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View Full Version : Does wearing hair up really make it grow better???



shawneez
July 12th, 2010, 07:14 PM
Why does wearing your hair up make it grow better???

Has anyone on this forum noticed better growth from wearing their hair up?

jane53
July 12th, 2010, 07:18 PM
Not for me.

My hair grows very fast and until recently I always wore it down.

Wearing it up also doesn't protect it for me. In fact I had some breakage today from wearing it up.

For me, it's just a matter of style variety.

It does NOT make your hair grow faster and in my case it does NOT protect my hair.

missfortune9335
July 12th, 2010, 07:19 PM
Wearing your hair up doesn't do anything magical to make your hair grow out of your scalp faster. It does, however keep your hair protected from getting tangled by everyday life (the wind, your movements, etc) and from getting caught under purse straps, in seatbelts and so on. Which helps to prevent damage to your hair so you don't have to trim it as often, and can have longer hair more quickly than if you have to trim out damage all the time.

It's something I never gave much thought to before I joined here, but if you're wanting to grow very long hair by the time it reaches BSL, waist, or longer, the ends are many years old. The idea is to treat them carefully always so that they stay in good condition.

jane53
July 12th, 2010, 07:20 PM
I've had long hair for over 44 years and wearing it up doesn't protect my ends. Keeping them trimmed keeps them entirely free of splits.

missfortune9335
July 12th, 2010, 07:22 PM
Everyone's hair is different so of course it will be different for everyone. But if the OP is wondering about all the talk here about "protective up dos" that's the general idea behind it. Best of luck with you hair growing!

Peter
July 12th, 2010, 07:22 PM
For most people, wearing hair up protects it from tangling, knotting, rubbing, and other things that cause splitting and breakage. If your ends stay healthy (i.e. they aren't splitting or breaking off) then your hair will grow at its maximum rate. Some fine-haired people actually get more breakage from wearing their hair up, though.

amz1998
July 12th, 2010, 07:26 PM
Personally, I think it is because the more you wear it up the longer it seems when you take it down. If I don't see it often, it seems to grow like crazy. Of course, my hair does grow faster than most. But, if you have ever come in contact with someone you haven't seen in a while and they make the comment, "Your hair has grown so long," that is why-they haven't seen it in a while.

I, too, wore my hair up to protect it and in doing so was successful. I guess we all have to figure out what is best for our OWN hair. If it works for you, great. If it doesn't, no biggie.

littleflowerr
July 12th, 2010, 07:45 PM
I'm starting to transition into being more fond of putting my hair up with the right hair accessorie (usually claw clip). I've gotten less split ends and that means not as much trimming. I'm just impatient about getting to WL, so i figure putting it up often will keep me from wanting to touch it/mess with it/etc... but in due time, my hair will look longer :)

Copasetic
July 12th, 2010, 07:50 PM
Wearing your hair up doesn't make it grow better, but it can still be helpful for growing long hair. For me, wearing my hair up allows me to stop thinking about it, and just let it do its thing. When I have my hair down I am more inclined to measure it and obsess over growth.

jane53
July 12th, 2010, 07:53 PM
For most people, wearing hair up protects it from tangling, knotting, rubbing, and other things that cause splitting and breakage. If your ends stay healthy (i.e. they aren't splitting or breaking off) then your hair will grow at its maximum rate. Some fine-haired people actually get more breakage from wearing their hair up, though.

Maybe my hair is fine enough that updos cause breakage. Because they do in my case.

I don't obsess about measuring and length when my hair is down. Guess it's been long for too long for me to pay that much attention to length in that way.

HikerTrash
July 12th, 2010, 08:29 PM
I always wore my hair in a ponytail and look how bad it is. Now when I braid it and walk around in the wind, there's a ton of hair blowing around my face, some strands 6 inches long or more. My hair would be so much thicker if I had never worn ponytails. So I see a protective updo not as a way to make it grow longer but as a way to keep it from breaking. I'm hoping a simple braid will do the trick. I need something because I ride a motorscooter and do a lot of hiking in the woods.

renarok
July 12th, 2010, 08:43 PM
I find that updos DO protect my hair from everyday damage. I feel that rough handling and sleeping on rough sheets cause the most damage to my hair. My hair doesn't need trims as often if I treat it kindly.

jasper
July 12th, 2010, 08:59 PM
Having it up protects it from breakage from things like the shoulder strap of my computer bags and seat belts. I teach art, so an updo keep my hair glue, ink and paint free. It also keeps it from getting tangled during the day. Having my hair out of sight out of mind for about a year meant that it got a lot longer before I knew it.

Juneii
July 12th, 2010, 09:06 PM
keeping your hair up will keep it from mechanical damage - especially the ends which are old and quite fragile. In a way, yes, it "grows faster" because the ends aren't breaking off and therefore your hair is longer than if you leave it down and getting it tangled.

hope that made sense :)

Gwendolene
July 12th, 2010, 09:25 PM
Maybe my hair is fine enough that updos cause breakage. Because they do in my case.


