No-Pony Support Group!

[Dreams_in_Pink]

I've worn ponytails as an everyday style as long as i can remember. I never cared about the damage it might cause because i never cared about my hair back then...

But now, although my hair's quite strong, i think ponytail does cause some breakage because today i realized i had a frizzy halo right where i put the tie :( I used to keep my hair in a ponytail %99 of the time, today i decided to drop that habit.

It's hard!! :D I wore an english braid during the day and now i have it in peacock twist held with a clip. I never knew i was addicted to ponytails! So i wonder if there's anyone else that had this habit. Feel free to share any success stories :)

[jasper]

Yeah, that describes my previous behavior. I wore a pony tail at least part of every day and when the ponytail got long enough, I wore it looped or pulled half way through. I wore the band tight as possible to keep it from slipping. Then I got a sample of those extra grippy Goody Stay Put kind and started using those twisted in tight, and yanking them out.

Eventually I started wondering if they were causing breakage and stopped weaing pony tails and using those harsh bands. I got some terry cloth ouch less ones for the ends of braids.

But a ponytail is still my hairdo of choice for the gym. I can make a pony tail with a zannclip for the gym, but it is easier and more secure to do the regular kind, so I still do a pony with a gentle rubber band for spin class At the gym about once a week.

[Quixii]

I am very addicted to ponytails. Like you, I probably wear one 99% of the time.
I'm not ready to give them up yet, though. :D

[tinti]

I'm not a pony addict, but I'm a messy bun addict, and I guess that's the same thing, causing breakage and all..? I had some ouchless wiiide ties once upon a time, but now they've stopped selling them :/

[Beatrice]

I'm still kind of addicted. However, I use really soft scrunchies, and I've never noticed any breakage from them. I think it's because I don't wrap them too tight, and because I remove them one loop at a time. I'm sure they're more damaging than a clip, but clips, even with bobby pins, don't hold my twists very well.

I haven't worn elastics in years, except yesterday I did my first French braid (Yay! Looked awesome, lots of compliments), and I tied it off with a no-metal elastic. I had a very long tail--basically a short pony--because my layers and length wouldn't allow for a braid beyond the base of my neck. Getting that thing out was a nightmare! I've got to find an alternative. Until then, I'm convinced that my scrunchies are much less damaging!

[Sunny_side_up]

I too wear soft scrunchies and wear my hair in a pony all day everyday, then at home in the pm a claw clip. I havnt found any splits and i can carry on as normal when its tied in a double pony at work. The shortest layers are sorta staying put with the headband. Want them to finally get into the pony!:)

[SlightlySoprano]

I used to wear my hair in the tightest pony you can imagine... I am a recovering Ponyholic! I still have my hair in a pony probably 50% of the time, but I try to keep it a loose pony. I'm trying to use braids more often and even claw clips!

[Dragon]

I use to be like you and it deffently caused damage. Now I always wear it down or in two ponytails with and with out plats and it doesent seem to cause breagage. My hair has grown back a lot better this time since I got the damage cut out and stoped doing that.

[spidermom]

No ponytails for me for a long time now; they pull. I also intensely dislike buns that start with a ponytail. I have a real mental hangup where ponytails are concerned.

[Gnomentum]

Like spidermom I don't like buns that start with a ponytail. I used to wear a pony all the time but I honestly can't remember the last time now! Fortunately my hair is quite grippy so I can do most buns without starting with an elastic.. I find the buns fuller that way too!

I don't remember when I stopped with constant ponies and half-up ponies. I think I went from that to buns held with a scrunchie but around the time I joined here (April this year IIRC) I stopped with the scrunchies and started with sticks. Now I have a growing selection of sticks, chignon pins and a lovely slide I got from the swop board.. I think the trick is having plenty of hair toys to keep the temptation away!

[georgia_peach]

I used to be a ponytail wearer, but, much like you all, I found they were damaging. Now I wear a large claw clip and try to fold my hair under so that my ends are flapping around and getting tangled. I suppose I am now a claw clip addict! It's pretty much my every-day hairstyle.

[tofuowl]

I wore ponytails nearly every day until my hair finally got heavy enough that they just wouldn't hold. The convenience of having my hair back in a ponytail all the time didn't outweigh the inconvenience of having to constantly readjust the hair tie :P

So, I stopped compulsively ponytailing, and started wearing my hair in a bun ~99% of the time. I don't think it was any less damaging with the bun :P I found my stash of scrunchies (lol, I miss you 90s), and my hair seems to tolerate a scrunchie bun much better than a hair elastic bun.

