Rude comments about hair toys???

[Blackfire]

Do coworkers, friends, strangers, family, or anyone at all ever say mean or rude things about your hair toys?

Heres my input: An older lady where I work is always looking at what I have in my hair which had been a variety of different toys at this point. Anyway, I had been wearing a pacific merchentile wooden stick for a few days and then suddenly switched to a pony-O out of laziness. She looks at me at lunch and then asked where that pencil in my hair went to......:flamed:

My friend tried to get my back, but she is also an older lady with SHORT SHORT hair and said "Its not a pencil its a chinese stick foo!"

At that point I just facepalmed and let it go. Cant wait to hear what they say when I get my bloodwood crescent hair stick from omnicrafts.... ;)

[katienoonan]

Aaaaw, I don't think they were being rude, tell them what it is you were wearing! Educate the mis-informed, don't get annoyed! :-D xXx

[Blackfire]

I did later on, lol. I work at a place that is mostly females and everyone can be a little cutting at times so I wasnt sure if she was being snarky or not at first. Still, just made me feel silly all night.

[3mily]

A few years ago I wore my hair in a half up with a large flat grosgrain bow on a clip barrette. I thought it was very chic...until one day I wore a pony elastic instead and a 'friend' said 'thank God that bow thing's gone, I hope you broke it, it looked like a bit of old car seat belt on your head.'

I should have realised she was no friend a lot sooner than I did.

[rock007junkie]

Like a previous poster just said, I think people are most missinformed than anything else. I've actually had some people ask me if I'm into the whole chinese culture just because I wear hairsticks. I mean, really? That's the only reason? I also get the weird comments from my mom whenever my hair is up in a bun: "Are you trying to look like an old lady?"

[Sillage]

I've only had positive comments about my hair toys so far.

[SakuraGirl]

Oh im sorry to hear that they made you feel bad... I hope that they meant it nicely though. It was definitely a good time to educate them in the world of hair ;)

My friends dont get me either, so you are not alone!

[Aliped]

I also get the weird comments from my mom whenever my hair is up in a bun: "Are you trying to look like an old lady?"

Oh yeah, I get those too:rolleyes:

[Amber_Maiden]

It's just ignorance- she probably didn't know what a hair stick was.

[spidermom]

Ignorance probably; I had no clue hair sticks existed until I joined LHC, but on a few occasions I had used a pencil to hold a bun (quickie solution to getting hair off my neck).

[Carolyn]

Most people don't know there are things to put hair up other than bobby pins, scrunchies, elastics, or claw clips. If they haven't had long hair themselves or lived with someone who has long hair, they've never been introduced to the world of long hair and hair toys. The majority of people have never had long hair and those that have had it often just use the things I've mentioned above or they've worn their hair down. I'm sure the lady who mentioned the pencil to you had no idea such a thing as a hair stick even exists. I don't think it was as much a rude comment as it was a comment made out of ignorance. If you show her what hair sticks are and how they work and she continues with the pencil comments, then that's rather rude.

[PixxieStix]

I don't think she was being rude, she was just curious! So far I've only received comments of "That is really neat!" towards my hair toys, but I'm sure that won't last my entire life. I generally make it hard for people to even try to put me down about them though because I get SO excited it someone mentions they noticed and give them the whole run down of what it is, how it's used, where it came from, what styles I like to use it in and hope to be able to do in the future, and how they are non damaging and omgwouldyoulookisn'titsoprettydoyoulikemyprettyhai rtoy?!

Our receptionist at my clinic just cracks up when I come rushing in and turn around, show her my new toy, and then run out again. My next two hair forks though, I'm going to see if she says something about them without me being all "Lookie lookie I got a new hair toy!!!!" :D It's fun to educate people about options other than a hair elastic or headband.

[lostchyld]

I have fun with questions like that. My boss wanted to know one day why there were pencils in my hair, they were hairsticks. I just told him what they were and pulled them out of my hair to show him how I used them. Then I started pointing out new toys when I get them. He stopped asking and gets a slightly bemused look when I bring up hair items now. I think he thinks it's funny, to an extent, but not in a bad way.

