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View Full Version : Why are ponytails bad?



carabean
May 13th, 2011, 07:51 AM
I've noticed that most of you long timers with gorgeous hair do not include ponytails in your style rotations.

Why is that?

Before coming here I was a ponytail addict, but I've been trying to use English braids as a substitute, especially when I work out.

Thanks, friends! :)

Madora
May 13th, 2011, 08:00 AM
Ponytails put too much stress on the delicate hairs.

There is stress on the delicate front hairs (and roots) from drawing the hair back into the ponytail..there's pulling on the hair as the ponytail bounces around as you go thru the day.

The longer the hair, the greater the stress.

Also, if you ponytail in the same general area day after day, the hair in that area will show breakage in time..and before you know it, your scalp will begin showing thru.

Think of a farmer, going thru his field by the same route every day. Over a period of months, the grass is worn down, then worn away, leaving a bare path. Same thing with ponytails used so often.

Ponytails have their place..but only if sectioned to form a bun. They are very good for that! I "ponytail" but only to the extent that the hair is drawn up in the tail. I then divide the ponytail into 2 sections, and form my bun that way. I'm not much on ponytail holders, of any kind, unless they are ouchless barrettes.

Milui Elenath
May 13th, 2011, 08:35 AM
For myself (although I'm not a long time LHC-er) it's mainly that ponytails tangle so much more than a bun or braid. And tangles mean breakage generally IMO.

My hair is TB so even when it's in a high ponytail it is still basically down. It's for this reason that I very occasionally do wear high pony tails (when I go out to dinner or the like) - so that it is out but still out of the way ;) So short term in a wind free environment.

Babyfine
May 13th, 2011, 08:44 AM
I was told by a former stylist I had basically the same thing Madora said.
She also cautioned me not to "tighten" the ponytail(pull the hair to tighten the band or scrunchi) as this would cause friction and breakage over time.
I do wear low pony's from time to time-once in a while is OK.

JamieLeigh
May 13th, 2011, 08:54 AM
Agreeing with what you guys have all said. Even if you use the "ouchless" elastics that don't have the metal bar, you're still at risk of breakage. With my current lifestyle (active mom of five young kids) I consider my hair to be too long to leave loose every day without getting in my way, and I'm really only losing about 4" of that length when I wear a ponytail...and barely any at all when it's a ponytail at the nape of the neck.

Wavelin
May 13th, 2011, 09:00 AM
I'm at APL, and have my hair in ponytails way to often. But I haven't managed the braid yet, nor any good buns. In your opinion, would a plastic claw clips be better than a ponytail?

MaiCarInMtl
May 13th, 2011, 09:00 AM
Now I'm left wondering what I'm going to do when I go to the gym. I can't have anything at the back of m head because I won't be able to lie on the benches and I can't have anything piled too high up on my head because I might bump my head while getting into position for certain moves. An English braid always ends up letting my layers slips out and anything lower on the head (going down the neck) ends up squished under the olympic bar... I can't crown braid for peanuts so that's not an option for now either. ... Help!

heatherovka
May 13th, 2011, 09:09 AM
There are so many pretty buns and braids to learn, I rarely choose a ponytail, but I don't think they are that bad once in a while. I am only at BSL though, I can imagine that at longer lengths it would be less practical and more damaging. I also use the ouchless no metal elastics and I'm careful with them. I never get hair tangled in them, absolutely no ripping when taking them out. I try not to use them often, or in the same place a lot to minimize possible damage.

Firefly
May 13th, 2011, 09:16 AM
Now I'm left wondering what I'm going to do when I go to the gym. I can't have anything at the back of m head because I won't be able to lie on the benches and I can't have anything piled too high up on my head because I might bump my head while getting into position for certain moves. An English braid always ends up letting my layers slips out and anything lower on the head (going down the neck) ends up squished under the olympic bar... I can't crown braid for peanuts so that's not an option for now either. ... Help!

I don't know if this will work for you, but I do hot yoga once a week and wear my hair in a simple knot (bun) waaaay low at the base of my neck. I can still lie on my back and even do poses like shoulder stand without the bun being in the way. I've tried every other way to contain my hair while doing yoga and so far this is the only one that works.

