Would an English Braid be Considered 'Keeping Hair Up'?

[Fantak]

Everyone on LHC always says to keep your hair 'up' (thanks LHC!). For some reason I've always figured that my english braid down my back is 'up', since I've taken 'up' to mean back, safe and out of the way.

I'm beginning to have doubts though :s is my english braid left hanging down my back enough to keep my hair safe and damage-free?

Ty!

[susiemw]

Everyone on LHC always says to keep you hair 'up' (thanks LHC!) for some reason I've always taken it that my english braid down my back is 'up', since I've taken 'up' to mean back, safe and out of the way.

I'm beginning to have doubts though :s is my english braid left hanging down my back enough to keep my hair safe and damage-free?

Ty!


I think so except for very specialized situations like if you were working with machinery. Then it would literally need to be up and on your head out of the way of the machinery... but other than for things like that, I think your english braid is fine.

[embee]

When I have my hair that way, braid down my back, it only takes moments for that braid to become fuzzy from friction with my clothing. Maybe if I wore silk and satin this would not happen, but I'm more of a fleece and wool and cotton kinda girl so the silk & satin isn't here. ;)

Of course after a day of getting fuzzy, that braid is a *mess* to comb out - and there's all sorts of breakage.

Does this not happen to you?

[Gumball]

When I have my hair that way, braid down my back, it only takes moments for that braid to become fuzzy from friction with my clothing. Maybe if I wore silk and satin this would not happen, but I'm more of a fleece and wool and cotton kinda girl so the silk & satin isn't here. ;)

Of course after a day of getting fuzzy, that braid is a *mess* to comb out - and there's all sorts of breakage.

Does this not happen to you?

All braids not pinned up get fuzzy, but it's not necessarily damage/breakage. We all have hair of all sorts of layers (new growth, intentional layers, whatnot) and they'll find ways to peek out. Mine does it especially often because it's curly, but I find for myself that combing out a fuzzy braid is many, many times easier than, say, coming out my hair had it been loose all day.

[Isilme]

a braid is better than leaving the hair down, but not at all as good as keeping it in an updo. I get tangles and breakage with a braid, but not with an updo.

[Gumball]

I consider braids as being "up" to an extent since technically it's not down and loose. That is why a braid is considered one of the protective styles as it doesn't let your hair to everywhere and whip around more by natural elements. Buns are still much more protective as they don't rub against clothing or swing around a lot. I wear a braid as my main style and various buns to a lesser extent. My hair thanks me for it more than had I kept it loose all the time.

[Fantak]

Thank you susiemw nope no machinery except my pen :D

embee it gets slightly fuzzy but doesn't really tangle all that bad since I tend to oil it before I braid. I've found it helps.

How do you recognise breakage? :/

[Teazel]

I wish a single plait were as protective as an updo, because that's the way I prefer to wear my hair. However, a plait rubs on clothing, gets sat on (if it's long enough), trapped between body and chair, the ends are hanging out there getting dry... etc.

On the other hand, the weight of a plait hanging down your back is supported more evenly across the head, where a bun tends to pull quite heavily on a part of the head; usually the back/crown area, for me. :hmm:

[Fantak]

You have gorgeous long hair Teazel!

Hm.. what if I double up the braid? it'll keep the most vulnerable part of the length safe.

[Teazel]

Aw. Thank you, Fantak. :)

Yes, doubling it would be an improvement, I suppose... maybe using a scrunchie that the ends could be covered by... just thinking out loud here.

[Leabhar]

I consider a braid worn down as "back" and safer than loose but not as safe as "up".

If you like braids and yet buns give you trouble with their weight distribution, I'd suggest a pinned crown braid (this is wonderful for weight distribution), braids pinned up, or a very secure bun. The looser the bun the more strain on the scalp, for me.

[Fantak]

Please do :)

Would satin ribbons be okay? I usually braid the last few inches with a satin ribbon and then tie it off, but I could double it up instead, or do you think the edge of the ribbon would be too hard on the hair? :S

[Fantak]

I like the pinned crown braid idea.. I think I might try that tomorrow

[Arctic_Mama]

I consider a braid to be 'back' but not 'up'. What you COULD do, if your braid is long enough, is to a mini log-roll with it to keep it up0 and back, or even just double it up on itself. If you're not in a situation where there's going to be tons of friction on your braid you'll probably be fine and no significant breakage down the length, but if you're moving around a long or rubbing it against the seat of, say, a vehicle, you will impart a small amount of damage (though less than you would if it were free, certainly!).

