Tuck hair behind ears = damage?

[MsBubbles]

I think I have had an ahah! moment today (either that or a duh! moment). I was wondering why my old-short-layers around the front of my face looked so fluffy and damaged compared with the rest of my hair. I don't have any splits yet, or perhaps I do and I just need to break down and by my first pair of granny glasses to deal with the 40+ presbyopia issue. Anyway, no splits yet at about 24".

However, the sides at the front look sorta frizzed out and staticky the whole time (maybe it's my nylon comb - haven't bought a horn comb yet). I already trimmed these layers (like ultra grown out bangs) back when I committed to growing my hair as long as it'll get, because that particular section of my hair looked fried. 2 months later they look refried, whereas the back looks just as smooth and flat ever.

Does anybody agree with me that since I wear my hair down a lot and constantly hook my hair behind my ears, that this might be causing future breakage and intermittent frizz?

To make matters worse I have thin hair and sticky out ears, so I constantly feel like I need to just go ahead and expose the ears on purpose rather than letting them poke through my hair like a monkey (my sister calls me 'monkey ears' :D)

I don't like wearing my hair up all the time, but I'm thinking I might have to now. Maybe some sort of semi updo might help.

[ItalianFlower]

I don't have anything by way of "advice" but I will say I have the same problem in that my bangs are always way more damaged looking than the rest of my hair. They're only a few inches shorter than the bulk of my hair. I was actually considering cutting them into real bangs, but if we come up with a better solution...*as she habitually tucks her hair behind her ear*

[anna1850]

I thought it was supposed to be good to tuck your hair because of the oils that are produced behind the ears.

Do you wear glasses by any chance? Could your hair be getting rubbed or caught behind the ears somehow?

[Ursula]

Part of what you are seeing is the normal shed/regrowth cycle, which naturally leaves you with short hairs all over your head. Along most of your head, these hairs are held down by the longer hairs that surround them, so they are not obvious. But around the edge of your hairline, there are not as many hairs around them, so they're more likely to stick out. If your hair is inclined to frizz, this will make them more obvious, as will having the length of your hair held back, so that it isn't moving around with the short hairs.

But it does not necessarily mean damage, at all.

[Saranne772]

Wow this made me think about glasses damaging hair "Goes to check her glasses*

I cant say Ive ever thought of it affecting hair in such a way before!

[anna1850]

Wow this made me think about glasses damaging hair "Goes to check her glasses*

I cant say Ive ever thought of it affecting hair in such a way before!

No, me neither. Although I don't wear my glasses all the time (mostly for cinema, lecutures and sometimes to watch TV) and I wasn't sure if some pairs could snag the hair.

[MsBubbles]

Saranne772 - Ironically enough, about 5 months ago (pre-long-hair-committment) I finally splashed out and bought myself some proper road workout sunglasses for my training, with the different colored lenses, etc. They have rubber ends that go over the ears! I am going to have to rip those rubber bits off, they are at least smooth plastic underneath. I wonder if anybody makes horn sunglasses...wait...is that what 'hornrimmed glasses' are? I am rather slow today.

Ursula - that's some interesting info about the smaller hairs. Especially the bit about 'not necessarily mean damaged'. I couldn't tell WHAT those hairs were doing because they don't look individually damaged. It just creates an overall heat-damaged look.

Italianflower - I was thinking about bangs too. Two week rule!

Anna1850 - I was thinking also that my nails or hands might be ripping the hair shaft somewhat as I drag my hair behind my ears, so any oily secretions might be negated by that.

[spidermom]

Unless your fingers or your ears are really rough, I can't imagine why tucking hair behind your ears would be damaging.

[wintersun99]

hmmm, I've never noticed any damage and I'm a chronic ear-tucker :)

[akurah]

I read somewhere (swear to god) that the terminal length of the hairs at the hairline can be funky because the terminal length of regular body hair is super short despite the terminal length of scalp hair being super long. So follicles get confused, and the terminal for those hairs are always going to be significantly shorter than the terminal for the rest of the hair.

[flapjack]

I've put my hair behind my ears for... I don't even want to know how long... and the hair there is fine.

[DotDotDot]

I have my hair in an updo all the time, but I do tuck my baby hairs behind my ears and I have to say that they seem to be the most damage-free hairs on my whole head! They're shiny, they're soft, they're mostly split- and breakage-free... They're just annoying!

