Best ponytail holder?

[jel]

I don't wear a ponytail often. OK, that's an understatement, I never wear a ponytail. However, I need to put my hair into a reasonably tight pony in order to make certain updos (Chinese bun, Woven bun). If it's not tight enough, my ponytail slides to the back of my neck within minutes, and the updo with it.

So far, I've tried:

1. Towelling elastics - great for tying off a braid, too loose for a pony.

2. Snagless elastics - once around too loose, it breaks when I try it twice around.

3. Regular elastic - holds well, but snags and breaks my hair.

I feel like Goldilocks! :o

So, what else is there? What do you use to get a tight ponytail and undamaged hair?

[shrimp]

The Goody hosiery ties are good but a little too tight when you first use them, I ahve tos tretch them out a bit first and I think your hair is thicker than mine. Superdrug do towelling/hosiery ones which are quite large and seem good to me (towelling ish material but hosiery construction). They aren't that expensive so may be worth a shot. Though admittedly I never ponytail. So maybe that's not too helpful :oops:

[k_hepburn]

My preferred elastics if I want a tight ponytail are DIY. I bought some standard black elastic that you can get in a haberdashery shop or department. I used a medium width on, about 5 mm wide (1/5 inch), cut of pieces that would form a circle of just a length I wanted, then sewed the ends together really well.

The advantages are that they don't have any metal bits, but don't break when pulled (I never had any luck with those hair friendly elastics that are just glued together at the joining point - I usually get to use them once or twice before they come apart in my hands). These elastics are VERY tight, so I don't wear them too often, but if I want to do a tight, whip-like braid (tied with elastics top and bottom), or a high ponytail, you just can't beat the look and hold of these ones.

[frizzinator]

For these buns, I use the kind of elastics that are glued together. They can be skinny or fat. The fat ones hold better than the skinny ones.


K Hepburn has the best idea. But if you want to use the snagless elastics but cannot find any big enough to wrap around twice, I can think of 2 alternatives:


You can make something like a bunji with a snagless elastic and hang 2 ordinary bobby pins on it. Hold the bobby pins in opposite directions, stretching the elastic between them. Then hold one bobby pin securely on your hair with the same hand that holds the ponytail, then wrap the elastic around the tail (bunji style), and when you get near the end where the other bobby pin is dangling, just insert the bobby pin into the ponytail under the wrapped elastic.

So, instead of pulling your hair through the elastic, the bobby pins are being held by the tightness of the elastics against your hair. Since you are making buns, you may want to have those bobby pins against your scalp hair instead of in the ponytail hair.


The other idea is to make your own elastic using 2 snagless pony elastics that you cut in half. Using 2 knots would work, but it might not look as invisible as if you actually glued the ends together.

[jel]

Thanks everyone!


The Goody hosiery ties are good but a little too tight when you first use them, I ahve tos tretch them out a bit first and I think your hair is thicker than mine.

I haven't seen these around (admittedly I haven't really been looking), where do you get them?


Superdrug do towelling/hosiery ones which are quite large and seem good to me (towelling ish material but hosiery construction).

These are the ones I have, and they stretch too much for me.


My preferred elastics if I want a tight ponytail are DIY. I bought some standard black elastic that you can get in a haberdashery shop or department. I used a medium width on, about 5 mm wide (1/5 inch), cut of pieces that would form a circle of just a length I wanted, then sewed the ends together really well.


This is an absolutely brilliant idea! I never would have thought of that! Definitely something I will do, sew my own.


For these buns, I use the kind of elastics that are glued together. They can be skinny or fat. The fat ones hold better than the skinny ones.

I haven't seen good quality glued elastics here - they either break apart, or the join is uneven and rough.




You can make something like a bunji with a snagless elastic and hang 2 ordinary bobby pins on it. Hold the bobby pins in opposite directions, stretching the elastic between them. Then hold one bobby pin securely on your hair with the same hand that holds the ponytail, then wrap the elastic around the tail (bunji style), and when you get near the end where the other bobby pin is dangling, just insert the bobby pin into the ponytail under the wrapped elastic.

So, instead of pulling your hair through the elastic, the bobby pins are being held by the tightness of the elastics against your hair. Since you are making buns, you may want to have those bobby pins against your scalp hair instead of in the ponytail hair.