In2wishin
May 13th, 2011, 09:23 AM
I will occasionally wear a ponytail but I don't pull the hair tight. I don't think a pony now and then will cause the breakage and shedding that wearing one daily will do, so an hour a couple of days a week while at the gym should be OK.

pepperminttea
May 13th, 2011, 09:42 AM
For me, it's the tangle factor; I might as well have worn my hair down. And with high ponytails, although there's less tangle factor, it really hurts my head. :(

terrylillyd
May 13th, 2011, 10:11 AM
I didn't even know pony's were bad? I have to wear then when I go to the gym, nothing else will keep my hair back. But once the pony is back in a scrunchi, I braid the rest of my long hair, otherwise it flips around and tangles while I run. I have never noticed any kind of breakage form this, in fact it's the opposite. If I don't put my hair in a pony/braid while I work out, I will get breakage. Maybe a french braid would be better for my hair? I just haven't mastered the french braid, I don't think mine looks good on me.

dulce
May 13th, 2011, 11:03 AM
MaiCarInMtl-I love my ficcare clip,I just twist and coil my hair[no elastics or pins needed] in a bun,or figure 8,or french twist with it.I have used that method in my group high impact gym aerobics classes where there is lots of jumps etc.It is a flat clip so is comfortable lying down after for the stretch.It holds securely for me and I've used it from shoulder length to waist length hair.

MagicAndMayhem
May 13th, 2011, 11:06 AM
I wear them a lot, but my hair always gets tangled around the hair tie.

dulce
May 13th, 2011, 11:15 AM
If you check out the ficcare thread ,some mention that there is a difference between styles of ficcare clips and makes of ficcares,maybe you could check out that thread,it's under hair toys threads not the mane forum.I do love mine!

dulce
May 13th, 2011, 11:15 AM
Some seem to be more comfortable ,such as less pulling and tangling than others.

HintOfMint
May 13th, 2011, 11:22 AM
I personally love ponytails but at certain lengths, they don't prevent tangles, and they don't keep the ends away from rubbing on backs of chairs or backpack straps.

Also, supposedly, if you wear a ponytail very often, you risk breakage along the hairs that are squeezed against the elastic the most. I don't tie my ponytails very tight and I never tighten them so I haven't faced any damage really.

racrane
May 13th, 2011, 11:43 AM
I used to wear ponytails all the time. In fact, I shudder when I had my long hair in high school because that's all I wore. I did use variations but they were all ponytails. Now, I bun my hair and when I do use ponytails, it's with scrunchies and they're very loose. But never as often as I had them. And now, when I look at old pictures, I can see the breakage. That is evidence enough for me to rarely wear them. All in moderation.

Kristamommyx3
May 13th, 2011, 12:08 PM
I don't know if this will work for you, but I do hot yoga once a week and wear my hair in a simple knot (bun) waaaay low at the base of my neck. I can still lie on my back and even do poses like shoulder stand without the bun being in the way. I've tried every other way to contain my hair while doing yoga and so far this is the only one that works.

I go to the gym several days a week, and I've found that the low bun described here works out best overall through card and weight training. Plus, it makes for lovely loose waves later on. :)

torrilin
May 13th, 2011, 12:16 PM
Now I'm left wondering what I'm going to do when I go to the gym. I can't have anything at the back of m head because I won't be able to lie on the benches and I can't have anything piled too high up on my head because I might bump my head while getting into position for certain moves. An English braid always ends up letting my layers slips out and anything lower on the head (going down the neck) ends up squished under the olympic bar... I can't crown braid for peanuts so that's not an option for now either. ... Help!

Your hair should compact down pretty well. Your texture is coarser than mine, but not *that* much coarser, so there are a lot of styles where it should appear like you have very little hair.

Stuff I'd try includes twin braids (French, Dutch, English), single French or Dutch braids (including tucked ones, so the tail doesn't hang out), French twist, figure 8/infinity bun, and knot bun. On my hair knot buns often look gigantic, but they're quite soft and squishy compared to a cinnabun. Flipped buns may also work, depending on your hair, workout routine and equipment.

