Frequent braiders--breakage?

[Darkhorse1]

I was wondering if anyone here wore their hair in a braid frequently. I'm noticing my hair is not looking it's best, and windinherhair just messaged me with a question that I've been wondering myself: constant braiding could cause breakage?

I'm going to try other styles to see if my hair improves. Right now it's just looking dry and fried(the ends). I'm going to increase my oilings to every wash and see if that also helps.

Thanks!

[JamieLeigh]

I'm not sure. I wear a braid sometimes, and I notice that by the end of the day, unless it was wet or oiled when I braided, hair is usually sticking out everywhere. I'm thinking the constant rubbing against your back when you move around can't be super-good for it...nor if you're tying it off in the same place every day with an elastic. It might cause breakage from either that or the friction. :confused:

[wackyredtangles]

Lately my go to hairstyles have been have up or in a braid. I haven't noticed any damage from it. I have noticed that I think I have some damage from my hair being up for years in a pony tail (I was a cook, hair was always up). My circumference where I put my pony is lower than if I have it at the nape of my neck and put the measuring tape a bit lower. So my guess is that any sort of elastics, even ouchless, over a long period of time on the same part of hair can cause some damage. I'm not sure what exactly to do about this, besides quit being so lazy and actually put my hair up. Post if you get any ideas.

[Gumball]

I think the ends of a braid, just like if you wore your hair down, if not bunned is just exposed to the elements and can get some extra roughing up. When I'd braid my hair and leave it down my back it would get fluffy. Some of that could be damage, or some of it could also be just the fact that we all have hair of different lengths on our heads do to previous damage, new growth, and shedding, and they can be moved around enough with friction to stick out all over the place. I braid my hair every day still, but now instead of leaving it down my back I bun it up and tuck the ends in. I do tie the end of the braid with a hair tie, but it's nowhere near tight (it'll fall out with the slightest movement). I just need it to keep the braid from unraveling a lot while I bun it. This results in my braid staying nice and smooth even when I take it down at the end of the day before bed (I sleep with it braided) and I don't need to redo it. Your mileage may vary though.

Some also might suggest that the simple act of braiding in itself damages due to friction of the strands rubbing against other strands during the weaving, but a loose argument like that can be also placed on bunning (while twisting it the hair can rub together) or even wearing it down (where hair just rubs against anything it comes in contact with, whether clothes or other hair). I can't be certain really, but aside from making sure my braided bun never gets loose enough to start pulling and irritating my scalp (I will redo it then so it feels comfy again) it hasn't caused me too much in the way of problems.

Oh, and if I wear it down my back like I used to I use a small claw clip on the end where some of the tines go through the center of the braid otherwise it just slides out after a while and that hasn't caused me much hassle. I'd get a fluffy braid from it rubbing against my back and from the elements, but the clip is never quite in the same place each time I do it.

[spidermom]

My braids get so messy, and the shorter hairs that work themselves free knot up like crazy from my braid swinging around against my clothing. I can rarely get a braided bun securely pinned into place. So yes - I agree - braids are pretty damaging, which makes me so mad because I learned a bunch of different braiding techniques, thinking I'd wear my hair in braids most of the time. Wrong!

[Natalia]

I think any repetative style would stress the hair, just like putting a pony in the same place everyday. I braid prett much daily becasue of my situation right now and i alternate every few days between classic 3 strand and a rope. For me its the lesser evil becasue leaving it own would casue huge problems. Oh i also found an old hairstick so i use that durring the day sometimes. Id say your fine to keep braiding just keep it loose and alternate :). I hope your hair improves! By the way i also noticed my ends were dryer when i started braiding but the upside is that sine you hrair in contained you can slather alot of oil on there to make up :)

[Darkhorse1]

Interesting input--I think the key is that I haven't really altered my style. I'm going to start using my 'lazy' bun--my problem is, when at the barn, I need to be able to get on a horse, so using ficarres or sticks dont' work as well. I'd found a great style--a braided bun with a fork--this allowed the hair to stay off my neck, but I could remove the fork and ride a horse if need be. I think I'll do my lazy bun with just a scrunchie and see if that improves my hair. I'll also just use a looped ponytail when riding--I think I'm really noticing that my hair is exposed when riding now that I can't put it in my helmet.