This is also a great idea, but sounds too complex for my hairstyling-challenged fingers! :tongue: I'll give it a try, though, you never know.

[frizzinator]

You can make the hosiery elastics, by cutting 1 inch strips across a stocking or pantyhose leg. I use the smallest tights I can find, usually toddler's dance tights. The legs cut into strips make circles which are very sturdy hair elastics. They have no seam. You can find them in a good selection of colors too.


If you buy hosiery elastics already made, they look like snagless elastics, but they have no glued joint or seam. Both sides curl up, so it looks narrower than it really is. They are often labeled as "gentle hold".

[kwaniesiam]

I second chopping up a pair of tights. I have about 50 of the skinny glued together elastics from Target, they work well for my fine thin hair but once it gets longer I'm going back to the chopped up hosiery.

[Elle]

My all-time fav is a bunjii. :)

[shrimp]

I think I got my Goody ones from Sainsburys, if the Superdrug ones are too big then they could well be a good replacement.

If you'd like pm me and I'll post you one to try out as they are a little spendy (I think).

[eresh]

You can make the hosiery elastics, by cutting 1 inch strips across a stocking or pantyhose leg.


Yes I do this too :-)
It works perfectly and it's cheap.
If it gets stretched too much after a while just cut off a new strip from the pantyhose.

[Shermie Girl]

The best way I have found to get a ponytail to hold tight is to use two coated elastics together. I wrap twice and it holds my ponytail securely all day. :D

[kimki]

I'm another one who uses sections of tights. Usually babies tights. You can get lots of different colours and patterns. I got black sparkly ones that are soft and stretchy. When they get stretched you can tumble dry them and they shrink back smaller.

[sapphire-o]

I use two or three of those ouchless elastics together. I found some very strong elastics at dollar store but they're probably not too easy on the hair.

[jel]

Thanks all! :flowers:

I have tried cutting up my own tights some time ago, but the result was very stretchy - I never thought of trying a small size!

I don't think I'll want to invest in a bunjii as they're pretty expensive nowadays, but it's good to know that they work well.

Two coated elastics wrapped twice are also a good idea, if I could find good quality ones. I will have a look somewhere other than Claires!

Oh, and thanks for the offer, Shrimp - I'll bear it in mind if I can't find the Goody ties in a Sainsburys around here.

[Curlsgirl]

What about a nice soft scrunchy? I think that would be the very least damaging. I don't do ponies anymore but when I did, that's what I used. They have satin ones sometimes at different drugstores or Big Lots. If you wrap them around enough, they can end up very snug. I think TOO tight anything is damaging.

[Tap Dancer]

I use these Goody Ouchless elastics (http://www.goody.com/Products/Collections/Ouchless/Accessories/Ouchless_Large_Thin_Elastics.aspx). They hold my hair very well. :)

[angelthadiva]

I never thought about using tights! I will have to try that, great ideas, girls!

[aisling]

Tights are great! One inch is too narrow in my opinion, at least when I use adult sized ones. By cutting broader strips, you'll get a less stretchy elastic, I've cut some 10cm/4" ones. The thicker the tights, the better in my opinion, I prefer 60den to 20den.

[PeaceTeaRules]

I have those black dollar store no metal elastics... ouchless ones and scrunchies from Scuuni's line of hair care items... Would those work? My hair hadn't broken with the scrunchies and the black elastics hold hair kind of tight... should I use them?:confused:

[blondie9912]

I second chopping up a pair of tights. I have about 50 of the skinny glued together elastics from Target, they work well for my fine thin hair but once it gets longer I'm going back to the chopped up hosiery.

This. I absolutely SWEAR by it, the pressure it applies to hair is so much less than regular (hair friendly, ouch-less elastics). I think it's because nylons stretch more, perhaps. Either way, amazing method :)

[melbournian]

I'm another voter for the ready made "hosiery" style elastics (no seam/join etc). Glued ones fail repeatedly on me, and all others seem to snag my hair mercilessly. Granted, the hosiery bands don't last a hugely long time, and after a couple of weeks of constant use they won't bounce back anymore, but since I buy them in packs of 25 for a couple of bucks it's not really an issue.