Literally UNABLE to wear my hair up 24/7?

[sun-kissed]

Before I joined LHC I only wore my hair down with the rare exception of a special occasion where I might do a loose side braid. Other than that, never. You can see the wonderful result of this in my album.

After joining last year I started the "wear your hair up" challenge, but didn't meet my goal because I experienced horrible headaches after some time, which resulting in my needing to take medication to dull them.

After that experience I automatically wear my hair up, it comes naturally to me. But I still have the headache problem! I've tried looser buns, crown braids, regular braids, french/dutch braids, and everything else I can think of, but I still have weeks where I have to wear my hair down from pain. This causes problems for me because I also wear my hair in a braid above my head at night. In the past the side that I sleep on has been several inches shorter and damaged from the friction (I slept with it above my head on the pillow, but it was damaged from tip to scalp.) So wearing it up at night is a must.. that way any breakage I do get is on the underside, instead of sticking out every-which-way on the surface.

Does anyone else have this problem with keeping their hair up, or know how to deal with it?

[Madora]

Have you tried this one?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPHEzUr5bWQ

Are you braiding too snugly?

If you're having pain, is it because your hair isn't used to being drawn in a different direction? If you've been used to wearing your hair down for a long time, beginning to put it up will cause your follicles to hurt badly because they are being directed in a different direction.

I found that the key to overcoming the pain was to wear the updo a little each day..and increase the time you wear it up day by day..until you can wear it comfortably for at least 8 hours.

Sectioning your hair when you do buns/braids will also help distribute your hair more comfortably. I hope you find a solution to your problem.

ps. You might also want to look into wearing a snood at night to help contain your hair so that it is less tangled in the morning.

[Anje]

I'd suggest that you try a sleep bonnet or a silk pillowcase instead of braiding it at night. Give your follicles more of a break. I prefer to let my hair down at night, though I contain it during the day.

On headachy, follicles-won't-cooperate days, the only thing that works for me is a low braid at the nape of my neck. You've probably tried that, but if you haven't, give it at shot.

[spidermom]

Some days I do and re-do my hair all day long. As soon as I feel pain, down it comes. Every once in awhile, I somehow manage to get the tension and the placement just right so that I put my hair up and it stays comfortable all day long. The next day I can try to do the exact same thing I did the day before, and it won't work for me.

Anyway, the only thing I can advise you is to let it down when you feel pain, then put it back up when the pain subsides.

I've noticed that the only way I can get my sleep braid comfortable is if I lay across the bed on my back with my hair falling over the edge of the bed. Then I reach up and braid as far as I can in that position, then sit up and finish braiding in front of my face. Then I can direct the braid over the top of my pillow, and it stays comfortable. Oh - and I wedge a second pillow between the frame of the bed and the mattress so that my braid can't slip over the edge, hang, and pull.

[akilina]

I HATE wearing my hair up but sometimes I just do it even though I can not stand it what so ever. I try to do it just to keep my hair healthy. Sometimes I oil it when its up so I feel like it is for a purpose

[Kaelee]

I just wear my hair in a ponytail to sleep (it's not long enough to braid.)

I wonder if the headaches are in any way related to having your hair up? It seems unusual that you would be in that much pain from wearing your hair up. I know it can worsen headaches or cause occasional headaches, but I think something else is going on here and you should probably see a doc. :flower:

[Amber_Maiden]

I let my hair down and loose when that happens to me. Sometimes your scalp needs a break.

[MsBubbles]

If you wore a bun that gave you a headache, where on your head did you wear it, and how did you anchor it?

[moxamoll]

I'm with Spidermom, if I get everything right, I can wear it up all day. Otherwise, it comes down for a break and then gets re-do at least 2-3 times a day. Good luck!

[Resham Carden]

I also have a lot of pain when wearing my hair above ear level. I've always thought it was because my hair was too heavy to pile up top. I know I should wear my hair up more often, but I just don't like a massive amount of hair sticking out from the back/side of my head, I hate showing my ears, and whenever I do put my hair up it moves downward because of the thickness. When I do secure it so it won't move, my scalp is killing me. I end up doing low styles such as a side braid (fishtail, rope, etc.), a low bun, half up style and braid the bottom half or a variation of that. And that's pretty much it. I am looking for new styles to comfortably wear up, so I will keep an eye on this thread to see if there are anymore additional suggestions. I like what I have read so far. Hope you find some solutions!