[ladyfey]

I had my Ketylos in at work years ago, a co-worker said she thought that I had breadsticks in my hair, I just thought - not everything is about food to some of us!

[Shepherdess]

Whenever I wear my hair up in a bun and let my bangs curl their natural way my family pesters me about it and say I'm trying to make myself look fancy or I care too much about the way my hair looks. :p

[SwordWomanRiona]

Not really, although I've received bemused gazes when I'm wearing hairsticks, and my mum likes to tease me when I'm wearing forks, by saying that they look like Spanish peinetas (the ornamental combs worn with mantillas)...because she knows I don't like the mantilla + peineta style AT ALL *shudder* Lol.

[Alvrodul]

My SIL have given me some nasty comments on my hairtoys on several occasions. :(

OTOH, I still remember fondly a conversation I had with an older lady last summer - she had some very nice things to say both about my hair and my hairtoys - among the things I mentioned during our conversation was the fact that I use henna, and she had heard of it! :D

[pepperminttea]

I've had a similar comment when I was wearing a pair of PM acrylic sticks (in the confetti colour), a co-worker asked "What is that in your hair?" and then answered her own question a second later saying "Oh, those Chinese things." I was going to correct her, but she just kept talking; I couldn't get a word in edgeways, about hairtoys or anything else. :doh:


Most comments I get though are kind and/or intrigued. Ditto what Carolyn said - to most people, hair accessories only extend to the kind of things you'd expect to see in the hair section of a supermarket. For most folks, we're breaking new ground here. ;)

[BlueMuse]

I've gotten some teasing about carrying eating utensils in my hair (I use a lot of chopsticks as hairsticks). I just laugh and tell them it's convenient. Whip em out, wipe em off and I'll never want for a fork or something stabby.

[dementedkitten]

I remember when I was about 11 or 12 and was wearing 2 hair sticks in my hair at a firework show, and some older kids behind me kept going on about how I must have lost my chopsticks.. they were really nasty about it and I never wore them, or anything like them again, the fact I can still remember it (I'm 24 now) says it all. Idiots.

[jacqueline101]

I don't think a lot of people realize long haired people have hair sticks and toys that short haired people don't have.

[Littlewing13]

Mum used to wear her hair in a peacock style with one of those claw grips & some old man came up to her & told her she looked like a rooster! How rude! & she never wore them again after that.

[Kaelee]

Mum used to wear her hair in a peacock style with one of those claw grips & some old man came up to her & told her she looked like a rooster! How rude! & she never wore them again after that.

I get the rooster comment all the time at work!!! I don't think it's rude though (in my case- I know my coworkers are joking/love to mess with me.) (I also don't care as much about how my hair LOOKS at work as I do about how well it stays out of my FACE at work.)

[Tisiloves]

My gran was wearing a beautiful ivory comb in her French pleat, and one of the WI ladies said, "I'm sorry to tell you this, but you've left your comb in your hair."

[lostchyld]

My gran was wearing a beautiful ivory comb in her French pleat, and one of the WI ladies said, "I'm sorry to tell you this, but you've left your comb in your hair."

lol, I'd laugh so hard if someone said that to me. I'd probably be escorted out of where ever I was at because they'd think I was nuts. That's hysterical, though.

[teal]

They probably didn't mean anything bad by it. It sounds like they were just misinformed.

I personally haven't had any negative comments about hairtoys. For one thing, all my hairtoys are dark and next to my dark hair there's not a high contrast, so I bet people don't notice most of the time. The rest of the time people just look at them. They aren't mean looks, just neutral or mildly interested.


I remember when I was about 11 or 12 and was wearing 2 hair sticks in my hair at a firework show, and some older kids behind me kept going on about how I must have lost my chopsticks.. they were really nasty about it and I never wore them, or anything like them again, the fact I can still remember it (I'm 24 now) says it all. Idiots.

