Has wearing your hair up improved your hair's health?

[misspixie]

Hey, I am quite new to this forum and one of the common things I have seen is people talking about wearing their hair up.

Do you guys wear your hair up to solely keep it out of the way or does wearing it up help prevent damage?

I haven't publicly worn my hair up in about 10 years and whenever I wear it up for more than an hour around my house or whatever, my scalp hurts so bad.:(

[Moonlake]

**********

[Madora]

I've always worn my hair up, both to protect delicate ends and to avoid tangling.

Wearing your hair up and protecting those ends will definitely help you in your journey to attain healthy, long, beautiful hair.

[Kome]

It definately helps, as has not washing my hair every day. I've been super lazy about it though and you can tell the difference. It thins out a lot, but it's such a PAIN. My biggest problem is when I sleep... it's so much more comfortable to wear it down, but then it tangles like a mad women. *sigh*

[blondie9912]

It has definitely helped. A little bit of coconut oil on the length and a nice, gentle updo is great for my hair. Also, gentle combing is a lifesaver. Or a hairsaver :p

[Achtland]

Personally I actually never wear my hair up! At least by my own standards on what "up" means to me. I will wear it in a low braid or in a loose big hair clip. Wearing my hair up in any kind of pony gives me serious head pains :( But I agree, wearing your hair up in a comfortable style for you is excellent for preserving it's integrity!

[Kristin]

Yes. Wearing it up means that there will be fewer tangles and less chance of getting stuck to things or pulled by rude people. My hair always feels better after just a few days of wearing it up. I try to keep it up at least 4-5 days per week.

[sfgirl]

I'm getting back into the habit of wearing my hair up, but when I was younger I used to every day, all day, and my hair grew like a weed. :)

[Freckled.Thing]

Wearing my hair up has definitely been the biggest contributor to the improving state of my hair. It suffers much less breakage and damage and I don't have to trim as much or as often as I used to now that I wear it up on a regular basis.

[Dragon Faery]

I'm not sure yet, since I'm just starting to wear it up consistently, but I'm hoping it will!

[inkd]

Absolutely. Less breakage means less trims, and in the long run, a thicker hemline. You wont see it for a while but it makes a huge difference in the long run.

[B-L]

It can be both ways!
I always had my hair set up in a tight ponytail, all day every day (this was before the LHC:)) and that resulted in broken hair, and really damaged hair of my head back. Now, I always have hair in a low braid (also trying to teach me to do buns ..). So having hair set up all the time in the same way can damage your hair .. but to let it hang freely all the time and rub against the back of the couch or the chair can damage the ends also .. for example.

But I do let my hair down during the day too, what's the point of having long, beutiful hair if it's always in a bun? :)

[pepperminttea]

It keeps my hair from getting caught on things (seatbelts, doors, gas stoves...), it's out of my face so I don't obsess about it as much, it keeps the tangles at bay (and less tangles = less detangling = less damage = fewer trims needed), and my hair feels less dry when it's been worn up compared to down.

I'd really recommend wearing it up more if you are going for "unusually long" lengths. There was a bit of a transition period for me, I felt less confident with my hair up initially, whereas now I feel more confident with it up because I'm not constantly thinking about it. :p And updos can be just as gorgeous as loose hair, if not more so. :)

[kidari]

Updos for me are a quick, easy, and effective way of styling your hair that lasts. In the morning I can just spray some leave-in conditioner or lightly oil the ends of my hair and put it up and not have to think about it or play with it the rest of the day. I've found that if I were to wear my hair down I usually resort to more damaging methods to style my hair- using irons or blow dryers to make a few areas smooth out or flip or curl or add volume to the roots and using some sort of hairspray or other product to "hold" what I styled it into in vain. Curling my hair with huge hot rollers for example means that it will inevitably fall flat by the middle of the day but if I put it in a french twist it will stay like that until I take it down. For the sake of keeping the hair healthy and avoiding damage it's best to learn updos that don't involve damaging styling methods, damaging tools or accessories, etc. It's also best to vary the positions of the buns, etc. as well as change the styles often and avoid styles that involve using too many elastics or bobby pins or any strong twisting of the hair.