Hairsticks have now completely replaced hair ties for me during the day. I still have to throw my hair up in a giant lumpy scrunchie bun for sleeping, but I love how much more versatile the sticks are for day use. Now, a ponytail feels boring lol.

[Angeletti]

I used to ponytail my hair all the time until I came to this site and learned about hair sticks/hair forks, now I feel guilty if I use a pony because I feel like I'm damaging my hair. I can't really wear them anymore also due to the fact that my hair is at the length where the weight is very uncomfortable when in a ponytail

[Kristin]

I haven't been into the ponytail thing for quite some time. I now avoid using elastics anywhere on my hair unless it's to tie off a braid. Having a variety of sticks, forks, etc. really does help one quit using ponytails as a go-to style.

[eri401]

Hm...aren't hair claws just as damaging as elastics?

I am still a newbie, trying to figure out how to tie my long hair back sans ponytail until the layers grow out. I had been doing a low bun, pinned with long bobby pins and a plastic hair claw....but, I could have sworn someone posting that such claws are taboo as they still tug the hair with the plastic seams and all that.

Now it is two long braided tails, tied (yes yes) with elastic at the ends.

[Gnomentum]

I think it depends on the claw. If it has seams or sharp edges it's obviously going to cause damage but there are claws out there with smooth rounded edges, even the commercial ones. Didn't realise this pre-LHC of course, I was horrified when I went through my old hairtoys and ended up throwing out at least three quarters! Of course with all the temptations here I have a prettier collection now anyhow!

I think elastics are so bad because they always go in at almost exactly the same place. A claw, especially if you vary the style, will go in differently every time. It's another reason why wearing a different updo every day can be better for your hair; it means that the same bits of your hair shafts aren't always getting the friction or abrasion damage.

[Gnomentum]

Double posted, must be bedtime!

[handsclean]

I'm not a pony addict, but I'm a messy bun addict, and I guess that's the same thing, causing breakage and all..? I had some ouchless wiiide ties once upon a time, but now they've stopped selling them :/

I'm a messy bun addict too! Lately I've been trying to break it and wear braids though.. I just love my messy bun. It makes my hair tangly and gross though. :(

[triumphator!]

I agree, I am constantly putting my hair back in ponytails and messy buns because my hair is just now long enough to make me hot.

I think my summer resolution is to wear my hair down more, just because I look the same constantly with my hair-laziness. Either that or I will put my hair in a more protective updo.

[Quahatundightu]

I am also guilty of using ponytails quite a bit. As much as I love hairsticks, my fine hair just slips out of them within 30 minutes! Often I do a clippa cinnabun. My hair even slides out of braids! Agh!

I think he key to stopping the breakage is to try not to do the same style every day. Mix it up! It's more fun that way anyway :D Also perhaps you can find a less damaging way to make a pony - perhaps like a single odango bun held with a stick or a fork.

[Mamakash]

I'll grab a terry pony holder when I'm going to wash my face and need to pull my hair back, but I've given them up as a hair style. I wore them all the time as I tried to transition from short to long hair and then when I got long hair, I kept wearing them! I have a small, pale face with a high widow's peak and pulling my hair face only draws attention to this. Add to this my embarrassment when my stylist told me I had "pony tail hair"! And she was right! Yuck! What a waste of long hair to find half of it broken off! And as I grew my hair long again, I decided I had to find something else. I now enjoy covering my hair, it's a lot more colorful and eye catching. I've gotten a lot of nice comments, as well.:D

[ibleedlipstick]

I would love to stop wearing a pony- but it is really my only style for jogging/running. I'm trying to lose weight, and I work up a bit of a sweat on the treadmill- enough that wearing a french braid would be kind of gross.

Any suggestions for hairstyles that are run-proof? I'm not exactly speedy, 8min/mile doesn't involve too much bouncing, but still. My problem with most buns is that I need an elastic to make them hold- the only bun that I can just use a stick on is a lazy wrap bun, and I doubt that it would be secure enough.

[Elenna]

Uh oh, ponytail addict here. I don't get breakage from wearing an elastic because I use a barrette. But I've been getting small knots on individual hairs and wondering if the barrette is the culprit. Gotta hand it to you all on this thread, it is not easy not wearing a ponytail.

[eschmi1]

I definitely use ponytails a lot.