Indeed. I wonder how many of them went on to try out the hairstyle for themselves...


Mum used to wear her hair in a peacock style with one of those claw grips & some old man came up to her & told her she looked like a rooster! How rude! & she never wore them again after that.

She should have replied that he sounded like a c--k! Too bad she let it get to her. :(


My gran was wearing a beautiful ivory comb in her French pleat, and one of the WI ladies said, "I'm sorry to tell you this, but you've left your comb in your hair."

Now this kind of comment would just make me laugh, or maybe say "I store it there for convenience."

[dwell_in_safety]

I have one coworker that teases me about the pencil in my hair whenever I use my wooden hairstick (at the moment I only have one, planning to purchase a fork in April). I don't mind because everybody teases each other at work. The other day a classmate asked me about mine in a really curious way, and when I took my bun down and put it back up so quickly to show her how it works, she became interested in acquiring a good stick for herself.

[Beckstar]

I wear hairsticks often and get asked why I have chopsticks in my hair. I reply, "So I'm always prepared if there's asian food." The reply, "eeeeeeewwwww. That's disgusting. You'd really eat with something that's been in your hair?" I nod my head yes (I wouldn't but they don't have to know that).

[Long_hair_bear]

I had a girl in my Spanish class say that my hair toys looked think they were from a different century. I didn't know how to take that, but her next sentence was about all the girls behind me looking at and being curios about them. I've had 2 girls ask me where I get my hair toys, and of course I tell them, hairjems, aliarose, and mairzydozy on etsy! No insults thus far, which is good cause I'd give the insulter an earfull.

[Maelyssa]

I agree that she probably isn't even aware of what a hair stick is and I've actually seen more than one person using a real pencil to hold a bun where I'm at so maybe this s what she was thinking.

[terylenerose]

My parents do bug me sometimes. Other than that, I haven't gotten any comments except for the one girl at school who told me she liked my chopsticks. :)

[Cara Heather]

Mum used to wear her hair in a peacock style with one of those claw grips & some old man came up to her & told her she looked like a rooster! How rude! & she never wore them again after that.

that's kind of funny I actually call them my "chicken" clips.

[Skruttiz]

Just my husband that teases me. He knows that I made some harsticks from old brushes, so sometimes he makes a comment like: Oh, have you forgotten your brush today? Or something like: So practical to have the brush with you.
It´s a comment in a friendly way.

[hototogisu]

I don't own any actual hairsticks, but I use pencils all the time. Once a friend commented that she liked the pencil look, but that her hair was 'way too long' to be held with a pencil.

Her hair was between chin and shoulder length and really layered. Very pretty, but not even approaching long.

[BBdck1]

Years ago when I was looking at some hair sticks at the mall, a friend of a friend commented that she hated sticks and would never wear them because it's too "asian." I was a little annoyed and a bit offended because I'm asian and so is she.

[Littlewing13]

I wear hairsticks often and get asked why I have chopsticks in my hair. I reply, "So I'm always prepared if there's asian food." The reply, "eeeeeeewwwww. That's disgusting. You'd really eat with something that's been in your hair?" I nod my head yes (I wouldn't but they don't have to know that).

Haha love this. So using it (when my hair finally gets long/thick enough to use them)

[Avital88]

When i wear my hair in a ponytale with my hair not parted so all backwards my brother always tells me i look like a teenager..
I think this is because i used to wear it like this from 14 to 16 mostly..

[Firefly]

I wear hairsticks often and get asked why I have chopsticks in my hair. I reply, "So I'm always prepared if there's asian food." The reply, "eeeeeeewwwww. That's disgusting. You'd really eat with something that's been in your hair?" I nod my head yes (I wouldn't but they don't have to know that).

Ha ha ha, that is great! Makes me want to use a regular fork as a hair stick, just to see what people say. :lol:

Fortunately I haven't had any rude comments yet. It would be irritating but it wouldn't stop me from wearing them... I love my hair toys!