[alyanna]

I can relate! And my hair isn't even quite APL yet.

Like Anje, I do like loose english braids. Or I'll just take it out and wear it down for a while if I'm sitting at my desk for example (like now). I know it's not rubbing against the chair and there's no wind to tangle it.

Scalp massages really help a lot. I think they are essential for those who wear hair up all the time.

I kind of believe you shouldn't stifle your hair and head so much... It just feels unhealthy to my scalp and follicles if that makes any sense.

[rock007junkie]

I had the same problem as you. I wore my hair down all the time....even when I went to bed. After I started using hairsticks to do my buns I saw that I didn't get the horrible headaches anymore. I discovered that I cannot use scrunchies or anything like that.

[Deborah]

I have a couple of ideas.

1. Don't wear it up to bed. Sleep on a silk pillowcase instead. Your scalp needs time to breathe and your hair follicles need a rest too.

2. Wear it up during the day, but work on getting the bun secure and in balance. If my bun is too low, it will pull. Same if it is overly high. I find a flip bun especially comfortable and pretty. It also spreads the bun out further vertically, adding better balance, achieving better comfort.

Good luck!

[HairFaerie]

I can't wear my hair up at all!

When my hair was BSL+, I would try nice updos and within an hour....HEADACHE! I could wear it in a loose ponytail or braid to bed at night but that's about it. Nothing that was up over my ears. Sometime I would try a half updo with a nice clip or something at that would still give me headaches.

Right now my hair is only at shoulder length, but as it gets longer....I will be wearing it down all of the time. I have come to terms with the fact that updos just aren't for me.

[Woods Nymph]

I've been trying to wear my hair up as much as possible lately--it's winter here in New England so the time to protect hair is among us! I do, however, have the same problem: I get headaches after about 3-4 hours. First thought it was hair elastics with which I pulled my ponytail too tight. That was probably part of the issue, but I've since switched to using hairsticks exclusively & I still get the bloody headaches! I will say, though, that my headaches aren't as bad with the hairsticks. Mayhap I'll try the training method.

[Anje]

For what it's worth, I find buns below ear-level, held with horizontal hairsticks generally are the least likely to hurt for me. Your experience may be different, of course, but for me the greater the angle between the stick and the ground, the more likely something's going to start pulling.

[Kelikea]

I used to get headaches when my hair was all-one-length at hip. I would try to wear a braided pony tail during the day, but after a while, even down, I would want to take my hair off--like a wig. I finally chopped it. Now that I'm growing it out again and taking care of it better, I'm learning new updo's that don't pull and my hair hardly ever hurts or feels heavy anymore. Here are some of my favorites:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?pictureid=121631&albumid=8987&dl=1324433061&thumb=1Amish woven braids
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?pictureid=120532&albumid=8987&dl=1323140198&thumb=1Double Dutch braids(much better than one!)
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?pictureid=117348&albumid=8987&dl=1319762290&thumb=1The parting of the fringe separately from the bulk of the hair is the trick to almost any ponytail or bun for me. It keeps from pulling all the hair in one place, which results in a headache.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?pictureid=117334&albumid=8987&dl=1319761518&thumb=1http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?pictureid=117335&albumid=8987&dl=1319761706&thumb=12 examples of sectioning to lessen the pull.

Hope you can use some of those and you don't get headaches! I also think a sleep cap or bonnet at night or a satin/silk pillow case is a good idea to give your head a break. Good luck:)

[the.fee.fairy]

I love those Amish woven braids - do you have any links (not youtube - it's blocked in China :() that show how to do it?

For the OP: Try different securing methods and different tensions. A tight braid or a tight bun is pulling your hair. Try a very loose braid with a light band halfway down (so a half braid/half ponytail thing), start it very low on your head so that the pulling's at a minimum.

Also - try some neck strengthening exercises. You'd be surprised at how heavy your hair actually is, especially when wet (i always wash my hair before getting weighed...that way i have something other than my chubbiness to blame!). So strengthening your neck could help to alleviate headaches.

When you feel a headache coming on, take your hair down and do some neck exercises. The headaches might not be from your head itself, but from the nerves in your neck signalling pain.

Also, try different pillows and sleeping positions that support your neck better.

I get really bad headaches if the pillow is not pressed into my shoulder so that my neck is supported while i sleep.