[chloeishere]

I don't think tucking your hair behind your ears is especially damaging (especially if your hair gets in your face while you are eating or something... chewing is much worse!).

In my experience, glasses are extremely damaging for my hair. I always get little temple hairs and wispies caught in the hinge, and if they don't snap, they'll get a huge bend and snap soon. And if my hair gets tucked under my glasses, and I decide to pull it out without taking my glasses off (often because I'm in the midst of a particularly interesting book)... well, the last time I wore my glasses all day (I wear contacts about 99% of the time I'm awake), I ended up with tons of stupid little hairs sticking out from right in front of my ears, and all those wispy temple hairs I had FINALLY managed to grow out long enough to tuck into buns (with monistat) went right back to 2 inches long.
I can't win. Though I should have been more careful-- I gave up vigilance for one day, and now I'll have three inch hairs sticking out from the side of my head for months and months. :rolleyes::shrug::slap:

[florenonite]

I read somewhere (swear to god) that the terminal length of the hairs at the hairline can be funky because the terminal length of regular body hair is super short despite the terminal length of scalp hair being super long. So follicles get confused, and the terminal for those hairs are always going to be significantly shorter than the terminal for the rest of the hair.

I've heard this, too. It makes sense, because I've always had shorter nape hairs as well as shorter temple hairs, as do most people I know, and it has nothing to do with damage.

[Curlsgirl]

I agree that glasses of any kind should be considered first. I noticed that lately most of the sunglasses I have seen have those rubber cushions covering the ear piece on the ends and they really can get caught and pull the hair. Some of them are impossible to take off too. I have thrown away a few pair that catch my hair in the hinge. They don't all do that but it's not worth it to me. Very interesting about the terminal length there being possibly different. I have almost always before had shorter hair there because of growing out bangs or layers so I will see as they all grow out if mine are like that. I have always been a "hair tucker" too though and haven't noticed damage because of it. :shrug:

[sapphire-o]

I think the bangs are more likely to be damaged by sunlight as they're always out there on top. They also get styled more, handled more and not protected much by updos. Those can all make them a bit more damaged than the rest of your hair. :)

[Riot Crrl]

I read somewhere (swear to god) that the terminal length of the hairs at the hairline can be funky because the terminal length of regular body hair is super short despite the terminal length of scalp hair being super long. So follicles get confused, and the terminal for those hairs are always going to be significantly shorter than the terminal for the rest of the hair.

I'm bumping this because I just discovered shocking new evidence of this phenomenon on myself.

I used to dye my hair blonde, and my roots are kind of dishwater anyway, so I never noticed it in all those years.

But now I'm dying it dark red with henna, which I put on last night. Before I put it on, I was in the mirror checking out my regrowth. I was actually trying to see how "uneven" it was because I only had a cut four and a half months ago and the ends seem to have taper already. It did seem to be growing kind of uneven, but the vast majority of hair had .5" to .75" of roots.

However! The shortest baby hairs at the very edges were still all dark red. No roots at all.

[rhondalicious]

The hinge on the sides of my glasses is always pulling and snapping hairs... The next pair I get are the hingeless flexible titanium alloy kind.

[Alethia]

The hair at my temples is way shorter than the rest of my hair. When my hair is combed down at the sides, it looks like someone has razor layered my hair at the front edges. There are no splits, but all the ends are tapered and virgin. They never reach my hemline, so they never get cut. I don't think that this is due to tucking behind my ears, because I either wear my hair braided or in an updo.

[sipnsun]

I don't know about damage, but I get this crazy little wave from tucking my hair behind my ears. I hate it!

[frizzinator]

When I was about your age I noticed the same problem. As the years passed, nearly all my hair became frizzy. Even though you are still young, it could be age related.

[MsBubbles]

When I was about your age I noticed the same problem. As the years passed, nearly all my hair became frizzy. Even though you are still young, it could be age related.

You mean me? Young? :cloud9: S'all relative, I suppose :D. If you did mean me, I have a grand total of six grey hairs over my crown which are a bit wild and bent weird.

I ripped the rubber bits off my sunglasses and am consequently not tearing my hair at the sides any more. However, the damaged-but-not-split appearance on these...well what do I call them...hairs that would be bangs, is still there. I have noticed that with a weekly oiling they lie flatter and are less split-end like.

Thanks for the bump!