Same here. I do braid it before bed or if it's windy out, though.

Igor
July 12th, 2010, 11:47 PM
No, wearing your hair up does not make it “grow better”.
Wearing your hair up (And not talking about ponytails here, unless your hair is too short to reach the shoulders) protects it from damage, such as:
Rubbing against the shoulders
Tangling from wind and movements which requires more detangling and handling
Handling from playing with it during the day
To a certain degree from sun damage too

It minimises the damage you get from wear and tear, it does not make your hair “grow better”

If you want hair to “grow better” you need to look into other things. The articles on the forum is a great place to start

christine1989
July 12th, 2010, 11:56 PM
I think mine grows faster when I wear it down because I brush it often when I do (apparently the pulling that results from brushing can help growth). I suppose if you wore it up in a style that gently pulled on the roots it would work the same way though.

kristymarie87
July 13th, 2010, 06:40 AM
When i was around 16 i wore my hair up everyday without fail! I used to get away with not washing it so much and i never got any sort of damage to it! No fly ways etc, no damage from the band - and i didnt care about damage at all so it was one of those bands with the metal, and pulled very tightly up.

One day i just stopped having it up (i think when i got a perm) and it was sooo long! Then of course i damaged it colouring, perming (just once), ironing out the perm...until my ex said long hair got on his nerves and i cut it short!

Still, it grew back very fast despite that.

Now that i want to grow it long, i obsess over the length, and it never seems to grow! That is until i tie it up for a while and forget about it...and wham! I find i grew an inch in a month!

I think if you choose the right updos that protect and dont involve too many tight bands etc, it can help strengthen and not grow...but give the illusion.

Im not so bothered about updo damage though.....

Zindell
July 13th, 2010, 06:51 AM
Wouldn't the "tools" and hair toys used to keep hair up cause mechanical damage? Just a thought :-)

kristymarie87
July 13th, 2010, 06:56 AM
Wouldn't the "tools" and hair toys used to keep hair up cause mechanical damage? Just a thought :-)

I guess some can. But surely a hair stick just holding hairs in place wouldn't. And things like claw clips etc. There are plenty of hair friendly toys - that i cant use because my hair isnt long enough! So you just need to experiment and find ones that dont pull etc!

lapushka
July 13th, 2010, 06:57 AM
I agree... If you constantly start wearing it up, and then after months let your hair down, the first reaction you'll probably get will be something along the lines of 'OMG your hair has grown'! I think maybe that's why it's said that hair grows better when you wear it up. The difference between now and when you last wore it down will be so much more noticeable.

jane53
July 13th, 2010, 06:57 AM
I use one hair stick to keep my hair up.

But my hair is so slippery that I have to wind it really tightly.

And I always lose more hairs on days I wear it up as a result.

HairColoredHair
July 13th, 2010, 06:59 AM
I'm quite certain my hair would not be as long as it is today without being put up.

That said, my hair grew perfectly well without being put up, until I reached tailbone, where it would promptly begin breaking off due to tangles, damages, etc.

Othala
July 13th, 2010, 07:01 AM
Updos caused more breakage for me so I keep it down and loose mostly.

Capybara
July 13th, 2010, 07:09 AM
I think that, up to a certain length (it varies from person to person, but for me it seems to be located at about tailbone), putting hair up isn't a necessity to ensure good growth. Up until this point, hair isn't tangled and suffering mechanical damage from daily wear. After this length, however, putting hair up to protect the more fragile ends does help :)

I like wearing my hair up. It is cool to get that "wow factor" reaction when I wear it down :)

spidermom
July 13th, 2010, 09:05 AM
I agree that putting my hair up in and of itself causes damage. When I examine my ends under bright lights, sometimes I see a pattern of roughened cuticle that I think must have happened from twisting for a bun. On the other hand, it's not practical to wear my hair down because it's hot and it gets into everything. I am sure I'd get even more damage because of that. So up it goes, and I do have those times when I see it down in a reflection for the first time in days or weeks, and I think "wow - look how long it is!"

FrannyG
July 13th, 2010, 09:12 AM
With my fine medium thickness hair, I have honestly noticed a positive difference in the condition of my hair from keeping it contained most of the time. For every day, I use styles that use a minimum of twisting and manipulation.

Perhaps the biggest difference I've noticed is bunning my hair, without twisting, on the top of my head for sleeping. I secure the bun with a satin scrunchie, and I have never noticed any breakage around that bunned area.

For me, the friction of my hair against the pillow caused me a lot of problems, in the form of tangles, which sometimes led to breakage.

