Oh nooo! Damage from buns!

[tanpopokitty]

I have been putting my hair in a bun every day and night because I thought my hair would benefit from it..However, today I noticed my hair has a TON of damage!!!! I'm freaking out! I used safe fabric hair ties and didn't tie too tightly.. What's wrong? Why did this happen? My hair is super frizzy and coarse and bent where I've been tying it.. Ughhh I am not happy about this at all. I would have been better off leaving my hair down all of the time! :( Also, what can I do to baby this hair and keep it from breaking? Should I oil it? Conditioner? Ughhh, please help me.

[SpinDance]

Some additional information would help give more targeted advice. How are you bunning your hair? What bun are you using? What sort of pillowcase do you use? What kind of 'safe fabric' hair ties are you using?

Damage can have many causes, including previous activities like blow drying, curling with heat, chemicals, etc. It isn't clear whether you have done any of these things in the past.

Frizz is not necessarily damage, and bends can be a natural side effect of wearing hair up. Please give us a little more to go on.

[Jinglelocks]

This is why I don't understand the trend of keeping long hair up daily. It can potentially (depending on how it's done) be more damaging than leaving hair loose! I am sorry to hear that this happened, I would give your hair a break from the bun style you've been using recently. Oil can't hurt, especially if your hair is frizzing out right now.

Even though the ties you've been using are gentle it might behoove you to try scrunchies in a low ponytail for a while. Maybe not the most fashion forward look but scrunchies are the gentlest way to tie back your hair and low ponytails don't pull too heavily on the roots, etc.

Good luck girl, sorry to hear about this!

[racrane]

Yeah, more info on what you've been doing, please. Frizzy hair isn't necessarily destroyed hair. But coconut oil is great to tame my frizzies so I'd recommend that.

[Slinks]

I'm sorry about your hair .. this is why I don't use ties, only stix and clasp clips - I sleep with my hair in twin braids with nothing holding them and on a satin pillow case .. I won't even use bobby pins ..

[pepperminttea]

I'd also be interested to know what ties you're using. I used to get damage from the metal-free ones; the part where they were glued together was always so rough. It might be a push at 16" length, but can you manage hair sticks yet? :)

[tanpopokitty]

I don't know what type of bun you could call it, but I've been doing mostly two types. One is where I pull my hair through as if I'm making a ponytail, but then on the last pull through I don't pull it all the way through.. I hope that made any amount of sense. The second bun I do, I put my hair in a loose ponytail and take all my hair, twist it, and then wrap it around the ponytail until it makes a bun. I then tie that down. I don't quite use a pillowcase, haha. I sleep with my head on my DBF's chest. Also, no blow drying or anything for me. I only air dry and I don't straighten or curl etc. I say damage not because of the frizz, but because the ends of my hair are extremely rough and bent at 90 degree angles!

I should probably mention that my hair is layered, so where the tie goes is where I have "ends". ( The end of one of my layers. )

Also, I use those hair ties that are black fabric and glued together at one point. I think they are called Ouchless by Goody's or something. Sorry, I hope that was helpful!

[frodolaughs]

I wear my hair up (bunned) 95% of the time because buns keep it both protected and safely out of the way--out of machinery, flames, and all sorts of other hazards. I started this grow from chin-length and am now just past classic. I've had long hair before, but this is the first time I've rigorously kept it up and it's now longer and healthier than its ever been. That said, there are a lot of bun styles which would give me awful damage if I wore them every day. I only do updos that require a hair-tie occasionally (less than once a month, I'd guess, maybe even once every 2 months). I don't use the same bun every day. I don't use the same hairtoy every day. I'm partial to ficcare clips, hair sticks and hair forks (check these to make sure they don't have rough edges which can rip and break your hair).

When I first started wearing my hair up it was just long enough for the lazy wrap bun. Although I do like the cinnabun, I prefer styles which don't require twisting. My hair is very fragile, and I find that twisting causes damage for me if I do it regularly. Have you checked out this updo page (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=11763)? I've found it quite inspirational.

I'm sorry about your damage. If you find the right updo techniques for your hair I think you'll discover that they really can protect your hair.

[Emerald88]

I find the opposite to be true for my hair. If I wore it down it would be destroyed. I have worn it up in a bun almost every single day for the last 12 years and I have not had damage. I use coconut oil on my ends nightly and also wear my hair in a braid to sleep, so my hair is almost never loose. I hope you find a solution.

[spidermom]

Wearing the same style or two day after day secured with the same type of hair tie would indeed be damaging. I think you maybe need a small trim, then change it up. Learn to use claw clips, sticks, forks, clips, pins, etc, to secure different styles.

I noticed a couple of years ago that my hair doesn't like to be twisted, so I have to limit the number of buns I can do because of that.

My hair is too hazardous to wear down very often. It wanders around and grabs things, like the crack between the light switch cover and the wall. OW! So up is best.

[pixistixx]

I get coarse frizzies if I damp bun and use an elastic or scrunchie.. it looks a lot like damage but isn't. I found the problem went away completely when using claw clips to secure the bun

[Panth]

From your description, the buns are a 'half pulled-through ponytail' (I don't think it has a proper name) and a bee-butt bun.

Personally, I don't think it's the buns that are the problem - it's the hairties. Personally, I don't like the ones which are glued together. I think they're almost as bad as the metal-containing ones for damage, plus they snap really easily. I like the ones that look like a bit of stocking.

Having said that, I don't really think hairties should be used very regularly full stop if you've got fine/delicate hair. Whether they're making a ponytail or a bun they still cause damage. Personally, I prefer buns held by forks, flexi-8s, knitting needle hair pins or spin pins.

As for updos being more damaging than loose, well, for me at least that's totally untrue. I was stalled at TB for about 5 years before I started doing updos daily. Now I've gained 10" in 12 months, am at fingertip, my hair is still growing and my ends look no worse than my hair does a foot up from there. Updos are definitely protective - if, that is, you use a protective style and hair-friendly tools, not just any old thing.

[Madora]

I have been putting my hair in a bun every day and night because I thought my hair would benefit from it..However, today I noticed my hair has a TON of damage!!!! I'm freaking out! I used safe fabric hair ties and didn't tie too tightly.. What's wrong? Why did this happen? My hair is super frizzy and coarse and bent where I've been tying it.. Ughhh I am not happy about this at all. I would have been better off leaving my hair down all of the time! :( Also, what can I do to baby this hair and keep it from breaking? Should I oil it? Conditioner? Ughhh, please help me.

Since you bun day and night, I think your follicles need a rest. Try braiding your hair loosely at night to let your scalp rest.

Also, if at all possible, get away from ponytails. If you still want to bun your hair, then try this:

detangle your hair thoroughly with a wide tooth comb
Part your hair horizontally from the top of your right ear around the back of your head to the top of the left ear.

Take all of the hair ABOVE the part, make a ponytail in your hand, then gently twist the hair down the length. Take it and coil it so that you make a bun on the back of your head, and secure it with hairpins.

Take the remainder of the hair and twist gently, then bring the coil around the bun already made, pinning as you go.

I also recommend that you learn how to lace braid (if you don't know how to already). That way, you can have an alternative style to use instead of buns every day.

Lastly, your frizzies may also be due to what type of products you're using. Maybe there's a buildup problem? It is hard to tell. Hope you find your solution soon! Good luck!

[teal]

One is where I pull my hair through as if I'm making a ponytail, but then on the last pull through I don't pull it all the way through.. I hope that made any amount of sense. The second bun I do, I put my hair in a loose ponytail and take all my hair, twist it, and then wrap it around the ponytail until it makes a bun. I then tie that down.

Hmm. I know what you're doing. That first one is a big frizz/tangle target... don't do it. (I know, I know, it's easy. Don't do it, lol!) The second one... you can do it but don't use a hairtie. Use something else like a hairstick/fork. In fact, use hairsticks instead of hairties when you can. If you're short on cash, look for kids' chopsticks or shave down some adult ones (you could even paint up some takeout ones).

Spidermom has two (so far, that I've found!) fabulous tricks. First, when you go to secure your hair with an elastic, wrap it with wet ribbon first then put the elastic on that. Works great for the end of a braid, which I'd recommend over that teardrop thing you're doing. Second, when you get a bit more length, try her bun that stays (instructions (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=123) and video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoBA2OhZrcU)). It's super quick, super easy and it really does stay rock-solid.

[jeanniet]

I agree that the likely culprit is the hair ties. I avoid styles that require hair ties as much as possible, and when I do them I only use silk scrunchies. Those glued-together ties can still cause damage. Claw clips (carefully inspected for rough areas) are better, and hair sticks are better still.

I put my hair up when I leave the house, but usually have it down at home unless I'm outside. We tend to have a lot of wind here, and my hair would be a mess if it wasn't up outside. I do like to have it down when I can to relieve stress on my scalp.

[luthein]

I'm having a similar issue with some breakage, but I know my issue...I wore some type of coiled bun nearly every day for the last 2 years and positioned the bun in the same spot. I used scrunchies and sticks, but now I'm going to try some wrap buns, braids, double buns and French twists to alleviate the problem.

I'd love to crown braid....maybe someday I can figure it out. =/

[kittensoupnrice]

I agree with all the pp's that it's the hairties more than anything that are causing the damage.

If you don't want to go the fork/flexi/stick/pin route, you could use a giant claw clip instead. A giant claw clip will hold hair up in a bun quite well until you get to the much longer lengths. I used to twist my pony up and clip it, leaving the ends to sort of poof over my head (peacock twist), and then when it got too long for that, I just folded the extra hair down and claw clipped over the whole thing.

A claw clip can be used to secure cinnamon buns, too. Twist up your cinnabun, and depending on the size, clip right over the whole bun, or from the side.

What I really like about claw clips are: they're reasonably cheap, easy to find, really easy to use, and can be used on dry and wet hair. Even though they do have springs, I've only ever caught my hair in the springy part maybe once or twice ever.

[coffinhert]

if you're using fabric ties to make a bun, you should switch to claw clips. they are less damaging to your hair. i find it easiest to use two one-inch claws, one on the left side and one on the right, to hold the bun against my head. hope that helps.

[MsBubbles]

I have found the whole Ouchless thing to be a complete lie. Those are emphatically Ouchfull, for me and my hair.

I get little to no damage holding up a bun with four or five mini claw clips (don't care if it's out of style), and in the event of needing a tie for a braid I use big, floppy ponytail holders that look like someone cut out of old sweatshirt sleeves. Someone here uses old pantyhose legs cut in rings. Great idea.

I never wear any kind of ponytail, though. I think that's your biggest problem: the ponytail not quite pulled all the way through. Time for you to learn some buns!

PS about the claw clips: They sell them now with some sort of rubber junk on the inside to help it 'stay put'. I avoid these. The rubber is unnecessary for holding up buns and will probably snag and cause damage.

[LaceyNg]

... My hair is too hazardous to wear down very often. It wanders around and grabs things, like the crack between the light switch cover and the wall. OW! So up is best.

LOL at this! i guess other ppl besides myself tend to think of our hair(s) as seperate entities :)


thanks for this post, OP! i've been having the same problem, and using the same twisted up bun with "ouchless" ties too, and i think i'm just going to have to do what ppl here ahve suggested and use other buns, and braids to sleep in.... and i think i'm going to try the pantyhose-cut-up-to-make-hairties thing too.

took me long enough, but nw i've seen the error of my ways!

[katsrevenge]

Those half pulled through ponytails kill my hair. And so does putting those no-metal ties at the end of a braid. Those things are almost as bad as metal in hair ties for buns as far as I'm concerned.

So I wrap my braid ends with a bit of silk ribbon (till I find scrunches I like) for nighttime.. or day... and use claws or sticks in my hair for buns. I even have a thread on it. It was something I never thought of. http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=78656

[Lissandria]

I would just like to say that I suffer from breakage due to "half pulled through" ponytail buns. There is some great advice on this thread! I especially like madora's suggestion of making a bun with two sections of hair coiled around each other- makes my bun a bit "more"- cinnabuns are tiny on thin, fine shoulder lengh hair hence why I dont do them!

[julliams]

One is where I pull my hair through as if I'm making a ponytail, but then on the last pull through I don't pull it all the way through..

This bun always makes my hair appear tangly and bent and all the things you are describing. Washes away, not to worry. I don't think you have damage there - just hair that's not happy about the way it's being styled. Honestly, I would just sleep with it out. Mine is just past waist and it's never been a problem.

[Safira]

I would recommend flexis and hairsticks/forks. And lazy wrap. The way you bun your hair causes damage.
You should try loose braids, they protect too.

Don´t worry, I believe your hair gets well soon.

[Sarahmoon]

Those half-pulled through ponytail style buns secured with hair ties are the worst style for my hair. Causes a lot of tangles and breakage. I think these buns can look nice but are not the best thing to wear daily and definitely not for sleeping. I'd try a different style bun secured with a clip for example, and braid your hair for the night and see how that goes.

[Carolyn]

Also, what can I do to baby this hair and keep it from breaking? Should I oil it? Conditioner?Are you saying you don't use conditioner now? If not, I think it's something you should consider. I have similar hair to yours and I can't imagine not using it.

[Niphredil]

I don't know what type of bun you could call it, but I've been doing mostly two types. One is where I pull my hair through as if I'm making a ponytail, but then on the last pull through I don't pull it all the way through.. I hope that made any amount of sense. The second bun I do, I put my hair in a loose ponytail and take all my hair, twist it, and then wrap it around the ponytail until it makes a bun. I then tie that down. I don't quite use a pillowcase, haha. I sleep with my head on my DBF's chest. Also, no blow drying or anything for me. I only air dry and I don't straighten or curl etc. I say damage not because of the frizz, but because the ends of my hair are extremely rough and bent at 90 degree angles!

I should probably mention that my hair is layered, so where the tie goes is where I have "ends". ( The end of one of my layers. )

Also, I use those hair ties that are black fabric and glued together at one point. I think they are called Ouchless by Goody's or something. Sorry, I hope that was helpful!

I think we are about the same length now. And with layers too. You are limited to the up-styles you can do and most do need extra securing besides a stick/fork/flexi/ficcare or something like that. I either need to make a ponytail (half-up or full) or add bobby pins/amish pins to secure any bun or braid style that I want to wear.

I do recommend the use of conditioner (even if only on the 'ends' ) though and at night I would either use a scrunchy type of hairtie or just leave it down. You could try a satin pillowcase or nightcap for extra protection.

HTH!

[pittsburgpam]

I too would recommend not using hair ties very much. I rarely do since I feel that it puts way too much stress on my hair to be pulling it through a hair tie, either metal-free or the cloth ones, and I don't like the stress of putting it in a ponytail before bunning it. Sometimes it's necessary like for a Rose Bun (rope braid) but that's something I might wear once every month or two.

I've wore my hair up almost all of the time for 2 years and I have to say that I don't think it would be as in good condition now if I hadn't.

Be gentle with it, use sticks and clips to hold it up.

[Niphredil]

I too would recommend not using hair ties very much. I rarely do since I feel that it puts way too much stress on my hair to be pulling it through a hair tie, either metal-free or the cloth ones, and I don't like the stress of putting it in a ponytail before bunning it. Sometimes it's necessary like for a Rose Bun (rope braid) but that's something I might wear once every month or two.

I've wore my hair up almost all of the time for 2 years and I have to say that I don't think it would be as in good condition now if I hadn't.

Be gentle with it, use sticks and clips to hold it up.
I agree, but with only 16" to start with, one just needs hairties to keep the hair up in most styles! Hairsticks only just don't work, yet.

[hototogisu]

I also have super annoying layers, and for me the best thing is a French/Dutch braid. If my hair is driving me truly crazy I do a halo Dutch braid all around my head and secure it with pins. If you want to give your hair a break, I'd keep it braided for a few days.

Hair ties are ruinous for hair if you try to bun with them. I swear by very large open French pins, the kind they sell in dance stores with a banana-shaped bend in the middle. I wear my hair loose outside and always twist it up when I go outside. I just twist my length into a rope, coil it, then 'stitch' the pin in. It takes secodns and never breaks my hair.

[ynne]

I was not aware a ponytail pulled halfway through gets such bad reputation around here! I see it everywhere so it never crossed my mind it might cause damage.
A very informative thread.

[Haven]

I see OP mentioned their ends were rough and bent - I get this sometimes and the bends aren't permanent and sometimes the roughness isn't either, it just needs a good pre-wash oiling, shampoo, and heavy conditioning :)

[AmaryllisRed]

I was not aware a ponytail pulled halfway through gets such bad reputation around here! I see it everywhere so it never crossed my mind it might cause damage.
A very informative thread.

I used to do it all the time. My hair is just too long to do it anymore.

[Dark40]

I have been putting my hair in a bun every day and night because I thought my hair would benefit from it..However, today I noticed my hair has a TON of damage!!!! I'm freaking out! I used safe fabric hair ties and didn't tie too tightly.. What's wrong? Why did this happen? My hair is super frizzy and coarse and bent where I've been tying it.. Ughhh I am not happy about this at all. I would have been better off leaving my hair down all of the time! :( Also, what can I do to baby this hair and keep it from breaking? Should I oil it? Conditioner? Ughhh, please help me.

You are better off wearing it down all of time accept for at night. I always wear mine down during the day, and I wear it up in a bun at night for sleeping. I don't benefit at all from wearing my hair in a bun all of the time!

[milosmomma]

I am guilty of wearing the half pulled through pony at shorter lengths. I dont think it damaged too bad but as soon as I could make better styles work I went with those.

[MusicalSpoons]

You are better off wearing it down all of time accept for at night. I always wear mine down during the day, and I wear it up in a bun at night for sleeping. I don't benefit at all from wearing my hair in a bun all of the time!

You may want to read the rest of the thread - it was possibly the type of buns and definitely the hairties used to secure them that caused the damage, not just from having it bunned all the time.

I never got beyond TBL using hairties, but since no longer using them (and using sticks / forks / flexis etc.) I got to knee length. I would not even have got to TBL with reasonable hair if I'd worn it down a lot!

[Nineteenbirds]

Any kind of elastic or anything made of metal (including flexis and hairpins) slices right through my hair. Not everyone has this problem, but I sure do. I only wear wood and leather hair gadgets, use a single braid held with a satin hair tie and a silk scarf at night, and bun it most days. The bun is so that I don't find long dark hairs all over the house as much as anything else.

[blvnkness]

This was an extremely helpful thread! My hair length has gotten to the point that it's just too obstructive to daily activities to wear down anymore (at least for me anyway). I've been toying with braids for nearly a year now, and have steered clear from abrasive elastic materials for at least 2 years. I hated how bent my ends had gotten and switched to softer hair ties and opted for hair claws (I think that's the term?). Though now my hair has gotten too long for single claws. I've tried dividing my hair into 2 sections and lessening the thickness on each claw that way, but I'm still on the lookout for better up-dos and trying to get the hang of sticks.

[bparnell75]

I try to avoid all types of elastics for this reason. I always get breakage when it is pulled down. Do buns with sticks and forks or only use silk scrunchies.

[Dark40]

You may want to read the rest of the thread - it was possibly the type of buns and definitely the hairties used to secure them that caused the damage, not just from having it bunned all the time.

I never got beyond TBL using hairties, but since no longer using them (and using sticks / forks / flexis etc.) I got to knee length. I would not even have got to TBL with reasonable hair if I'd worn it down a lot!

I have read the rest of the thread. Well, my hair doesn't like full-buns anymore. All I can wear is half-buns with scrunchies. Oh, I bet you never got beyond TBL using hairties too. Yes, I do like using other hairtoys like borettes, forks, and sticks. Well, I'm doing just fine wearing mine down all of the time! I've been able to get to WL+ without any issues. My hair never get caught onto or into things, and I know that WL isn't superlong but it getting pretty long. I guess you can say that I'm one of the blessed ones! I know that everybody can't wear their hair down all of the time. The majority of the times my hair is in a high ponytail or a half-bun.

[RottenMango]

Don’t make your buns too tight and change up the position every day. It’s also okay to wear your hair down sometimes. Just put extra oil on the ends to keep them from drying out and splitting.