[UP Lisa]

I can't get my bangs past the bottom of my chin. Same with the hairs in front of my ears at the hairline.

[Golden21]

Interesting thought- I tuck my hair behind my ears and have always had trouble with those front hairs growing long.

[yldchyld]

To make matters worse I have thin hair and sticky out ears, so I constantly feel like I need to just go ahead and expose the ears on purpose rather than letting them poke through my hair like a monkey (my sister calls me 'monkey ears' )


Siblings are cruel, cruel creatures. My brother told me I had hot dog legs when I was a teenager (and thin) but that still sticks with my self-image of my legs.

[Tangles]

This is an example of what I would consider "overdoing it" in terms of protecting hair--ie, if this is really the problem then your hair must be SO fragile that even a sudden gust of wind could tear it into pieces. I really do not see how gently placing your hair behind your ears could translate into mechanical damage to hair.

Correlation doesn't always (or even often) equate to causation.

[Altocumulus]

I'm bumping this because I just discovered shocking new evidence of this phenomenon on myself.

I used to dye my hair blonde, and my roots are kind of dishwater anyway, so I never noticed it in all those years.

But now I'm dying it dark red with henna, which I put on last night. Before I put it on, I was in the mirror checking out my regrowth. I was actually trying to see how "uneven" it was because I only had a cut four and a half months ago and the ends seem to have taper already. It did seem to be growing kind of uneven, but the vast majority of hair had .5" to .75" of roots.

However! The shortest baby hairs at the very edges were still all dark red. No roots at all.

I noticed the same thing when I first started growing out my henna.

[getoffmyskittle]

Do you wear earrings? I used to get bad damage when I'd tuck my hair behind my ears and it would get dragged through my earring backs.

[Periwinkle]

I don't think that tucking hair behind your ears could cause damage, but constant fiddling with it certainly could. Maybe you just touch/fiddle with those bits of hair a lot.

[MsBubbles]

:D
This is an example of what I would consider "overdoing it" in terms of protecting hair--ie, if this is really the problem then your hair must be SO fragile that even a sudden gust of wind could tear it into pieces. I really do not see how gently placing your hair behind your ears could translate into mechanical damage to hair.

Correlation doesn't always (or even often) equate to causation.

Yeah, I don't think anybody who knows me in the real world would accuse me of overprotecting my hair. lol. I only ever wear it up to work out, I wear it down most of the time, I use cones shamelessly and wash daily :demon:. The key word in what you wrote is 'gently'. You assume I'm being gentle. I don't have fancy store-bought nails and am far from ladylike. My nails, cuticles and fingers are snagged and gnawed at much of the time (but are getting stronger now thanks to the vits I take for my hair), and so I thought that may play a part. Hmm, maybe the backs of my ears are spikey :p ?

I pondered that question in trying to figure out just what was going on with those hairs. I still don't have a clue :D, but thanks for the perspective!

[UP Lisa]

The hair around my hairline, which is down to my chin, get tangled very easily, which can lead to damage.

[MsBubbles]

Do you wear earrings? I used to get bad damage when I'd tuck my hair behind my ears and it would get dragged through my earring backs.

Thanks for the suggestion, but I don't even have my ears pierced! I don't wear any jewellery - not as a matter of principle, but because I think I missed out on the 'style' gene :). Oh well.

I think there are a multitude of sins hiding in my hair as it grows out and these thinner, side layers are showing it the most. Maybe that's it.

[Riot Crrl]

I noticed the same thing when I first started growing out my henna.

Out of simply curiosity, do you remember how long it took them to shed and regenerate? (Or whatever they did, lol.)

[Altocumulus]

Out of simply curiosity, do you remember how long it took them to shed and regenerate? (Or whatever they did, lol.)

A couple of months? But that was while my thyroid condition was being identified and treated, so I'm not sure what would have happened if everything was functioning properly.

[Riot Crrl]

I think this edges-terminal-length theory is true facts!

[danacc]

I definitely have hair at the temples and "sideburns" that have a shorter terminal length than the rest of my hair. These are 4 distinct areas where the hair is always short. There are lots of these short strands in good condition, and no long ones in these areas, ever.

I used to think they may have been broken, but there is no evidence of damage. They fall out naturally, and the ends look like virgin ends--no splits, no breaks, no bluntness that you see from cutting. It occurred to me that it could be caused by a sudden shed in those areas, but I've had them short this way for years and years. After monitoring closely for the last 9 months, I'm convinced that their growth/life cycle is just much shorter than the rest of my head.