[einna]

It keeps my hair from getting caught on things (seatbelts, doors, gas stoves...), it's out of my face so I don't obsess about it as much, it keeps the tangles at bay (and less tangles = less detangling = less damage = fewer trims needed), and my hair feels less dry when it's been worn up compared to down.
:)

What pepperminttea said! Also I play with it less. I have noticed my ends not getting so worn or dry when I am good at keeping it up. I can also stretch washes and leave in more oil in my lenght this way.
And when I do let it down it feels a little more special ;).

[Toiréasa]

I wear my hair up all the time have for many years the only time its down for the most part is in the evening when I'm sitting at my computer,I think it definitely has helped my hair to grow long by protecting my end.
If your head is hurting perhaps you are pulling it to tight try to make a looser style,I had headaches alot till I started using forks and sticks to make my buns.
This:

And when I do let it down it feels a little more special ;).

[Renate]

I don't like wearing my hair up, but since I decided I'm growing it out long, I had to make a decision. So, I decided that whenever I'm outside, and if it's raining or windy, I wear it up.

I haven't seen yet much improvement, but it does prevent damage because of less tangles. That is true.

[Kelikea]

I wear my hair up or "contained" because it is necessary at work. It can get in the way or pulled. If I had a different job, like in an office or something less physical, I would wear it down more. Wearing it up can do its own damage, if done incorrectly or too often in the same position--think ponytail in the same spot everyday. So, I try to do it differently so as not to pull in the same spot all the time. I have many updo pictures in my album. My newest is a single low rope braid coiled into a bun at the nape--no pic yet of that one, but it is comfortable to sleep in as well. wearing hair up also keeps hair from tangling. If I wore my hair down all day and didn't detangle every couple of hours, I would have a massive matted hair ball underneath near my upper shoulder blades. My hair grows slowly no matter if it is up or down, but up may prevent more breakage. Sectioning your hair helps it not hurt and wearing a low bun or braid also helps.

[jacqueline101]

It seems to help the ends of my hair. I have noticed my hair has grown out a lot since I've changed my hair care routine.

[WaitingSoLong]

I wear my hair up because it gets in the way if I don't. YES, it definitly improves health and the longer it gets the more I find it necessary to be able to maintain this length and potentially grow longer.

But I don't wear my hair up FOR health, I wear it up out of necessity.

Before TLHC, I kept my hair shorter because I couldn't wear my hair ALL up (like, no braid or anything that could dangle and get in the way of machinery or ovens, etc.) because of head pain. Hair sticks are the ONLY reason I have grown past waist length. Most stick buns are painless. And I still can't wear pony tails unless they are at my nape. I have since discovered spin pins (not as painless as sticks but WAY better than bobby pins) and Ficcares, which hold better than sticks for me but have the same pain level as spin pins. Sticks are still the best as far as up-do pain goes.

[lapushka]

I've started wearing it up since I hit APL, or just about. I grew to hip, had major (perm) damage cut off and was back at BSL. Now I'm a little past that marker. It's mostly up in a simple double folded peacock twist with a cheap claw clip. Sometimes I wear a flexi8 or a Ficcare or sticks / forks and have it in a bun, sometimes a side braid. Anyway, the claw clip that's mostly in there doesn't seem to do any damage, and I've worn my hair in the same spot like forever it seems.

[gthlvrmx]

Completely, not a single split in the last 5 months.

[mzBANGBANG]

I was always a firm believer that wearing my hair up would cause more breakage... well, I was totally wrong.

I don't typically wear my hair up during the day, but I started braiding it and wrapping my head in a satin scarf every night. In two weeks, there was a noticeable difference. I started out after a complete S&D of my hair getting rid of most of the split ends. What I noticed the next day was that they had all returned! Really frustrated I realized I had to add more to my routine and that's wear the braids and satin scarf came into play. I've been doing this for 2 weeks and I went from about 50% split ends to about 20% split ends. Now, I really have to search to find them. Not to mention, my hair stays cleaner longer.