I think this is one of those things for which the results are different for everyone, depending on hair type. What works for me may not work for you. Clearly, Spidermom's hair reacts differently than mine. We are all so different.

princessp
July 13th, 2010, 10:23 AM
I have absolutely noticed improvements in my hair. I am sure a lot of things are contributing to this, but I do believe wearing it up with a ficcare (rather than a band of some sort) and tucking the ends into the bottom of a bun has really helped protect the ends.

triumphator!
July 13th, 2010, 10:53 AM
I always wore my hair in a ponytail and look how bad it is. Now when I braid it and walk around in the wind, there's a ton of hair blowing around my face, some strands 6 inches long or more. My hair would be so much thicker if I had never worn ponytails. So I see a protective updo not as a way to make it grow longer but as a way to keep it from breaking. I'm hoping a simple braid will do the trick. I need something because I ride a motorscooter and do a lot of hiking in the woods.

You sound like a good candidate for hair sticks : )

bunnii
July 13th, 2010, 11:00 AM
I don't know if mine grows better, but for the last couple of months i've had either a braid or bun and when I do let it down I think "Oh my! it HAS grown" :D so that's a benefit IMO

TammySue
July 13th, 2010, 11:11 AM
Wearing my hair up has protected my ends.
Result: longest hair length in my life.

Spike
July 13th, 2010, 12:38 PM
I like updos because it keeps my hair out of the way and tidy-looking for the whole day. Long hair up = short hair, in terms of convenience and temperature.

I like updos because I can vary the look with different braids, different buns, accent braids, multiple buns, etc.

In terms of growing better–eh. Hair grows at your genetically determined maximum if you get proper nutrition and care for your own personal body. If you’re a slow grower by nature, then nothing you do will make it go any faster.

I think the “up makes hair grow better/faster” theory is based on protecting the ends from mechanical harm and perceptions. Half an inch a month when you see it every day doesn’t look like much. Half an inch a month when you haven’t seen it for six months looks like a LOT.

sweetestday
July 13th, 2010, 12:42 PM
When my hair is "down", it's usually in a braid. When I wear braids, I notice breakage where my elastics are worn. But, now that I wear it mostly up in a hair stick in a nautilus bun, I'm noticing breakage up higher, and am wondering if wearing the hairstick is breaking hairs on top of my head. I'd rather have damage on the ends... but love the convenience of having my hair up during the day. :/

amaiaisabella
July 13th, 2010, 01:44 PM
If I oil my hair and then put it up with a stick, I'll have tons of broken ends when I take it down. No clue why. I usually wear my hair down during the day but at night I'll take a soft scrunch and put it in a bee-butt bun on my head, and it seems to adapt well to that :)

KittyLost
July 14th, 2010, 03:11 AM
I find that wearing it up doesn't neccessarily make it grow better, but keeps it in better condition while I grow it.

If I wear my hair up I do not need to bother with heat styling, also when it is out the way you can forget about it and when you let it down you can be pleasently surprised by the growth you have.

Magicknthenight
July 14th, 2010, 04:29 AM
I agree with what the others said about it preventing damage. It doesn't work with everyone but its worth a shot. Its also really convenient. My hair is a lot less damaged since I've been wearing it up these last few years. That could be from a number of things but I think wearing it up has had a really significant effect.
Also I love all the styles you can do with longer hair. I haven't had this problem but I know a lot of people get bored of their hair after a while. Being able to do all these different ones gives them a chance to mix it up with out cutting/dying it. So if you can dramatically change the styles/hair toys you wear everyday maybe your less likely to get bored of it.
Its nice to be able to keep it up, safe, and out of the way. It doesn't rub against stuff. (Except for my arm I've been using as a pillow). It won't get tangled in the wind..and at longer lengths it keeps it from getting stuck in things.:)

Dragon
July 14th, 2010, 05:16 AM
I find that wearing it up doesn't make it grow better. I find it causes a lot of breakage. Since I chopped my hair off and re grew it wearing it down most of the time, Its growing a lot better as putting it up causes a lot of damage for me. And I also found putting it up seems to cause more nots for me some how.

Finoriel
July 14th, 2010, 02:09 PM
Wearing it up does not directly influence the growth-rate of ones hair.
But it certainly helps with keeping it in better condition by reducing tangles and the daily grind of chairs and clothes and getting caught everywhere. Every day. For years. So in some way wearing protective updos makes ones hair grow "better", since it is less likely to break off due to too much mechanical damage.
Picking a hair-friendly updo is of course an important point here.
It may not make much of a difference for "younger" hair, but the longer ones hair gets the more benefits you get with reducing the day-to-day wear by wearing it up or washing it less with more gentle methods.

Also if there fall lots of broken hair bits out of an updo, it´s probably not the fault of the updo. (Assuming it was a hair-friendly one secured without hair-eating torture instruments :p.) It could just be that the hair would have broken off during the day anyways. Regardless which style. But the updo contained/collected the bits during the day so they would be noticed when taking ones hair down. While they would have just fallen out of ones hair during the day, unnoticed, while wearing it down.

jivete
July 14th, 2010, 02:39 PM
I think it depends on the environment. If you're outside and your hair is whipping about, then yes, it's probably in the best interest of your hair's health to have it up. If you're sitting in an office chair typing out a reply about putting one's hair up, then it's probably okay draped over your shoulder.:p