If your hair isn't long enough to get a good sized bread to pin back then a basic english is a very good option, second only to a bun or rolled hairstyle.

[Vicky Veiss]

I used to wear a braid most of the time, and yes, it would fuzz out and the ends would fray. Or else it would get hooked on something halfway up the braid, and that's even harder to free up than when my hair is completely loose! I'd also get big snarls at the back of my neck unless I put one elastic at the base of the braid and another at the tail.

The tail of my braid fell to about classic length at the time, and when I was working at a deli in college, someone mentioned that when I turned around fast, my braid would sweep the cutting counter where we wrapped all the cheese! Eww. So I started to loop it up into the top elastic to shorten it; this made it fall to about BSL. Later I began to wrap the whole braid around my head and pin it, which was my fallback updo for years.

But when I discovered Ficcares and Flexi-8s, I never went back. At least at my current length (mid-calf) a bun and clip is the most practical quick updo I've found. My ends have thickened up amazingly since I began to bun most of the time.

[Tangles]

I think it depends on your hairtype. Braids are very protective for me. I think once you get past your current length braids won't be enough though.

[Tangles]

I like the pinned crown braid idea.. I think I might try that tomorrow

Oh yes, try this! It's so pretty and elegant!

[angelthadiva]

Hi :waving: I guess it depends on who you ask, huh?

I've been doing the updo challenge for over a year. English braids are one of my staple styles; and *we* do consider that to be an updo. Basically any style where the hair is contained, is an updo. Free flowing hair is not; so that would be the difference.

I suppose there are 3 categories.

1. Free flowing
2. 1/2 updo, think of a style that is crown area hair only
3. An updo

HTH

[longhairedfairy]

I've always thought of a braid as "up," but not as an "updo," if that makes sense.

[sahiba]

No, I think if the hair is not up its not up.:silly: I mean braid does not go up the head ,so I feel that it is not up or an updo.:)

[Katze]

I wonder about this too. No matter how I have my hair "up" or "back", it gets fuzzy, pieces fall out, ends stick out, and when I take it down, the ends are tangled and kinked. While I do think that hair "up" or "back" protects the length, I often find that my ends are in better shape if I have either very loosely twisted and put my hair up, or just plain left it down and been careful with it.

Are updos or braids protective even if the ends get kinked and tangled, or even if lots of hair falls out or the braid gets fuzzy? This has really been bothering me for a while...not meaning to hijack here, cause I think it's related...

[Arctic]

I LOVE braids but for me they are not protective enough. I have a slowly growing hair and I want to keep the ends in as good condition as possible. Braids leave the ends complitely vulnerable plus the elastic/what ever I use on the ends is often tied at the same place. When I wear braid(s) I'm constantly thinking how the ends rub against everything and can't relax :( Obsessive? yes! I think when I'm at my goal lenght I'll wear them more. One can ofcourse oil the tassel to protect it, but my scalp doesn't like oils and they tend to travel up the hairshaft to the scalp area. :(

ETA: I don't really consider them "up", I usually speak of "updos and braids". (Unless ofcourse the braid is made into an updo, then it's "up")

[plainjanegirl]

I wear braids alot. I always considered it just as good as an updo. For me I have n problems with it becoming tangled from a braid, but then it could depend on each individual's hair type.

[Periwinkle]

I'd say that it counts as up, but not as an updo.

[Deborah]

No. A braid is back, but not up, and lets face it, it hangs down. I don't think it is very protective, even though I wear it fairly often. You could always wear a braided bun - now that would be up. This up, down, back thing is really pretty simple. In what direction is the bulk of your hair going?

Maybe you are asking if it is protective, not what direction does the hair go. I think it is mildly protective, but not nearly as much as an updo. :)

[Fantak]

Thanks everyone!

Katze: not at all it's great to get everyones questions and input ^.^

I have my hair up in a crown braid and have had it like this all afternoon. I have clipped it with little (super smooth edged) claw clips on either side and it looks really cute!I tried hair pins (the metal U shaped ones) and felt each one tear through my hair and when I finally slowwwly got them in they just fell back out and wouldn't keep my braid in place :/ I much prefer the crocodile clips though ^.^ I trust plastic with my hair much more than metal :D I'm getting a slight head ache though, but I'm not sure if it's the weight of the braid on my head or just because I'm sleepy ^.^;