[ericthegreat]

I'm a proud ponytail wearer :cool:. Its the easiest and fastest style that you can do, so that suits my personality wonderfully.

Besides, as a guy there is absolutely NO WAY I can get away with wearing hair sticks or hair forks in my hair without attracting negative attention to myself.

I normally simply wear my hair down, straight, and loose or I tie it back into a quick ponytail. I use these thick, black, fabric covered elastics to tie my ponytails. I haven't found any damage from using these elastics, my hair is naturally very strong and coarse so it can stand up to a lot of abuse. :)

[Caldonia Sun]

I just noticed some breakage that I guess is from wearing a pony. But I always use scrunchies - shouldn't happen. I don't know what else I could do with barely APL hair. It's so fine and falls out of everything else at this length. I'm probably going to cut back to SL.

[going gray]

I like to wear a ponytail low on my head, it's an "old" style from the 90's, but I don't care, never been a trend setter, that's for sure.

[RavenRapunzel3]

Having longer than shoulder blade hair most of my life I LOVE ponytails. The problem is that I use to wear them super tight and super high on the top of my head (kind of like Dream of Jeannie)....unfortunately from all of the years I spent wearing my hair like this I now have a permanent dent in the top of my head from ponytails!

I know it is from the ponytails because now that my hair is at my tailbone I will get headaches on that "dent" after a couple of hours wearing my hair up. Ughhh!! :( I love ponytails and never had a problem with hair breakage (hair rubberbands on the other hand stretched out and broke after each use). I now opt for the safer route of long braids and low buns and ponytails... not as fun but easier on the noggin! :D

[christine1989]

This is such an interesting idea for a thread! I'm actually a bit of a pony-phobic but I am trying to break my addiction to the peacock twist and the big claw clips so I know how difficult it can be to drop your standby hairstyle. :)

[chipzahoy]

I have to wear a high ponytail for sleeping so that my hair doesn't get tangly at night, but only while it's at this length, since the ponytails give me headaches. Even though I don't like wearing them during the day, I still keep a hair band on my wrist.


Once I knew a guy who had a real thing for women in ponytails and was of the opinion that most ladies looked 90% more attractive with their hair in a ponytail. :hmm:

[mhiap]

I'm wearing a ponytail right now :o I wear one nearly every day.

I blame it on not being able to find hairsticks! I have a set of two but they're too short for some styles. Also I often don't have enough time in the morning to do anything other than a ponytail but soon I won't have to go out as early (no I can't get up earlier, I am not a morning person!) so I will start weaning myself off them:D

I keep getting tangled up in the elastic the longer my hair gets so I do want to stop doing ponytails, plus they are so boring, but I've been doing them for so long it's like my safety style!

[Sunsailing]

I wear a ponytail everyday. I use these flat elastics with a bead of silicone to help hold. Since they hold well, they don't need to be worn tightly. Nor do they need constant adjusting....both of which I believe leads to breakage. I thought the silicone might prove to be damaging, but in the approx. six years I've been using them, I have not found them damaging.

All of that being said, I'd like to find a couple of other ways to wear it.
But being male, I feel I'm more limited.
I've never heard a negative comment about my pony. In fact, I've had women comment positively on it.

[Henrietta]

I used to wear a pony everyday when I didn't care about my hair and when it was like... APL length. Then I started to think I don't look good in ponytail and I stoppped wearing it. So in the past... 6 years or so I can tell I had a pony maybe... 3 times. Long hair gives much more opportunities! And I'd rather wear it down than make a pony;)

[SlightlySoprano]

*sigh* wearing a pony right now. Help?

[Henrietta]

*sigh* wearing a pony right now. Help?

Braid it! Make a cinna bun! Clip it up! :):):)

[Anje]

I used to be a ponytail addict. Wore one every day at ear level, using metal-free elastics. Then I decided to try loose braided pigtails one day for some reason, and found I had a huge chunk of broken hair in the middle, where the elastic would go.

I swore off wearing ponytails (or anything else secured with an elastic at the head, so no pony-based buns either), and discovered LHC a few months later. Found out how to more effectively use hairsticks, and once I stopped crossing them found them to be more comfortable than bobby pins for holding buns.

Personally, I don't need the support group, since I can count on one hand the number of times I've worn a pony in the last 3.5 years. But I'll lend support to anyone who needs it.