I imagine if I start wearing my hair up throughout the day I will see an even greater reduction in split ends, but that's pretty much what I have noticed in a short amount of time. Hope this helps!


P.S. -- I did start oiling my ends once a week and switched up my washing routine a bit, too, but I would definitely attribute the reduction of split ends to the scarf and braids at night.

[Shahada]

I wear my hair in a bun or in claw clips 90% of the time. Also I wear a surgical bonnet at work so my hair is always protected. I wear it up chiefly to keep the ends from rubbing on my clothes and causing damage. I found that when I was growing from shoulder to apl the ends were always splitting from rubbing on my shoulders. Also my hair does get on my face so that's another reason I keep it up

[Woods Nymph]

I've recently begun wearing my hair up with sticks nearly all the time, partially because it's winter here & I want to protect it; & partially because it just plain gets in the way! I have noticed that I'm able to stretch washes an extra day, though (my hair is quite oily), & I only have to detangle about once a day, which is great.
I am anxious to find out if my ends become happier.

[Amber_Maiden]

I wear it up to keep it out of the way- there's a lot of it. I find my hair is about equally damaged from wearing it up as it is down.

[cheetahfast]

I think it has, on the rare days that I wear it down my hair seems to get caught under purse straps. I even try to make sure I move it out of the way.

Before I started wearing it up my hair was very damaged and I had just cut it all off.
My hair now feels so much better, but I think it's only partly from wearing it up.

[spidermom]

I wear my hair up most of the time because otherwise it gets in my way, gets caught on the hinges of my eye-glasses and other places, plus tangles like crazy - especially at the nape of neck. I am sure a side effect of wearing it up is that my hair is not as subject to damage.

[Beckstar]

I wear my hair up most of the time because my hair tends to get caught on everything. I also shed a lot and my hair ends up everywhere....in food, in books, in other people's stuff...

[dwell_in_safety]

I've been wearing my hair up for about six weeks, and there has been a definite difference in the quality of the last inch or so of my hair (I did a quarterly trim of about an inch at the beginning of this month). I do still have breakage, but that is from being somewhat impatient with detangling two nights in a row. :o My hair really doesn't tangle anymore, either.

[WaitingSoLong]

Wearing hair up decreases how often you need to detangle and I would say that detangling is my most damaging process. Especially at the nape, like Spidermom said.

And yes, the shedding issue is big for me. I am very...anal...about hairs being on stuff. I never detangle/brush/comb anywhere but my bathroom and I have a trashcan JUST for hair. If I find a loose hair on my shirt, I wad it up and take it to a trashcan. keeping the hair contained in a braid or bun eliminates "walking shed' issues.

[white.chocolate]

Yes, definitely! I used to go around with my hair down all the time. The mechanical damage done was incredible. I also used to lose a few (several?) strands of hair everyday because they were caught in some objects around me and then pulled off. Of course, we can't all have zero damage even if our hair is up, but updos still minimize the damage.

[uptosomeone]

YES, has if ever! My hair started looking healthier just a few weeks after wearing it up, and now the only place I truly get damage is the front where it's not contained. I'm not perfect at wearing it up all the time...some days I take it out just to feel it on my shoulders and never put it back up until bedtime. Still, the amount of time that I do wear it up has greatly decreased the amount of damage I have.

[LittleOrca]

....My biggest problem is when I sleep... it's so much more comfortable to wear it down, but then it tangles like a mad women. *sigh*

Satin sleep cap helped me and Mr. Orca with that problem.

[Mommyof4]

For me, when I wear my SHL hair up, I feel it causes friction in place that I don't need it... When my hair is longer, and I can braid it before I put it up, or use hairsticks, I think I'll benefit more from wearing it up..

[beachgirlla]

What the point of trying to make your hair long when you will wear it up all the time?

[uptosomeone]

What the point of trying to make your hair long when you will wear it up all the time?

I would guess, for the people that choose to wear their hair up "all of the time", it's because they enjoy it up and like reaping the benefits of having minimal damage to their lengths so their hair looks its best when they choose to wear it down. :)

ETA: I just stumbled upon a post by BlueMuse that you might find interesting, given your question:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=1957772&postcount=102

[KN2384]

It's too soon to tell for me, although I have been wearing it up more lately so it's not everywhere.

