updo breakage?

[luthien_belewen]

I try to put my hair up every day to protect it. But, when I try to get my hair into a bun, I feel like my hair is breaking. Sometimes I hear hairs snapping when I am twisting my hair. Plus, my hair will slip out of anything and doesn't stay up with a hair fork and pins. So, I have to try again and again to get my hair to stay. I have very fine hair (and a lot of it), so maybe that is why.

Are there other protective styles I can do that's not a bun? I was thinking maybe braids are a better option for me? Although I can't do a braided bun yet with my length :(

Are there any others like me?

[heidihug]

Try bunning when your hair is slightly damp. It helps "hold" everything together. Also, as you gain length you should have fewer problems getting your hair to stay in updos, also. A French braid might be a good option, if you can get your hair to stay in it.

[jane53]

Wearing my hair up doesn't protect it.

I wear my hair up for style variety.

Updos do cause breakage, but if you vary the styles, you won't have much.

Braids, like updos and wearing hair down, provide opportunities for breakage. When I wore my hair in a braid a lot, I used to get breakage just above the ends, no matter how gentle the tie I used to fasten the end of my braid.

I've never understood the LHC dictum that wearing hair up protects it. I guess I could see it being more protective if you live in a very windy climate--which I do not.

[pepperminttea]

How tightly are you doing it? It might be quite a squeeze at SL, but wearing it up really does help for most people. French or Dutch braids would be a good option at your length, you should be able to tuck them too if you want to. And until you're at a length good for a braided bun, there's always a folded braid, which requires a lot less length. :)

[mariika]

I noticed my hair get far less split ends when I updo it.

[Anje]

As others have said, buns at shoulder length are tough. It's hard to get them to hold, and they tend to need to be really tight. You'll find it gets a lot easier when your hair is longer -- you can wrap it in ways where it practically supports itself and the fork just acts as a lynchpin to keep the whole thing from collapsing. Also, I find my hair buns best (without pulling/snapping) if both my hair and my hands are totally dry.

You might do better with braids in the short term. Ponytails at this length are fine too, so long as you don't start tightening them by separating the hair in two halves and pulling. By APL, updos should be a lot easier.

(For me, buns are definitely protective. My hair tangles readily, and the bun prevents that. Braids are good too, but they eventually get fuzzy and nasty looking, and the fuzz tangles.)

[ktani]

I have not done a thorough s&d in months. ETA: I just completed one now and I have 0 split ends, which is my norm these days, since I increased catnip timing a few years ago.

I wear my hair down most of the time, windy day or not. It is about how you handle your hair. I gently smooth it and separate it with my hands. If I am rough with it, I get breakage, not splits.

I put my hair up with one roller pin (it looks like a huge bobby pin with no "waves" in it). I sealed it with acrylic nail hardener to prevent rust and smooth the surface. It works well.

I just gather my hair at the back, twist it once or twice against my head and secure it. It looks fine, mostly covers the pin and stays up.

[Madora]

I think braids would be the best bet for you at present.

When your hair is longer, you can try buns. Your hair will appreciate it if you try and divide your hair in two sections (after you've ponytailed it). Take one section, twist it gently clockwise, and wrap it around the ponytail base, pinning as you go. Then twist the other section in a counterclockwise around the base of your ponytail.

Also, the type of hairpin you use..and how you use it, makes a big difference in getting a hairstyle to stay put.

When my hair was shoulder length I used 2 inch crimped hairpins and wove them in an up and down
motion thru my hair, pinning at 4 points (north/south/east/west).

Just be sure not to twist the sections too tightly when you're creating the bun. Good luck!

[mariika]

If I wear my hair down for two days in a row I will wanna schedule a half an hour detangling session.... Updos really prove to be protective to me I don't get it how they can be damaging at all...

[princessp]

Yes, I have to agree. Updos seem to protect my hair too. I like using a ficcare, fork, or sticks to hold them in place. I try to stay away from elastics almost completely since they tend to damage my hair. Maybe this all depends on the type of hair you have? I have fairly thick, coarse, and wavy/curly hair.

Like others have said maybe you are bunning too tightly? Perhaps since your hair is BSL you could try some sort of snood so the hair is both protected and loose-ish.

