was barely at bra strap length, so there wasn't much I could do with it yet.

My end goal is to be able to wear pigtails all the time, with nothing anchoring to my scalp at all!

[LoungeLady]

I do a lot of pigtail braids too just to have nothing piled on my head. I’ve always had a sensitive scalp- not to products but to tugging and knots and the like. I still have issues with pain from time to time but just rotating where I place things - highest, high, lower, lowest - helps a lot. My least problematic up do is a LWB with one hair stick. I learned both on here. I sometimes rotate where I put the bun but for whatever reason, this LWB seems have the least “pulling” and I think the hair sits closer to the head so no weight hanging, if that makes sense. I have fine thin hair between BSL and waist length- for reference.