[Madora]

What the point of trying to make your hair long when you will wear it up all the time?

Many members wear their hair up to protect it from damage, which comes from many sources (fabrics, catching in drawers, car seats, hinges on glasses, to say nothing of keeping it from catching on fire in the kitchen.

Also, hair worn down is subject to tangling, and needs to be detangled regularly. Detangling can lead to more damage, if not done gently.

The longer your strands, the more delicate the ends become. Hence, if you're aiming for long, healthy hair, it is more advantageous to your hair health to wear it up and protect those ends.

[Theobroma]

I've worn my hair up every day for going on two years now and I haven't needed to trim once during that time. My ends are no thinner and in no worse condition now than they were two years ago. I think that says it all!

[bunzfan]

It has helped so much so that in the last 6 months my hair thickness has almost doubled.

[beachgirlla]

I would guess, for the people that choose to wear their hair up "all of the time", it's because they enjoy it up and like reaping the benefits of having minimal damage to their lengths so their hair looks its best when they choose to wear it down. :)

ETA: I just stumbled upon a post by BlueMuse that you might find interesting, given your question:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=1957772&postcount=102

Thanks, I do understand why people want long hair and wear it up, but quietly understand wearing it up "all the time", I do understand the benefits of protecting the hair from various environmental elements by wearing it up of even cover it with a hat, scarf and so on, but if I would ever (praying for this :D) have a beautiful healthy long hair like so many of the ladies here, I would want to keep it down and touch it all the time, LOL, that's how I feel.

[beachgirlla]

It has helped so much so that in the last 6 months my hair thickness has almost doubled.

hmmm, wow, does this mean that wearing your hair down may affect the thickness due to the heaviness of the hair, shedding? or what?

[bunzfan]

hmmm, wow, does this mean that wearing your hair down may affect the thickness due to the heaviness of the hair, shedding? or what?

I think my hair health has helped an awful lot because before i came here i used to straighten my hair 3 times a week and i stopped all that a year ago but, i stopped co washing to which used to make me shed more than my usual amount which was quite a lot .

[Long_hair_bear]

I just started putting mine up a week ago, so I couldn't say. I've noticed it's easier to put up when it's dirty. I like wearing my hair down a lot better, but I'm trying to keep it up for its health sake.

[Madora]

hmmm, wow, does this mean that wearing your hair down may affect the thickness due to the heaviness of the hair, shedding? or what?

Bunzfan is right..wearing your hair up can increase the thickness..in time.

That is because you're protecting the ends wearing it up and that helps the smaller, more fragile hairs to grow longer because they are not being subjected to outside forces (especially tangling). With time, those short hairs become longer, joining with the other longer hairs to give you thicker hair. That is why it is important to protect your hair as much as you can. I don't say you have to wear your hair up every day...but just be aware that if you want long hair, plenty of TLC is required..both in the way you wear it, plus how you care for it.

[Mory]

I normally keep my hair up out of habit now from work and school. I went to culinary school so having hair down, even in a braid is a big nono. Other than that, keeping it in a low bun tends to keep my APL hair tangle free. My hair tangles up so bad if I just leave it down. Ugh.

[Pinkster8]

I've been wearing mine up for about a week and haven't really noticed much difference. Too soon to tell I suppose. However, I think wearing it up helps because then I'm not constantly playing with it, and I don't have to detangle it as often.

[irishlady]

No difference for me at all. But there's no way I'm wearing my hair loose in my job *shudders* so it stays up.

[prettykitty]

I'm not sure if wearing my hair up most of the time has made it healthier....but it sure saves me a lot of time dealing with tanglies.

[UP Lisa]

Interesting. I usually get my sticks styles too tight. Or else too loose, and they fall out.
:eek:


I wear my hair up because it gets in the way if I don't. YES, it definitly improves health and the longer it gets the more I find it necessary to be able to maintain this length and potentially grow longer.

But I don't wear my hair up FOR health, I wear it up out of necessity.

Before TLHC, I kept my hair shorter because I couldn't wear my hair ALL up (like, no braid or anything that could dangle and get in the way of machinery or ovens, etc.) because of head pain. Hair sticks are the ONLY reason I have grown past waist length. Most stick buns are painless. And I still can't wear pony tails unless they are at my nape. I have since discovered spin pins (not as painless as sticks but WAY better than bobby pins) and Ficcares, which hold better than sticks for me but have the same pain level as spin pins. Sticks are still the best as far as up-do pain goes.

[UP Lisa]

If I didn't wear my hair up, I wouldn't have much of it left. My hair tangles so badly when I have it down, that I end up cutting out knots. Also, it gets in the way.

[TropicalBreeze]

What about wearing it up at night while sleeping? Does that help also? Or should one wear there hair down when sleeping?

[jlo8937]

I have always wondered the same thing. What are the best styles to prevent damage? What up dos are the best for preventing damage?

[Nera]

It depends on your hair type. My hair tangles a lot, and it usually tangles more when I wear it up. This might sound strange, but it's really true.

[ladylovecraft]

I don't do it 100% of the time as some members here do. Only at work and for sleeping, but it's definitely made a huge difference, especially as it gets longer. When it was in the apl/early bsl range it didn't matter much, but now that I'm nearing waist it really seems to make a difference.

After a few months of wearing it up pretty consistently, it's got this awesome shine to it that it hasn't had in years.

[ladylovecraft]

What about wearing it up at night while sleeping? Does that help also? Or should one wear there hair down when sleeping?

I would never wear my hair loose when sleeping, it's probably the worst thing for my hair ever. I wear it braided with a silk scrunchie, or in a bun on the top of my head (sometimes a sockbun for curls).

[angelshair]

My hair has finally started "growing" again after starting to wear it up. I never thought i could get past APL. :D But I think that's in addition to protecting it during the day, it's also in part because wearing it up all the time allows me to brush my hair only for special occasions, and brushing means a lot of breakage in my hair. I wear it up pretty much from the moment i get out of the shower until I get back in, which means no chance to tangle. :)

[UP Lisa]

My hair manages to tangle even though I always have it up or braided.:confused:


quote=angelshair;1966895]My hair has finally started "growing" again after starting to wear it up. I never thought i could get past APL. :D But I think that's in addition to protecting it during the day, it's also in part because wearing it up all the time allows me to brush my hair only for special occasions, and brushing means a lot of breakage in my hair. I wear it up pretty much from the moment i get out of the shower until I get back in, which means no chance to tangle. :)[/quote]

[Vallena]

If I leave my hair down, I tend to fidget with it constantly. I also get it caught in things a lot more, since I can be absent minded about it. Although when I was younger, I used to leave it down when it was wet in the morning, and go outside with it that way in the winter. My hair would freeze and snap off, because it would get caught in my jacket/backpack. :headache: Oh, the things I have done.

[adiapalic]

I wear my hair up to keep it out of the way. This might be for general purposes or going out and getting some shopping done, cooking, or while I do physical work outside for my horticulture labs.

It keeps it from getting in the way of my arms and hands and prevents it from getting tangled up.

It allows me to wash it less because the length stays cleaner in an updo. I can also put off my wash day a day or two longer if I need to with some slicked back updos because it masks the oils I get on the hair near the scalp.

So with less handling from prevented extra washing and detangling and overall everyday wear, I'd say updos do a fair share in protecting the length from damage and maintaining it's health.

[rock007junkie]

It has helped my ends a lot. Putting them in a bun keeps them moisturized longer.

[Diamond.Eyes]

I only wear my down twice a week. But when I wear it up I find virtually no damage in my hair. I usually just braid my hair or put it in a nice updo. When I'm just at home or not really caring that day, I put it in a cinnabun. When it's up, I don't get tangles, breakage, or snags. Wearing it up is definitely healthier for your hair.

[Yame]

I wish I could say otherwise, but wearing my hair up (I wear it up five days a week) has made no *visible* difference in the health of my hair.

Perhaps in a few years it will. I think it depends largely on hair type.

