Updo causing damage to ends?

[chopandchange]

Hello! I would welcome your advice on something. Can hair pins or claw clips cause bent ends? This seems to have happened to me today.

I do not normally wear my hair up, because it is layered, and the layers stick out, so I plait it in two plaits instead. Just recently I have decided it's almost long enough to put up, and have semi-successfully managed a chinese bun.

I was really pleased that I seemed to have reached a milestone of graduating to updos, but now that I've taken it down I am horrified to find lots of bent ends. You know the ones you have to cut or else they turn to splits. All I used was one baby plastic claw clip to secure the ends where they crossed at the top, and some ballerina hairpins (the nearest I could find to Amish pins in the UK) to secure any layers that were sticking out. I am assuming that either the claw clip or the pins must have caused this damage.

Has anyone else experienced this? Should I just wait until my hair is long enough to wrap and tuck without needing anything to secure it?

It's rather frustrating, because the main point of trying to do updos is preventing damage!

[cmnt831]

I was wondering about this very thing myself. :Sits patiently and waits for replies:

[Firefly]

I can only speak from personal experience and yes, this does happen to me. I have to be careful when I put my hair up that the ends are lying nice and flat and not in a position to be pinched. Not that I'm always successful!

[Medievalmaniac]

is it possible those ends were already damaged and you didn't notice before, or that the claw exacerbated them in some way?

I find it hard to imagine that using a claw clip one time could lead to extensive damage...but I do think it could point out damage that was already there by enhancing it...does that make sense?

You could try hairsticks, which is my go-to hairtoy. Much less damage and awesome for Chinese buns.

[chopandchange]

Thank you for the replies!

No, I don't think the damage was already there, because I monitor my ends on a regular basis. Pretty much every time I comb it, I have a quick look at the ends and do a quick S&D if I see anything amiss.

I did use a hairstick. Perhaps I didn't explain myself properly. I ponytailed my hair, then inserted a hairstick at the base and wrapped the hair around it. It was a Chinese bun, you see. If my hair were longer, it would stay in place without the need to secure the ends with the claw clip (as I've seen longhaired people do on Youtube videos and the like - they just tuck their ends and make it look so easy) but at the moment it unravels if I just tuck the ends, so I clipped the ends. And the hairpins were for securing layers that were sticking out in annoying spikes.

It's interesting that others have experienced this as well. It somewhat confirms my suspicions. :(

What we need is LONGER HAIR with NO LAYERS so we can do all these styles with just a hairstick!

Grow, hair, grow! :cheese:

[GlennaGirl]

Wash or CO or whatever your hair first before worrying about the bent ends; they may just be staying in that position because that's how they were bent under the claw clip. The same thing happens with a cinnabun, where you get a swirl because it's been in that position; it's just that cinnabun swirls are usually prettier than bendy claw-clip ends!

[chopandchange]

Wash or CO or whatever your hair first before worrying about the bent ends; they may just be staying in that position because that's how they were bent under the claw clip. The same thing happens with a cinnabun, where you get a swirl because it's been in that position; it's just that cinnabun swirls are usually prettier than bendy claw-clip ends!

I wish I'd read that before I snipped most of them off.

:justy:

[LadyLongLocks]

is it possible those ends were already damaged and you didn't notice before, or that the claw exacerbated them in some way?

I find it hard to imagine that using a claw clip one time could lead to extensive damage...but I do think it could point out damage that was already there by enhancing it...does that make sense?

You could try hairsticks, which is my go-to hairtoy. Much less damage and awesome for Chinese buns.

I agree that using them one time may not have caused the damage.
I use small claw clips daily and have minimal damage if any. I wear them all under my bun and smaller ones at the ends.
I did learn long ago to be careful how I end the bun and never stuff the ends under in a messy way.
Sometimes I add oil to the ends to keep them more moist and flexible wearing a bun.
Make sure the clips you use are smooth with no rough teeth. Sand them with a nail file if they are.

Hair sticks are the easiest hair accessory to remove, but I have trouble wearing them for long periods. The Clips do get tangled a bit more, but the comfort is worth it.

I have also used Magic grip hair pins (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PVii-bDyQH8/SYkntD6UaqI/AAAAAAAAACo/3NaFDOgFUII/s400/1.JPG) and although they are easy to get in, and hold pretty well, they are hard to remove at times and seem to be a bit damaging.