[StPaulaGirl]

My gran was wearing a beautiful ivory comb in her French pleat, and one of the WI ladies said, "I'm sorry to tell you this, but you've left your comb in your hair."

This made me laugh. If someone said that to me I'd be in hysterics! :laugh:

[Eirelin]

My roommate doesn't like the sticks but he especially dislikes the mini swords. He thinks they look silly, but everyone else thinks they are really cool!

[annamoonfairy]

I wear my hair down more then up but starting on the 14th I am wearing it in braids for 30 days to see if it grows any faster. I will be wearing all kinds of artistic hair toys and will arm myself with a few educational comebacks. Thanks for sharing : )

[einna]

I rarely get any comments. I am not sure what to make of this, I am thinking that the "if you dont have anything good to say, dont say anything at all" rule is being used a bit, but I also think that most people does not really notice.

I also think that a lot of mean/rude comments come from the same types of people, those who does not have a good filter for sorting what they are saying. In other words, they would have found something else to criticize anyways.

[Seeshami]

A co-worker of mine who has since switched offices but we are still fairly close use to insist on cutting my hair. I had to resort to telling him if he so much as snipped one stand it would be assault and I would press charges. I know it was all in good fun but I wanted to MAKE SURE he'd never "Haha I really cut some off!" as a joke.

[longcurlygirl<3]

My friends [they are 15-16 girls] said "What is that in your hair.. sticks?" Me: "Well yeah ..[take them out] and they are wooden sticks"... "cool" :/ they do not understand

[Blackfire]

The thing about these ladies at my work is that they are very critical on everything about me. Im the youngest one there and also a manager, so I automatically take some bull from my older workers who have to listen to me.

One day the same lady that made the pencil comment told me I was from the south and wouldnt take no for an answer even I told her I was born and raised in MO and thats where my accent comes from.

[Miss Catrina]

My hair is too short for toys. I do remember that I knew a girl once who used chopsticks - as in, actual disposable chopsticks from her last take-out meal - to hold up a non-bun... So I don't see how anyone could complain about real hair toys.

[RocketDog]

The only comment I have ever gotten about things in my hair was the one time my sister asked me if I had paperclips in my hair - all she was seeing was the very end of an amish pin. Not rude, really, but it was amusing simply because something so ordinary to me was totally new to her.

[jessa]

some people can be so judgmental and dont realize there is actually a REASON for wearing hair sticks sometimes. when i first wore them a girl at work asked if i was trying to be asian. i love asians so kinda yes but mostly its so i dont get the kink, headache or breakage from an elastic that i used to. another woman also asked me why i had a hairstick in my hair and if it was in case i didnt have a fork to eat with..

[Irish Fae]

I just have to say that this is an awesome response. I really appreciate your great attitude! More people need to be like you. :-)


Aaaaw, I don't think they were being rude, tell them what it is you were wearing! Educate the mis-informed, don't get annoyed! :-D xXx

[13bodies]

About the only comment I've gotten on my hair toys came from a little boy about 7 years old. I was wearing sticks with big green beads and he stared and stared at them, then asked, wide-eyed, "Have you been to China?" :grin: Made my day.

[Pierre]

A few days ago I was going home on the bus and someone in front of me mentioned to someone else that she had a Greek test. I can read the NT and some other things in Greek, so I struck up a conversation. She said my Flexis made me look gay. That made no sense to me. A few minutes later she apologized. She turned out to be a neighbor.

[Seeshami]

I have been wearing my hair in a high bun to get it accustomed to being up on top of my head instead of low at the nape of my neck so I don't get tempted to pull it down at the wedding and yesterday it was pretty awesome looking. I was very proud of it and one of our customwers looked at me skeptically and asked "is that your real hair?"