[UP Lisa]

I think hair type must have a LOT to do with it. I would think Course hair would be able to handle being down a lot better than my baby-fine stuff can.

Lisa


uote=Yame;1967262]I wish I could say otherwise, but wearing my hair up (I wear it up five days a week) has made no *visible* difference in the health of my hair.

Perhaps in a few years it will. I think it depends largely on hair type.[/quote]

[WaitingSoLong]

I wore my hair down pretty much all the time until waist length. I just didn't know HOW to put it up.

Consider this...hair is easier to wear down the shorter it is but if you want LONG locks, consider that your APL hair now will someday be the ends of your Classic length hair and several years old and had been subjected to the damage and dryness of wearing it down all the time.

I think that is why a lot of us "new" long hairs (this is the longest my hair has ever been, etc) initially have such bad ends...it is not that we are not taking care of it NOW, but that we didn't take care of it when it was back at BSL or whatever. Then we spend a few years cutting out that damage and not really gaining any length until all the hair we used to wear down all the time has been trimmed out and WALLA....fresh ends that have been cared for from day one.

It is an investment. You only have so much your hair health can "spend"...once its gone it cannot be gotten back. If you incurred X damage from one year of wearing it down constantly, then the only way to undo that damage is to eventually trim it out.

It amazes me that people think updo's will magically change the health of their hair...only trims can do that. You can corect build-up, excessive proteins and things like that but actual damage, like splits or kinks or dye or breakage can only be corrected with patience and trims. It take YEARS of protecting hair to obtain long HEALTHY locks and that is largely what this community is all about...thus why wearing hair up is such an esential part of many of our routines.

I wear my hair down when it is drying (sometimes), or when I am going to a special function...but that is about it. I wore my hair down last week just "because"...mainly because I couldn't remember the last time I did and regretted it immediately. I was out shopping and half way through the day the wind picked up. UGH. The detangling was a nightmare and I hastily put it up. The seatbelt sucked it up several times and it snagged on my purse.

I think there is an ideal length (individually) for wearing hair down without it causing too much of a fuss. Obviously, some hair types lend themselves to incur more abuse with less damage. The thing that is a hard and time consuming lesson to learn is that what appears not to harm your hair at first may, in a couple years, reveal itself as damage. Like dyes, bleaches, curling irons, etc. I used to dye my hair to MAKE IT HEALTHIER. My hair was always softer and stronger after I dyed. Ahh, but 4 years down the road....it was a differnt story.

This is why some short haired people don't often understand, when they try to grow long at some point, what the harm is in all their old practices of heat and chemicals because they were constantly trimming otu the damage when they maintained the short length. I have found a LOT of people (I have met IRL) to believe their hair won't grow past X (usually BSL)...it is because they have never tried growing HEALTHY hair, only damaged hair they didn't realize was damaged. I have also met with the belief that if you stop flat-ironing that POOF your dmage will go away or heal itself. It just doesn't work that way and when the ends of that hair gets a couple more years old...truth will out.

Sorry for the soapbox here but I am amazed at how many hair health misconceptions there are out there about damage being able to be reversed or that just because your hair doesn't appear worse for the wear on day-one after an experience it had (dye, heat, etc.) that it won't get worse over time. Or, I stopped using X or X and a week later I see no difference. One week is not enough time for any hair method. Dedication...let's talk years...and then see what a difference wearing hair up will make for you!

[UP Lisa]

I think that most of the reason people think hair damage can be "repaired" is due to commercials for hair products which state that the product will repair damage.

[QMacrocarpa]

I see shorter-term (as well as long-term) benefits to wearing my hair up. It's split-prone, and wearing it up helps delay the need for trims, so I get to keep more of what I grow. That's a benefit that's noticeable in just months for me. My last trim was in April 2011, and I definitely wouldn't have made it this long without a trim if I were wearing my hair down all the time.

[ladyshep]

Yes! Braids help protect the hair as well.

Especially if you are riding on a motorcycle. *laughs* When I see women and their long hair flapping in the wind on a motorcycle, I wonder why they don't protect their hair.