Back to the main topic of the thread, I don't think tucking your hair behind your ears is damaging. It is possible for rough nails to damage hair, particularly if you are rubbing them in your hair often or throughout the day. If you're actually snagging and breaking a strand, you'd likely feel or hear it, though.

[Marie99]

That's the culprit. Your hand and nails. I tuck so much hair behind my ears that my ears hurt and no damage and I wear 2 pairs of earrings all the time even to bed and wear glasses. Try putting the top half of your hair in a pony tail to hold it back. People that tuck their hair behind their ears are actually handling that section a lot.



:D

Yeah, I don't think anybody who knows me in the real world would accuse me of overprotecting my hair. lol. I only ever wear it up to work out, I wear it down most of the time, I use cones shamelessly and wash daily :demon:. The key word in what you wrote is 'gently'. You assume I'm being gentle. I don't have fancy store-bought nails and am far from ladylike. My nails, cuticles and fingers are snagged and gnawed at much of the time (but are getting stronger now thanks to the vits I take for my hair), and so I thought that may play a part. Hmm, maybe the backs of my ears are spikey :p ?

I pondered that question in trying to figure out just what was going on with those hairs. I still don't have a clue :D, but thanks for the perspective!

[rhubarbarin]

I definitely have hair at the temples and "sideburns" that have a shorter terminal length than the rest of my hair. These are 4 distinct areas where the hair is always short. There are lots of these short strands in good condition, and no long ones in these areas, ever.

I used to think they may have been broken, but there is no evidence of damage. They fall out naturally, and the ends look like virgin ends--no splits, no breaks, no bluntness that you see from cutting. It occurred to me that it could be caused by a sudden shed in those areas, but I've had them short this way for years and years. After monitoring closely for the last 9 months, I'm convinced that their growth/life cycle is just much shorter than the rest of my head.

Back to the main topic of the thread, I don't think tucking your hair behind your ears is damaging. It is possible for rough nails to damage hair, particularly if you are rubbing them in your hair often or throughout the day. If you're actually snagging and breaking a strand, you'd likely feel or hear it, though.

Yep. About half the hairs I shed are those from around my hairline. They grow to between 5-8" and then fall out. I've always had a lot. It has little to do with breakage. They're mostly the healthiest hairs on my head.

[Medvssa]

Do you sleep on your side? I do, and I have the same problem, and I am sure it is because of rubbing against the pillowcase. Satin helps, but it still absorbs all the oils from the hair (at least my dry and porous hair) and these get more rubbing than anywhere else.

[Vitalai]

I've been growing out parts of my bangs and I'm constantly tucking them behind my ears. I haven't seen any damage yet.

[Isilme]

are they about shoulder length? Mine are and they are the ones getting the most damage even if the hair in that area is the youngest. They do get most of the rubbing against my shoulders.

[truepeacenik]

Wow this made me think about glasses damaging hair "Goes to check her glasses*

I cant say Ive ever thought of it affecting hair in such a way before!

sure does. I have wispies from my glasses hinges.
I just live with it.
I don't even notice them 'til they are longer.:p

[MsBubbles]

Do you sleep on your side? I do, and I have the same problem, and I am sure it is because of rubbing against the pillowcase. Satin helps, but it still absorbs all the oils from the hair (at least my dry and porous hair) and these get more rubbing than anywhere else.

Interesting resurrection of this thread! Since I started it, I have started braiding my hair loosely to sleep in. I think leaving it loose was causing splits (well what with that and old highlights plus old blowfrying!). I have also closely examined my combing habits and try to not run my fingers thru my hair as much. I have quit the cones and quit washing my hair every day. So I guess I'm being gentler now after all.

[Laila23]

I can only imagine that tucking the hair behind your ears would cause damage if 1) you wore some type of rough glasses 2) you have your cartilage of the ears pierced.

[JessTheMess]

I noticed that along with constantly fiddling with that hair, the sun also caused some damage to those hairs. All summer long I had my bangs pulled back across the top of my head. I notice that those hairs are all a few shades lighter than the rest of my hair, as well as coarser and dryer. I have to deep treatment / moisturize my fringe every few days, or else they get rebellious on me. :rolleyes: