Tying off braids/plaits - damage?

[LocustSpawning]

I've tried to do a search for this but terms like 'tying braids damage' etc are too vague.

I sleep with my hair in a braid to prevent tangles.. but I'm a bit worried about the hair tie being in the same place at the bottom of the braid every night.. surely it's damaging.

I don't know anything else I can do with my hair when I sleep.. I'm not very good with buns and I can't wear hair sticks to bed (obviously :p), so braids are the obvious option. Hmm.

[jojo]

I would imagine tying the braid in the same place would cause damage overtime, outchless bobbles will help with this but only a little. I would think regardless of the type of bobble used, it will cause damage overtime.

Id suggest dropping spidermom a line, she does a wrapping method to her braids which she does (i think) to prevent damage.

[Sundial]

Like what jojo said, spidermom ties off her braids using a gentler method. She wraps a damp piece of ribbon on the tassel before she ties it off so that the cloth acts as a buffer.

For my sleep braids, I just use large silk scrunchies and vary my tassel length each time so that the scrunchie sits at different height each time. I also vary it with buns. I only use spidermom's method when I'm going out with a braid but that rarely happen because I prefer regular buns.

[CurlyMopTop]

I don't tie off my braids at all when I where sleep braids. I just twirl the tassel around with my finger a couple of times and call it good. You would think that they would unravel in my sleep, but they don't. Sometimes the bottom plait or two might come undone, but for the most part it stays put. It might work different for a straightie though, but it's worth a shot! :D

[Zesty]

I second the large scrunchie suggestion. Those worked pretty well for me.

[Snippety]

I tie my braid off in the same place morning, noon and night and have never noticed any damage. I use Tenderhead ties with no metal and not that tightly.

[Chetanlaiho]

I leave it untied as well, it does come undone some times if I move a lot but it's easily rebraided and usually stays in quite well :)

[RitaPG]

Most of the time I use those tiny clear elastics, regular hair ties laugh and fall out of my tasel. I've used scrunchies before but since the condition of my hair has improved, those fall off sometimes too.
I've tried Spidermom's method of wrapping a silk piece before tying off the elastic, but that slipped right out too :p

I still think the satin/silk scrunchies are the best option, though. See how it works for you :)

[Lightningfury]

I had never thought about that causing damage. Hmm something to experiment with now.

[EricaLee83]

I've had great success with the mini/extra small flexi-8 clips for my braid(s). That may be an option for you.

[spidermom]

I've got a bag of those little colorful circles that they sell for children. I can't think of what they're called but they start out really small, they're soft, and when you use them they stretch out. I've been using those lately, and I don't see any damage from them. Sometimes they slide off at night because I'm a champion tosser/turner, but most of the time they stay on. They don't even cause a crease at the end of my hair.

[Seeshami]

Switch your braid luv and then you won't have the tie in the same place. I change my braids every day. I start with straight down the back regular boring braid, the next one I pull to the right so it stays over my shoulder, then to the left, then I split it in half and do two on each side. After that I change the braid, next I do a rope or fish tail and just keep repeating.


I have layers in the naughty mess and that's how I know this method of insanity changes where the tie is. When it's one regular braid I have to leave at least 3 inches of tail or things just fall out. When it is two I can go to an inch and a half of tail because it's tight enough to contain the layers. When it is a rope braid I have to give myself an extra half inch of tail and when it is fish tail I can take away a half inch.

[PrairieRose]

I've got a bag of those little colorful circles that they sell for children. I can't think of what they're called but they start out really small, they're soft, and when you use them they stretch out. I've been using those lately, and I don't see any damage from them. Sometimes they slide off at night because I'm a champion tosser/turner, but most of the time they stay on. They don't even cause a crease at the end of my hair.
I completely forgot about those circle things. I think they would work well in my hair. I gonna pick some up:) Great idea Spidermom!

[JDzWife]

I use those colored circle things as well and love them. I usually wrap it around just a couple times, not too tightly. I also found sleeping in a bonnet helps too. I use silk scrunches during the day, but love those circles for sleeping in braids.

[longhairedleah]

I sometimes sleep with a fishtail braid, if I make it tight enough (taking smaller portions from each side) it doesn't really unravel when I sleep. No tying required at all!

[krissykins]

I use hair ties made from old pantyhose. :p

[PianoPlaye]

I braid almost to the tips & don't tie it at all. Even thin straight hair, it stays plaited. OK the end kinks loosen, but not to the point of becoming an unravelling mess. Braiding to the ends may be worse than tying off - what do you think?

[Delila]

I've quit tying off my braids at night. I've got a lot of taper, so tying off the itty bitty end of my braid was/is something of a job.

Honestly, I don't find it any more difficult to cope with. Overnight, sure, the braid comes a bit loose, but it's never come all the way out.

[moxamoll]

I've got a bag of those little colorful circles that they sell for children. I can't think of what they're called but they start out really small, they're soft, and when you use them they stretch out. I've been using those lately, and I don't see any damage from them. Sometimes they slide off at night because I'm a champion tosser/turner, but most of the time they stay on. They don't even cause a crease at the end of my hair.


I completely forgot about those circle things. I think they would work well in my hair. I gonna pick some up:) Great idea Spidermom!


I use those colored circle things as well and love them. I usually wrap it around just a couple times, not too tightly. I also found sleeping in a bonnet helps too. I use silk scrunches during the day, but love those circles for sleeping in braids.
I have NO IDEA what these "circle things" are!! Hmm... oh wait, are you all talking about the kinda crocheted looking hair ties? If not, how about a link or a name or something? Please??? :pray:

Ooo... or I just discovered these Emi Jay things - is that what you mean?

The only thing I envy about fairy tale ends is the ability to have a braid stay put without tying if off somehow! I could only do that in my last long hair incarnation, when I didn't trim at all for years and the ends were velcro. These days, without a tie, I just turn my head and *poof* the braid is gone.

[LocustSpawning]

Wow thanks for all the suggestions everyone. I have a feeling scrunchies would just slip off too, my hair is straight and silky.

I also have no idea what the 'circle things' are either! Please tell us more :p

[RitaPG]

I've been using small, clear elastics, I think they're called gliders or sliders, depending on the brand. I found mine at Claire's. They scared me at first because they look like rubber bands, but these don't pull or tangle my hair at all. They hold really well and when I want them out, I just pull them off and they slide real smoothly. They kinda look like these http://edance.com.au/zencart/images/large/MyAccessory_NonstickHairElastics_Clear_01_LRG.jpg
The only bad thing is that they can only be used once or twice and then they just snap out :p but a little bag contains about 200 of them and it's super cheap :)

[ashleyrox]

I think I know what they are talking about and I found images of them by searching terry ponytail holders, I also found them for sale one Sally's website.

[seaj]

Something that I've been experimenting with is braiding strips of fabric into my hair. Before bed, I enjoy brushing my hair out at, then braiding it before sleeping. I like to do two Dutch braids to keep all my baby hairs out of my face. They work much better than English braids, but they do result in more braid taper. I already have layers, so the extra taper puts extra stress on my braid ends when I tie them off.

To fill out the braids more, I cut a rib knit tank top along the grain of the fabric into 1 inch wide strips that are at least 10 inches long. Once my braid starts to taper, usually around collar bone length, I start adding in the strips. It’s hard to explain in words, but the strips of fabric allow me to braid past the actual length of my hair so that when I tie off the end of the braid, the hair band only touches the fabric and not my hair. The braid tassel only consists of fabric.

The fabric does add extra weight though, and it would probably be best to use some kind of satin or silk fabric instead. The extra weight isn’t an issue though since I only do this when I sleep. When I do wear the braids while I’m awake, I just wrap the braids around my head then tie the ends together at the top of my forehead using the fabric tassel at the ends of the braids. I just like this method because it gives me more consistent braid waves that go all the way to the ends. No more frizzy/straight ends for me!

[honeyblonde]

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=9238&pictureid=120470

I think this is what everyone is talking about. They work great! Sorry it's huge.

[piffyanne]

To fill out the braids more, I cut a rib knit tank top along the grain of the fabric into 1 inch wide strips that are at least 10 inches long. Once my braid starts to taper, usually around collar bone length, I start adding in the strips. It’s hard to explain in words, but the strips of fabric allow me to braid past the actual length of my hair so that when I tie off the end of the braid, the hair band only touches the fabric and not my hair. The braid tassel only consists of fabric.

The fabric does add extra weight though, and it would probably be best to use some kind of satin or silk fabric instead. The extra weight isn’t an issue though since I only do this when I sleep. When I do wear the braids while I’m awake, I just wrap the braids around my head then tie the ends together at the top of my forehead using the fabric tassel at the ends of the braids. I just like this method because it gives me more consistent braid waves that go all the way to the ends. No more frizzy/straight ends for me!
This is a marvelous idea! >Dashes off to buy strips of silk cloth< It's even somewhat close to Elizabethan hair taping (Torrinpaige does a youtube tutorial)--I wonder how my hair would react? Hmmmmmm.

[Jesabel]

I usually braid and wrap it into a bun and tie it with a large soft scrunchie (usually silky) or do a french/dutch braid, flip it and clip it up. Actually pretty comfy and stays all night :)
(neither of which am I securing the ends of the braid with an elastic)