Thanks for the input! Off to oil and wash my hair!

[windinherhair]

I think any repetative style would stress the hair, just like putting a pony in the same place everyday.

I realized that the same thing would even go for a twisted bun since the hair is also being twisted in some way. I was thinking that when I am twisting my hair into a braid that is could cause strands to break (That is strands all over my hair breaking, and not just at the bottom). So I will focus on rotating my styles more.



I'd found a great style--a braided bun with a fork--this allowed the hair to stay off my neck, but I could remove the fork and ride a horse if need be. I think I'll do my lazy bun with just a scrunchie and see if that improves my hair. I'll also just use a looped ponytail when riding--I think I'm really noticing that my hair is exposed when riding now that I can't put it in my helmet.


I have used the braids so much because I noticed how my hair felt more secure in a braid up do. I can see how riding a horse you would want the same thing! :)

Thank you for posting this thread, and for all the replies!

[Jason]

I have found braids to be the most protective style. Of course, I don't wear updos so I'm somewhat limited in my options. But, compared to a ponytail or loose, I think they're secure and protect well. I wear one everyday.

[Eden Iris]

Another way to reduce braid damage is to keep your hands and nails as smooth as possible. I had to stop braiding for a while when my eczema got bad and the skin was snagging the hair.

[MsBubbles]

I just posted this on the bunning/updo damage thread: I find a loose English braid to be the least damaging way to contain my hair. I had to give up hair sticks, any twisty updo, my lovely $38 ficcare, and even attempting french braids.

I tie the braid tassle with really floppy conair ties. They're so slack it's amazing they even stay on. When I'm braiding I don't pull the 3 sections hard, I just sort of place them where they need to be and keep going. I braid every night and sometimes every day to skate (best thing to go with a cycling helmet).

But seriously, I'm considering going back to washing every day so I can just wear my hair loose. Save for car seat-belts and seat-backs, I don't really think my hair gets damaged any worse by being down.

Other than the loose braid or a pretzel bun held with lots of little claw clips, I have no idea what updo or updo fastener would actually help avoid damage rather than create it. Speaking for my own hair, of course.

[Kiraela]

braiding during the daytime doesn't cause much damage, for me at least. It gets fuzzy, yeah, but I don't think that's damage so much as shorter hairs working their way out. Night time braids, however, are a different story. I am pretty sure that all of my nape damage comes from nighttime braiding - I toss and turn so much that the hair gets pulled, and if it can't come loose, breaks. Loose is actually safer for me, in that regard.

[GeoJ]

My hair seems to get damaged in braids if they are hanging down and rubbing on my clothing. The smoother the clothing the less it gets damaged (so I wear things like silk dresses when I have my hair down or in a braid that is hanging down).

In the barn, I keep it in a braided bun held with hairsticks. When I am done getting the horse ready I can take out the sticks and leave them with the grooming supplies while I ride (I use plain, undecorated sticks for this). Plus I made a detachable silk bag for the back of my helmet to hold my braid while I ride. This significantly cuts down on split ends throughout the length for me. After I ride I can put my hair back up quickly with my hairsticks.

The first time I rode after growing my hair long (that was back in April, I hadn't ridden for over 10 years prior to that) I kept my hair in a braid down my back (false 9-strand, to shorten it some). My hair got split ends along the length from rubbing my shirt and the ends were long enough to rub the saddle, which resulted in some split ends and tangles in the tassel.


On another note, I braid my DD's hair for preschool almost everyday. It seems to protect her hair and I have not noticed split ends or breakage on her. She has waist-length hair, so I also often loop the braids back up so they are not as tempting for other children to grab, or use a couple of jaw clips to hold them on her head (milk-maid braids style).

:)