bobby pin breakage???

[cleanbug]

hi, does anyone else use bobby pins to "pouf" their bangs (grown in) before braiding/ponytailing/bunning the rest of your hair? i always had bangs up until this past time i grew out my hair.
i decided that i wanted it all long & opted out of having a fringe.

i find that on me, my hair does not look good strait back so i have consistenly (almost daily) cross 2 or 3 bobby pins to secure the front section of hair into a small pouf and then do whatever i am going to do with the rest of it.
i noticed lately that there have been a lot of flyaway wisps around the front.
i did some calculations on where the breakage is & its exactly where i always pin them!
what do you use to secure the front hair if you don't want it slicked straight back?

[misstwist]

I have found that sticking my finger into the open part of the bobbie pin and holding the thing open when removing it helps to reduce breakage.

As to alternatives, there are many.

You can secure the pouf or quiff with a small jaw clip. I don't like those, but find that a small Linzi clip is acceptable. It doesn't have those darn clip wings on it that get caught in hair.

Small barrettes work. You can use a french closure, though some people feel that is damaging. A jean closure barrette can work if your hair is very thin or only a very small amount of hair is to be held.

The barrettes that have a solid bottom that slides side-to-side out of a catch at the top work. I don't particularly like these because I get too much movement in my hair when I secure them and usually end up with a lopsided pouf.

The clips that bend in the middle work. I think they work best if they are the thin metal or plastic ones and are crossed over each other like bobbie pins.

I have the best success with a small side comb. I use Good Hair Days Grip-Tuth combs. Those suckers will hold near anything and don't go anywhere.

Good luck!

[aenflex]

I use the beak clips I think they are called? The ones that you see in salons that you can just pinch open and slide into hair. I always wreak havoc on my hair with bobby pins, but I do love them...

[Igor]

Great advice, Misstwist! :rockerdud What about headbands? Would they work for you too?

[StarryNight]

I have actually just switched from bobby pins to combs. I love them.

[growing2shine]

I use aloe vera gel and a small jaw clip. That works really well for me.

[Angeletti]

I've been known to use them for what you were saying, to give the top portion of my hair a little height so it's not straight back when I'm wearing certain styles. I haven't noticed any damage from the bobby pins, so maybe try what the person above was saying, make sure you open the bobby pin with your finger before taking them out that way your hair won't get stuck and pulled. Also make sure to throw any of the bobby pins away that are missing the little "ball" on the ends, I've damaged my hair by putting the sharp ends in before so now I always check to make sure they have the protective ball coating on the end before coming anywhere near my hair.

[cleanbug]

Thanks everyone. I'm going to try some of these clips. I have a Sallys in my town so i'll see what they've got.

[bytheocean]

I use bobby pins several times a week to hold up my bun. I found some really big ones at Winn-Dixie that work great. I too hold them open when removing them. While they also loose their tips like the smaller ones, it doesn't happen near as fast, so they last longer. HTH

[Copasetic]

What kind of condition are your bobby pins in? I find that they only cause breakage if the little protective tip cover thing comes off.