[Dreams_in_Pink]

I knew i was not alone! :)

I successfully switched to english braid during the day but i'm having problems with bed head style. Braids are very uncomfortable and my hair's not long enough to do a bun on top of my head.

I was thinking if silk ribbons would damage hair like elastics do?

[jasper]

This is a photo from almost a year ago that convinced me my ponytail was breaking too much hair or causing too much shed from the same area:
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a296/jaspersu/IMG_0345.jpg?t=1278508845

So I quit strangling my hair into the tight ponytail with super grippy bands. Now, either can't achieve that level of static in my hair today (possible), or I don't have as many short strands that stick up and out (more motivating in the non-ponytail wearing department).:thumbsup:

[SlightlySoprano]

What do you use to secure the ends of your braids?:confused:

[jasper]

I use dinky ouch-less terrycloth elastics on the end of a braid (I have so much taper that a regular elastic is too big) or tie with silk ribbon.

I don't think this causes the same weight and friction issues that the pony tail did.

[Anje]

I'll use silicone elastics, terry ties, or little jaw clips on the bottom end of my braids. Unlike a ponytail, the weight isn't really being supported at that point, and those last few inches are relatively easily trimmed anyway, should damage accumulate. I don't use anything to secure the top end of my braids anymore. :D We're not the no-elastic support group, after all.

ETA: I'll admit that I'm still pro-ponytail for hair that's too short to be put up without securing it into a pony first. The weight isn't so bad then, and what breakage occurs can be more quickly grown out than if that damage were present for, say, waistlength hair.

[teela1978]

I still do a ponytail now and then. Its definitely less frequent than it was when my hair was shorter though.

[SlightlySoprano]

My lame attempt to use a (crappy, plastic) hair stick:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v605/deepd0wninside/Photoon2010-07-07at11002-1-1.jpg

I braided it while it was wet, and kind of torqued the braid around itself to sort of bun it (and my hair sort of came out of the braid while I did that) then I had to kind of wiggle the hair stick in. Once it dries I have a feeling it will not stay.

[Spike]

For me, hairsticks took practice and patience. (Heck, all hairstyles have some sort of learning curve!)

I found that before bed was a good time to try something different--I was just going to take it down again in an hour or two anyway, so who cared what it loooked like? And I wasn't in a hurry to get to work/school/whatever.

That's how I finally got a decent french braid. The community's thread on Hairstyle of the Month has been awesome, too. I've learned a couple of new to me buns, so now I have some options for gotta run updos.

[Paniscus]

Oh my. I wish I could give up ponytails, but it seems to be a quick standby for me. And some updos only work if I do a ponytail first. Frustrating. I've noticed the nape hairs have certainly increased... and I'm sure it's a direct result of wearing ponytails so often. Sigh. Not sure how to get around this though. Scrunchies are nice, but would not work so well with updos. With my chinese bun, I can sometimes braid a bit first and make it work without the ponytail, but it begins to "sag" more quickly.

I wish I could just wear my hair down more often, but it's just too much hair to contend with. So I'm either in a single braid or pony when casual. Double sigh.

[Jenw777]

I'm always thrwing my hair back into a form of pony during the day. Usually in class or while eating. If I can't find my ponyholder , I've been known to use a pen to hold up my hair (doesn't work well at all).

[Cinnamoon]

Ponytails have always been my go-to hairstyle, but I've started to realized how much damage they're doing to my hair! I've always worn my hair in tight, tight ponytails when it was long enough, with only the occasional bun. The problem now is that my hair is too long to just leave down (all of those broken strands from former ponytails frizz and make everything look awful by the end of the day, even though it's only shoulder length), but too short and thick to do anything else besides a pony with! (Headbands just don't look good on me at all.) So, instead of abandoning ponies altogether, my challenge is to wear gentler ponies - using scrunchies instead of elastics, only looping the band around twice instead of three times, not tugging them out - etc.

Yes, I'm a pony addict. This is going to take time.

[DARKMARTIAN]

In a state that gets as hot and windy as mine does......some kind of method for getting my hair out of my face is required. The only hats I wear are knit winter type hats and thats usually not an option in the 100's. So a ponytail has been my backup for a long time now. Id prefer to wear my hair out and flowing but unless I wanted it constantly wind blown and sweaty...(ugh)......ive GOT to ponytail it.....

but im all for not wearing one when its not necessary.....

[Dana]

Except for the very soft ones that I use for sleeping, I just banned elastics from my hair as of July 1st!