[Alvrodul]

I don't think keeping my hair in updos protects it per se - but it keeps me from having to detangle fifty times a day! And keeping it up also keeps my hair from getting caught under the shoulder strap of my handbag, in my trouser zipper, in toddlers' hands and mouths, in velcro (ooowww) - in short, all the imaginable and unimaginable threats of daily life!

[princessp]

I don't think keeping my hair in updos protects it per se - but it keeps me from having to detangle fifty times a day! And keeping it up also keeps my hair from getting caught under the shoulder strap of my handbag, in my trouser zipper, in toddlers' hands and mouths, in velcro (ooowww) - in short, all the imaginable and unimaginable threats of daily life!

You have me laughing over here because um....doesn't that translate as protecting it? Lol! :p

[Alvrodul]

You have me laughing over here because um....doesn't that translate as protecting it? Lol! :p
Hmm, yes, of course! :D But since the thread started with a concern about updos and hairtoys causing damage - which definitely happens - I think that my hair consider life outside a bun to be considerably more dangerous!
:laugh:

[christine1989]

I like to double up my hair then twist it into a claw clip. That way it won't slip out, won't break and the ends are well protected.

[ktani]

If I wear my hair down for two days in a row I will wanna schedule a half an hour detangling session.... Updos really prove to be protective to me I don't get it how they can be damaging at all...

It would depend on what what one uses to put the hair up with (something with sharp edges or that can catch hair), whether the hair is twisted to tightly (friction), etc. and other factors.

I put my hair up to go run an errand the other day and it was windy. When I took my hair down, I was not careful and the top part that had blown around started to catch a bit on the rest of my hair because I pulled at it. There was a small bit of breakage on the top canopy from where I had not smoothed it carefully instead, when I took my hair down, that I found during my s&d.

A day after I had my hair up, I had gone out again but with my hair loose and again it was just as windy. I gently smoothed and separated my hair when I came home and during my s&d, there was no breakage on my ends. My hair as a rule does not tangle with catnip. It is about how I treat it. Catnip reduces friction for me but no hair routine can make up for rough handling.

[anthonyswife]

My hair is with jane53- most updos break and tangle my hair horribly and I cringe at the thought of wearing updos every day. I've come to the realization that I need to vary how I wear my hair tremendously in order to keep it happy.

That said, I have found two methods of bunning that seem to not cause much breakage on me- a sock bun, and a figure-8 bun held with a single hairstick inserted vertically through the figure-8. Your hair might be too short yet for a figure-8 but you could probably do a sock bun if your sock "doughnut" is small enough. :)

[luthien_belewen]

I can do a sock bun, but it still takes a lot of wrangling to get it to stay decent. I really think I was treating my hair too roughly b/c it's so hard at this length to updo, and I am just too impatient! I end up pulling my hair because I have to fight to get it to stay. Right now I do twists and ponytails, although I read they are damaging too? Are ponytails that bad? Epecially since it is the easiest for me right now?

[ktani]

I can do a sock bun, but it still takes a lot of wrangling to get it to stay decent. I really think I was treating my hair too roughly b/c it's so hard at this length to updo, and I am just too impatient! I end up pulling my hair because I have to fight to get it to stay. Right now I do twists and ponytails, although I read they are damaging too? Are ponytails that bad? Epecially since it is the easiest for me right now?

Twists are fine as long as they are not too tight. Ponytails are fine as long as what you use to bind one is not too tight and easy to remove. Think pressure and friction. If what you bind a pontytail with winds up catching and tearing at hair because it is too tight or rubs the hair, roughing up cuticles (like uncovered elastic), it can be a problem.

There are smooth fabric holders and smooth edged claw clips. You can always sand down rough edges and use a piece of soft suede as a tie as well. Flexi 8 is popular here too, http://www.flexi8.com/. The thread, http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=17757.

Here is another popular choice, the Ficcare, http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=3005.

[dropinthebucket]

Must keep my hair up - or I will be constantly twirling it, combing through it with my hands, "feeling" the ends - recovering hair play addict :( . Keeping it up is the only way I'm going to get longer hair! :)