If I hadn't have been in the wonderful mood I was in and giggled at her I probably would have thought it a little rude. But it was more funny then anything else. She still didn't believe me afterward, it was my best bun ever I think.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v190/BrokenCagedBird/6c99ab94.jpg

[Freckled.Thing]

I don't think either of these count as rude comments but my hair sticks have gotten a bit of attention this week.

A few days ago one of the younger girls (I tutor at an after-school program afternoons) pulled my stick out of my hair while I was helping another kid with their homework. She didn't seem to understand why I was mad and said it was just a "bun thing." She is only in kindergarten so I didn't hold it against her or anything but I did make it very clear that she was being rude and that she shouldn't interrupt someone while they're talking to someone else, much less take things out of their hair.

The other time was actually kind of funny. It's my friend's birthday today so a group of 9 of us went out to dinner together. While we were waiting for our food the guy next to me asked what the thing in my hair was. He wanted to know if it was a pen or a chopstick. When I explained it he said that I should wear two of them to a restaurant sometime and then take them out and use them as chopsticks. I knew he wasn't making fun and it was actually pretty funny.

[Bagginslover]

I've started keeping a stick at work now, but when I first mastered stick styles (well, style, I can only do one!!) I would use a pencil! I want to get a pair of plastic chopsticks too, as the type I'm thinking of should go nicely colour wise with my hair.

Most of my colleagues are intreagued and impressed that I can hold my hair up with just a stick. They won't usually fully beleive me til I take it down and put it back up again, but I love seeing their faces when I pull out the stick and it just falls down!

[Masara]

I work with teenagers and, surprisingly, have only had positive comments about my hairsticks and forks. Most of the time, I don't think they even notice, they are so used to them. but every so often, one of them will notice a new one and then I have to turn around a show the whole class.

[janeytilllie]

I had a really hurtful comment on my hair toys/hairstyle as a pre teen.

I really use to love the little butterfly glitter clips. I braided my hair into a really pretty updo and decorated with many butterfly clips.

I went to town with my mum all was well. I had lots of nice comments until we walked past a gang of young girl teens.

One screamed in my face I was a ugly freak for wearing butterflies in my hair and that only babies wear them. It made me cry.

My mum stuck up for me and shouted back at least my daughter has long hair and it's not receding lol

God bless moms! :heartbeat

[terpentyna]

Ignorance probably; I had no clue hair sticks existed until I joined LHC, but on a few occasions I had used a pencil to hold a bun (quickie solution to getting hair off my neck).

Same here.

[melusine963]

I have been wearing my hair in a high bun to get it accustomed to being up on top of my head instead of low at the nape of my neck so I don't get tempted to pull it down at the wedding and yesterday it was pretty awesome looking. I was very proud of it and one of our customwers looked at me skeptically and asked "is that your real hair?"

If I hadn't have been in the wonderful mood I was in and giggled at her I probably would have thought it a little rude. But it was more funny then anything else. She still didn't believe me afterward, it was my best bun ever I think.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v190/BrokenCagedBird/6c99ab94.jpg

That is an amazing bun! I can't believe you made it yourself (well, I can but I'm envious). I know mine would be a mess if I tried something like that. I think it looks great on you.

[XcaliburGirl]

I got asked by a hairdresser when I went to get an updo for a fancy event to which I was invited by my boyfriend: "Why are you wearing sticks in your hair? Is your boyfriend Asian? "

Once a coworker made a teasing remark about chopsticks holding my hair up. I pulled them out (he was sitting behind me) and my bun stayed perfectly in place. He was so confused, it was funny. "It's self-sustaining?!"

(I knew the bun would stay if I held my head still. My hair was still damp and my ends tucked in pretty well.)


I wear hairsticks often and get asked why I have chopsticks in my hair. I reply, "So I'm always prepared if there's asian food." The reply, "eeeeeeewwwww. That's disgusting. You'd really eat with something that's been in your hair?" I nod my head yes (I wouldn't but they don't have to know that).
:o I tried that once out of necessity. My Thai take-out didn't come with any utensils. I rinsed them really well first.