I used to be a Ponytail Addict, too. I really dislike hair in my face (which it ALWAYS is, currently, because of my layers), so a Pony was the ultimate solution - easy, quick, and it gets the job done!

So I purchased two new clippies, one small and one large. The small one is for half-up styles, and one for full-up styles (which is my 'usual' now).

It is hot and humid right now, so the full-up works well once my hair is dry. And may hair almost dries itself as I walk from the car into work!

When my hair gets longer, it should get easily once I can use some hairsticks.

[HikerTrash]

I've tried not to wear one but I've never learned how to do any hairstyles. I have been wearing a ponytail almost every day for years and recently (like a year or two ago) noticed how much breakage I get so I have wanted to stop. Sometimes I braid one or two braids. I always wore my single braid with an elastic at the top but I've decided to force myself to wear it without. It pulls a whole lot less, I've noticed. Maybe I can get by with just a braid. I sometimes just HAVE to get this hair out of my face, you know?

[zman]

I love my ponytail, thats what I wanted when i started growing my hair so thats how I usually wear it, now always since I am back home and my family hates my hair but is more tolerant when its tied back low it seems.

[SlightlySoprano]

I'm proud of myself! I had my hair in a pony this morning, but I FORCED myself to take it out and attempt to braid it. Took a few tries and was very frustrating but now I have a semi neat-ish braid (elastic is at the bottom, and I don't feel ANY pulling):cheese:

[Arctic_Mama]

I wore ponytails almost every single day for YEARS, from youth to adulthood. I loved them.

But honestly, once I discovered TLHC I realized all the other styles I could do, and now. Pony is not only damaging but BORING too! That broke me of my habit :)

[jasper]

Good job SlightlySoprano!

And zman, it sounds like you need a different kind of No-Pony support. Could be the Low-Pony support group.

I think a low loose tail would be a good compromise for keeping hair back when it doesn't need to be completely bunned out of harms way. It will only work if I can find a grip that would hold hair gently, but not slip out all the time.

[elina333]

I gave up ponytails when I joined here in january. Not only do they pull your hair, but the ends are loose which causes damage. I now only wear my hair in buns or braids :) I love having it down too though, but try to limit that to special occasions... :D

[HikerTrash]

I hope a braid does not count as a pony. That's what I'm doing instead. Tried leaving it loose but what a tangled disaster.

[SlightlySoprano]

I have all these ear(ish) length hairs that are all broken from pony wear! They fall out of my braid...

THAT'S IT!!

I must quit ponytails. Whether I like it or not!

[Dreams_in_Pink]

Okay, i decided to have my hair down till i hit BSL, when i will be able to make a decent braid or bun :/

[Chiara]

I just bought some hair forks to try and expand my repertoire of up-dos and break the pony addiction... so far the one I have in (sort of peacock-french pleat style) is holding, but I'm not sure how it will go if I'm more active!

I can do just a french braids but my hair is not quite long enough to stay in for the day and I start to look VERY straggly after a few hours!

The thing that has always irked me in the past, when I had long hair, was finding up-dos that didn't look too flat. Ponies give me a really flat-head look (I think the weight must pull what little volume I have out of my hair) so I am motivated to change...

[GettingThere]

I wore ponytails nearly every day until my hair finally got heavy enough that they just wouldn't hold. The convenience of having my hair back in a ponytail all the time didn't outweigh the inconvenience of having to constantly readjust the hair tie :P

Wow, I thought I was the only one who had this problem! I used to wear ponytails or those style where you make a pony then double it back through the elastic again to make a loop. Recently (about the last 6 months) I've found that the scrunchie works it way down unless I pull it SUPER tight - and that gives me a headache. Now I wear mine in a figure 8 bun or scrunchie bun almost every day. I tend to braid it when I'm riding the motorcycle...

[guccixx]

I've noticed breakage in the back of my crown area since I've been wearing ponytails to run. I just started running so I didn't think much of it since I usually clip my hair up rather than tie it up.

I have a buuuunch of little broken hairs right where my high ponytail sat. :( It's so frizzy and ugly compared to the rest of my smooth hair. And now the only thing I can do is grow it out! Ergh!

It's such a shame because I loooooved the high ponytail with straight hair look. But I guess baby fine hair such as mine doesn't do well with the style, even though I used the goody elastics without any metal parts.