Amish hair pins work good and are easy to remove, but beware if you are allergic to metal.

Maybe the bun style bent your hair in a way it is not used to and you just noticed the damage. When I do out of the ordinary things to my hair, I notice the splits more too.

[spidermom]

I get those a lot because my hair is so slippy-slidey that my buns twist and sag and the ends get all scrunched up no matter how neatly I tucked them in the beginning. Wetting them and then combing, maybe massaging the tiniest drop of oil into them, usually straightens them right back out.

[chopandchange]

Wow, thanks JJJ! I am honoured that you answered my post! Your hair is so beautiful!

(I am of course equally grateful for all the other helpful replies as well, but am just ever-so-slightly starstruck by JJJ and her gorgeous hair)!!

[LadyLongLocks]

I wish I'd read that before I snipped most of them off.

:justy:

Wish you would have taken a picture...but its hard to get that detail up close.
I'm sure you can tell the difference between a bend and an actual break.
How many would you say you needed to cut off?

Just wondering.

[chopandchange]

I get those a lot because my hair is so slippy-slidey that my buns twist and sag and the ends get all scrunched up no matter how neatly I tucked them in the beginning. Wetting them and then combing, maybe massaging the tiniest drop of oil into them, usually straightens them right back out.

Pants. So I shouldnt have S&Dd them?

:(

They're gone now! Too late! Snip snip! Aaaaaaaaaaagh!

Thank you for your helpful advice Spidermom - I will know for next time!

[chopandchange]

Wish you would have taken a picture...but its hard to get that detail up close.
I'm sure you can tell the difference between a bend and an actual break.
How many would you say you needed to cut off?

Just wondering.

So far...umm...about 20? maybe more.

I know there are some more hiding in there!

[LaurelSpring]

I have to be careful with claw clips. I had to stop using the teeny tiny ones because they always got stuck in my hair. Now I mostly use the small/medium ones to secure a bun sometimes but I still can get them caught and they pull. Those Good Days hairpins can be a little tricky to remove sometimes but they do work well and I dont get the pulling bendy possible breakage that I can get from claw clips. So, you might want to try those next time. They are really cheap and easy to use. I use them more than any other thing as far as securing ends under and such. Give it another go with those and see how it works for you.

[LadyLongLocks]

Wow, thanks JJJ! I am honoured that you answered my post! Your hair is so beautiful!

(I am of course equally grateful for all the other helpful replies as well, but am just ever-so-slightly starstruck by JJJ and her gorgeous hair)!!

Thank you for your compliment :heart: (blushing)

20 hairs isn't too bad, and they were at the end, so it's not like you lost the whole hair. I bet it can be frustrating to tuck in the layers. You need a bun where the back longest hair covers the bun and hold the layers down. I will think on that :)

But layers work good for a messy type bun. I love messy buns.

[chopandchange]

Thank you for your compliment :heart: (blushing)

20 hairs isn't too bad, and they were at the end, so it's not like you lost the whole hair. I bet it can be frustrating to tuck in the layers. You need a bun where the back longest hair covers the bun and hold the layers down. I will think on that :)

But layers work good for a messy type bun. I love messy buns.


Yes, I was wishing there were a style section called "updos for people with layers." I think I need to invent a new bun! As well as layers in the back, I have those darn "face framing" layers to bun as well! I read about one person who did a half-up cinnabun and then bunned the rest of the hair (the longer part) on top, covering it. Maybe that might work...

I am looking forward to seeing how I get on when my Flexi8 and African butterfly arrive! I am hopeful they will work because the beaded part may help squash down the spikes of layers that want to stick out.

[chopandchange]

I have to be careful with claw clips. I had to stop using the teeny tiny ones because they always got stuck in my hair. Now I mostly use the small/medium ones to secure a bun sometimes but I still can get them caught and they pull. Those Good Days hairpins can be a little tricky to remove sometimes but they do work well and I dont get the pulling bendy possible breakage that I can get from claw clips. So, you might want to try those next time. They are really cheap and easy to use. I use them more than any other thing as far as securing ends under and such. Give it another go with those and see how it works for you.

Thank you! I will keep my eye out for those! I haven't seen them in UK shops but I expect someone will have them on ebay...