Also keep in mind that as you grow, what works will change. I'm stopping for a while at my current length because I need to get myself a decent library of styles that will fit under a bike helmet... lots more confining even than what you need for the gym :D.

MaiCarInMtl
May 13th, 2011, 12:16 PM
I don't know if this will work for you, but I do hot yoga once a week and wear my hair in a simple knot (bun) waaaay low at the base of my neck. I can still lie on my back and even do poses like shoulder stand without the bun being in the way. I've tried every other way to contain my hair while doing yoga and so far this is the only one that works.
I'll give it a try next time I go. If it passes the bench press and the squat test, then I'll be happy. I worry enough about doing the moves properly, I don't want to worry about my hair getting smothered under my head or (worse) a 45+lb bar plus weights! LOL!

As for the ficcare, I might give it a try, but I don't currently own one and I have to lay off the hair-related expenses for a bit. :o

squiggyflop
May 13th, 2011, 12:28 PM
um well, i dont wear my hair in a straight up ponytail often.
but i do sometimes wear my hair in a braided ponytail.
and almost every single day i wear my hair in a beebutt bun held by an elastic. which basically means i take my hair into a ponytail and twist it into a really tight cinnabun and put an elastic over it.. the beebutt bun i do does cause some breakage, but i dont have much farther to grow so im ok with bangs that are a little shorter.. my bangs never grow as long as the rest of the hair anyway..

now if you are asking why i dont wear a straight up ponytail, well, do you have any idea how in the way nearly classic hair is when its in a ponytail? driving, walking in the wind, leaning over to do something, sitting on the couch when suddenly the dog sits on the ponytail and wont get up.. its just not practical

jojo
May 13th, 2011, 02:01 PM
For me, it's the tangle factor; I might as well have worn my hair down. And with high ponytails, although there's less tangle factor, it really hurts my head. :(

same here, my hair just gets in my face in a pony. Though I did like them up to BSL after that hair is too long to pony IMHO.

Annibelle
May 13th, 2011, 02:07 PM
Also, if you ponytail in the same general area day after day, the hair in that area will show breakage in time..

I am a living example of this! Until recently, I never understood why I had so many shorter hairs around the top of my head-- they make my flyaways look even worse! And then I realized that it's exactly where I ponytail! I never do it really hard, and it's almost always close to the nape, but apparently, years of wearing my hair that way has been damaging... I'm now bunning and braiding exclusively. I just started this, though, and it's really hard for me because I don't have a lot of hair, so I guess I can't do really cute styles... but it'll be worth it in the end!

Firefox7275
May 13th, 2011, 06:39 PM
Now I'm left wondering what I'm going to do when I go to the gym. I can't have anything at the back of m head because I won't be able to lie on the benches and I can't have anything piled too high up on my head because I might bump my head while getting into position for certain moves. An English braid always ends up letting my layers slips out and anything lower on the head (going down the neck) ends up squished under the olympic bar... I can't crown braid for peanuts so that's not an option for now either. ... Help!

A Princess Leia? Ponytails on wet hair are an easy way to wreck your hair, if you are not super careful (I wasn't :o).

Lianna
May 13th, 2011, 08:06 PM
Nothing is softer and more confortable in my hair than a pony made with a velvet scrunchie. I think they'd put stress on your hairline after a certain length (maybe APL+). If your elastic is too tight and the hair not slippery enough, they'd cause breakage when taking it out, also a lot of pressure on one point might cause it to weaken it.

It's not that all methods of ponytailing are bad, depends on a lot of factors including hair length and weight.

Jcv-Shelley
May 13th, 2011, 08:29 PM
I think ponytails aren't really all that bad as long as you don't wrestle it, use the wrong bands, or have piecey wisps hanging. Another thing is to change to position of the ponytail. I guess people around here like buns because ponytails can still get caught in things and buns ensure less tangles to some degree.

summerjade
May 13th, 2011, 08:40 PM
I don't wear ponytails because one summer I went to the pool everyday. I wore a pony tail every day for several weeks. By the middle of the summer I started noticing shorter hair in the place where my pony tail was secured. It took quite a while to grow all that back out and start over again. I learned from that experience that my hair doesn't like pony tails.