[Long_hair_guy]

I love my ponytail, thats what I wanted when i started growing my hair so thats how I usually wear it, now always since I am back home and my family hates my hair but is more tolerant when its tied back low it seems.

I think that is why I think a lot of guys grow out their hair for.

Personally I don't want to one of those old guys who just wear a ponytail. You're just limiting yourself into that style (which I think lead people to cut their hair in the first place). I will wear how I like and since more people comment on when I change my hair it just feels great.

[Henrietta]

I think that is why I think a lot of guys grow out their hair for.

Personally I don't want to one of those old guys who just wear a ponytail. You're just limiting yourself into that style (which I think lead people to cut their hair in the first place). I will wear how I like and since more people comment on when I change my hair it just feels great.

I feel the same. If I wanted to wear my hair into the same style everyday, like a ponytail, I would cut it ti pixie. And it would be the same style too.

[SlightlySoprano]

I think this thread needs to be resurrected. I put my hair in a stinkin pony tail every day and man the breakage! Grr!!!

[Madora]

I wore ponytails a little in high school but as my hair grew longer they became a nuisance to ponytail (very thick hair) and it felt like a rock hanging from my head. My hair was braided most of the time instead of hanging loose.

As I became more knowledgeable about sectioning my hair, I learned how to create buns w/o the ponytail base and they certainly felt a lot more comfortable.

A ponytail - once in a while - is not a bad thing, but wearing one every day is asking for damage -- not only from the friction caused by the ponytail holder, but from the stress on the delicate front hairs being pulled back, plus the ponytail hair itself becoming tangled. All the tangles mean extra time spent detangling, which leads to more damage if you aren't careful detangling!

Much better for your hair to forgo ponytails!

[Scarlet_Heart]

I didn't ponytail a lot, but I used to use hair ties to do that messy twisty-do 99% of the time. I try not to use hair ties anymore, just silicone elastics at the end of my braids. I have been trying to use sticks and forks whenever I put my hair up. I've come to like it a lot better! Good luck everyone in giving up the pony! :cheer:

ETA: Also, it's just as easy to throw a hair stick in your purse as it is a hair tie!

[SlightlySoprano]

showered -> english braid. determined!

[Yame]

I am forgoing hair elastics and pony tails.

Not completely though, for certain dance classes I am still keeping my hair up in a pony tail until I figure out what to do with it instead/what hair toy to use. So far all I have are a few sticks.

My buns with hair sticks actually hold fine for a lot of my classes, but when I have to do a lot of spins and head movements I need something better to hold it. For now the pony tail will do.

It's an improvement though, from wearing a pony tail 4-5 days a week, all day, to only once or twice a week for just a couple of hours.

[Chetanlaiho]

I |lived| in a ponytail for about, what a decade? xD (seriously, I slept on it too)
About two years ago I finally dropped the habit, but I kinda miss it sometimes. But I enjoy not having to get my ponytail out of the way anymore now that I bun it.

[ingvild]

I have to admit, I'm guilty of wearing the ponytail often. Several times a week. Luckily, my hair is quite coarse and I don't have any breakage. It does tangle, though, so I braid it sometimes. I always wore a ponytail while exercising, but now my hair has gotten longer so it starts drooping almost immediately, and it gets too heavy and bounces all over the place.

I really could benefit from wearing the ponytail less, though. Just for some variation.. try to reduce my ponytail wearing to once a week or something. 8)

[archel]

I'm a pony addict trying to reform myself. I'm sleeping in a french braid and wearing it up with a claw clip on hot days (every day pretty much) or some other updo. I have distinct breakage from the every day high ponytail that I'm determined to STOP....

[scorpio_rising]

Blah, I'm a total pony addict. I do 3 hours of hot yoga every day, split into 2 sessions, so I gotta have my hair up and out of the way, then take it down, wash it out, and put it pretty much right back up again. I stink at braiding and am too lazy anyway, so I tell myself the fact that my ponies move around on my head, are usually put in a scrunchie, and are usually looser than tighter, keeps them from being too damaging.
I can't really see any obvious pony damage either, so I have no motivation to change. *shrug*

[anodyne_ame]

I'm such a pony addict...but it's just so easy to pull the hair up in a pony and go! :D
I wear mine really tight too, otherwise it tends to slip and slide downwards. I'm not entirely sure if I have massive damage from the pony (I moved to another country for the summer and the water's wrecked some serious havoc on my hair...), but I do have a halo so the style is probably at least partly to blame. But it's so hard to avoid wearing that style, especially since it's so hot. I've been trying to stick to buns though.