[Seeshami]

That is an amazing bun! I can't believe you made it yourself (well, I can but I'm envious). I know mine would be a mess if I tried something like that. I think it looks great on you.


Thank you! Its my best one! For now. The wedding bun will be flawless.

[heidi w.]

I've had everything said to me. I ignore most of it, especially nowadays after decades of experience with krankypoos. You're there to work. I don't go nutso at work with hair baubles. I used to on my own free time, such as weekends or evenings. I'm about to hit school, so I may take that hobby up again. We'll see.

heidi w.

[trolleypup]

I've gotten some teasing about carrying eating utensils in my hair (I use a lot of chopsticks as hairsticks). I just laugh and tell them it's convenient. Whip em out, wipe em off and I'll never want for a fork or something stabby.
Mmyup! And on the rare occasions when I do have my hairkit (with a spare stick) and don't have one of my chopstick cases, I've done exactly this. ETA: Stainless steel sticks are easily cleaned anyway, but even with wooden sticks, a reasonable cleaning is easily done...hot tea and a napkin works for me.

I have gotten negative comments on hairtoys from only two people (both riders, when I was a transit driver). At that time I hadn't gone to bunning full time, and usually had some kind of ponytail style secured with a barrette/slide or ornamented hair tie. Sometimes acceptably masculine (wood barrette, welded wire slides, etc), sometimes unmistakably feminine (floral barrettes with sparklies, anything covered with sparklies).

The gist of their comments was that they couldn't tell if I was a boy or a girl...essentially a verbal attack, since they always said it loudly enough for the whole bus to hear, I never made any effort to be nice to people like this...

One was an older woman (short bleached hair, smoker's rasp, etc.), my response was "I'm glad the pretty girls don't have that problem" which was only the truth-I got lots of positives for those sparkly barrettes. The other was an older man (patchy cropped hair, etc.) who was a regular rider, he'd step up, say his piece, I'd make a snarky response and he would go sit down...one day I went to Chinatown and found the most sparkly barrette ever (seriously, 150 clear and pale blue stones!), when he boarded, I turned my head and said "I got this just for you, since I knew you'd like it so much!", he grunted something about never riding my bus again and got off...I give him credit...he never boarded my bus again for the remaining years I was on that line!

So, overwhelmingly positive responses over the years, and two evil busdriver stories...I'm good with that!

[Anywhere]

Two years back when I started wearing hairsticks my friend got mad at me for "trying to be Asian", if that counts.

[irishlady]

Thankfully I haven't had any rude comments yet, and I have quite a few hairtoys that I wear often.

[Johanna]

...The gist of their comments was that they couldn't tell if I was a boy or a girl...

For a while I did think you were a girl, until I looked at your profile and saw your very manly facial hair. Maybe if you put sparkly barrettes in your goatee it would confuse them even more :D

[redsoles]

Are you sure they are being mean? You could be sensitive and they could be joking. That's always a possibility. But I'd ignore them. if you like what you like, don't let other people deter that.

[JaimeH]

The only comment I have ever gotten about things in my hair was the one time my sister asked me if I had paperclips in my hair - all she was seeing was the very end of an amish pin. Not rude, really, but it was amusing simply because something so ordinary to me was totally new to her.

this made me smile :) .. I feel like I'm always growing my bangs out (and yet I continue to cut them).. but while I'm at work and having to look down at papers, they sometimes fall in my eyes. I've literally clipped them back with a paperclip...and then forget its there! Talk about some strange looks... lol

[trolleypup]

For a while I did think you were a girl, until I looked at your profile and saw your very manly facial hair. Maybe if you put sparkly barrettes in your goatee it would confuse them even more :D
I think the only "confusion" was their being hidebound jerks and not being able to deal with anything out of the box. How they could survive in San Francisco without being constantly in a state of "confusion" is beyond me!

It has never bothered me particularly when people make mistakes about my sex or sexual orientation...it is when they try to be nasty about it that I respond.