[boomtownrat]

When I was in my 20s I went through a long period of wearing what I guess would be half-up pigtails, with just the hair from in front of my ears put up. I used those silicone bands that were supposed to be better for your hair, but they'd always get individual hairs caught in the loops, so I'd always end up with some broken hairs anyway.

In my 30s I've spent more time with short hair, so I haven't been putting my hair up as much. When I did have it past my shoulders, I'd usually use claw clips of some sort.

Honestly, I'm probably going to be using a lot of clips once my hair gets longer because my arms get tired just from giving myself a scalp massage while CO-washing, so I can't see myself doing a lot of braids that require me to have my arms up for a long time. Even when I was a kid and could braid a doll's hair, I couldn't do it to mine because my arms would get tired from taking too long since I couldn't see what I was doing. Knowing now that ponytails and pigtails are likely to damage my hair, I'm pretty sure that when I do bother to put my hair up it'll involve a clip.

[karenpetal]

Same here a ponytailer for long time - would love to get off the ponytail band

[Sanyia]

I stopped pony tails when I realized a braided bun is just as secure. I use goody plastic pins or hair screws.

[pocketsmall]

I am a pony addicted. My goal this week is to go pony-free. I need to break out of my comfort zone. I'm finally admitting to myself that my ponies are doing everything but help my breakage/shedding issues. Super easy hair do suggestions for a recovering pony addict are welcome :P

[Fufu]

very hard for me to be no pony. The company I working in now requires me to tie or bun my hair up using plain black hair accessories.

[Raiscake]

I don't really pony anymore, but I still like to use hairties for my cinnabun when I'm just staying in. I find it so much more confortable, plus I can lie down without worrying. I used to be a pony addict in high school though,just because it was the only quick style I knew. Nowadays, I don't really like updos that start with a pony.

[SlightlySoprano]

I am a pony addicted. My goal this week is to go pony-free. I need to break out of my comfort zone. I'm finally admitting to myself that my ponies are doing everything but help my breakage/shedding issues. Super easy hair do suggestions for a recovering pony addict are welcome :P

Simple English Braid

Pencil Bun

Lazy Wrap Bun

three of my go tos.

[tinywife]

I finally reached nearly-shoulder this month, but then had to cut 3 inches of precious growth due to ponytail damage. It was a tragedy of epic proportions, especially because I really do NOT like how bobs look on me. Compounded with the fact that now that I've sworn off ponytails (never going through that again!!) I have no way to put it up.
So when I look in the mirror I just try to focus on how healthy my hair is, and how someday it will be beautiful and long...but seeing it so short again is really, really hard...

[Henrietta]

I regret I haven't been counting the no-pony days. I can say I haven't wore a ponytail for like... 4-5 years? With single sins ( :D ) when I had to put my hair out of the way quickly and there was no claw clip or a stick at hand. There were around 4 of those.

[whylime13]

Hi, I'm Emily, and I'm addicted to ponytails. My last ponytailing was yesterday - I started the day in a french braid, but by the time I got home is was loose with lots of escapees - and I threw it up in a ponytail without thinking.

I started limiting ponytails when I joined the LHC a little over a month ago - before that it was a ponytail for me every single day.

I'm not quitting cold turkey, but I don't want it to be my go to style any more, I want to save it for fancy hairdos and buns that start with a ponytail only.

[Henrietta]

Hi, I'm Emily, and I'm addicted to ponytails. My last ponytailing was yesterday - I started the day in a french braid, but by the time I got home is was loose with lots of escapees - and I threw it up in a ponytail without thinking.

I started limiting ponytails when I joined the LHC a little over a month ago - before that it was a ponytail for me every single day.

I'm not quitting cold turkey, but I don't want it to be my go to style any more, I want to save it for fancy hairdos and buns that start with a ponytail only.

I'm Emily too! :)

Be brave and don't feel guilty :) The fact that you started with a French braid counts. 10 points for you ;)

[RileyJane]

I used to be an addict too! Until i read somewhere on here how damaging they can be! I only use scrunchies now, even if ppl make fun of them (dated, blah blah blah). Least i know my hair is healthy! Now when Im at a friends house and they offer me a hair tie when I cant find my scrunchie, i look at it like its a death sentence for my hair XP

[Natalia]

I feel for ya i need an addicted to cinnabun support goup!

[PerkyCurlz]

I've been a ponytail addict since my hair was long enough to put it in one, since I have to wear my hair up/back for work. Plus, I get hot with hair on my neck. Now that my hair is almost to my waist, my ponytail falls forward and over my shoulder, getting in the way during patient care (YUCK!). Not to mention that my head is killing from the weight of the ponytail. I've also noticed a 'halo' around my crown from probable damage due to wearing my hair like this almost every day for the past 4 years.

I am working out some alternatives (and trying to avoid using elastics even on the ends of braids) that don't involve hair sticks as they tear the disposable surgical bouffant I sometimes have to wear at work. So far I've come up with 1) doing a braid, either French or English, and tucking the end underneath and securing with either hair screws or a Flexi-8, 2) doing a braid and securing the end with either a barrette or Flexi-8, and 3) doing braided pigtails and doing either a crown braid or securing the braids in a low bun with hair screws. I could also do a cinnamon bun (the only bun I know how to do so far) secured with a hair fork that doesn't stick out too far from the bun. I've also thought about asking if I can wear a surgical cap like THESE (http://www.sparklingearth.com/products.asp?category=100027) all the time, even though I work in the ER.

I also plan on practicing doing a Chinese bun, but braiding it a bit first to make it work without the hair elastic for the days I don't work

[catamonica]

Since I have been wearing my hair up, I stopped wearing ponytails. Only buns or a braid.

[auburntressed]

I had a period of my life during which I wore ponytails almost 100% of the time. I would usually make it so that I pulled it only part way through on the last pass, making it a "fake bun," I guess. There was no reason for it at all other than laziness. I am glad I have worked past that. I'll never touch a ponytail holder to my hair now.

The ponytail phase was through college and the first couple of years after college. I just got so lazy that I'd wake up late all the time, never take more than a moment to do my hair, and rush out the door.

That really was the extreme height of laziness on my part, because the majority of styles that I do now take less than ten minutes to get up - even the more intricate ones.

I do have those lazy moments sometimes (not nearly as often though - probably once every two to three weeks), when I sleep in so late that I have NO time for hair upon waking. Rather than pony-up now, though, I use a cinnabun shot through with a hairstick. That takes exactly the same amount of time as a damaging ponytail, and it is much kinder on my hair.

[melusine963]

Sometimes I miss my ponytails. I also wore them for years and years (using elastics with metal bits, no less), and it left me with a whole ring of broken hair just where the hair elastic would rest. It took me over a year of S&Ding to get rid of the resulting splits, and it will probably take me another two or three years to grow out and trim away all the thinning that the breakage has left me with.

Now I try to stick to updos that don't require a ponytail base, and on the rare occasions that I do need one I make sure to use an elastic with plenty of material covering it.

[hairhair]

I used to be very into ponytails, especially when combined with cheap claw clips. Trying to do them less now -- either single English braid, which I'm just getting the length for or hairstick bun (with pencil -- newly discovered ability). Currently in a crown braid -- today I've had a ponytail in one of those hair ties made of sort of material -- I don't know what they're called, but they can sort of unfurl and form a flat bit, then roll up into a tube again?

[Taenarian]

Well, yeah, I'm guilty of over-ponytailing as can be. Okay I was guilty of pony-abuse for almost two decades. Fixed now, thanks to LHC. Braids only when I go out now. Reformed ponytailer here!

[Kat]

I thought this thread would be about something totally different when I saw the title.... I thought, "Oh! Other people are still disappointed too!" LOL

[theemeraldskull]

I'm slowly trying to break from my pony addiction... or at least not utilize them as much. Every time I get on LHC, I feel guilty if I have a pony and so I put my hair up in something different. Haha! Currently I am mostly doing a loose bun with an elastic double hair comb. I need to find some different things to do, though. I haven't yet tried crown braiding, but I am looking forward to doing that! :-)

[MrsGuther]

I am very addicted to ponytails. Like you, I probably wear one 99% of the time.
I'm not ready to give them up yet, though. :D

This is totally me too!! :) I use a soft scrunchie, and I don't think it really causes my hair much damage. I don't put the scrunchie too tight.

[hermosamendoza]

Okay I've been stearing clear of pony tales since I saw this because i realized I have a frizzy halo and its right where my pony tale sits....
now i have to figure out what to do with my hair most days...boo..I've been wearing it in a twist bun for the most part..twisted sided into two rope braids that are twisted together.