View Full Version : braid fasteners
ravenheather
March 14th, 2012, 08:33 AM
I'm wondering what you use to fasten braids that are left down? Do you use hair safe elastics? Or are these too damaging on a regular basis? What is your solution?
skaempfer
March 14th, 2012, 08:42 AM
I mostly use little terry hair thingies (http://www.coveryourhair.com/components/com_virtuemart/shop_image/product/resized/Goody_Tiny_Terry_4eae09e4842ad_375x500.jpg) in an unobtrusive color. My hair is not terrible thick that far down, and they are cheap, readily available, and don't seem to bother my hair. Often you can find packages of all brown, all black, or whatever...
Madora
March 14th, 2012, 09:07 AM
I'm wondering what you use to fasten braids that are left down? Do you use hair safe elastics? Or are these too damaging on a regular basis? What is your solution?
I use tiny black hair friendly slip off elastics sometimes..and vary the places where I put them. Depending on the braided style, I can just forgo any elastics and just tuck the ends under.
Not only is it important to vary the place where you put on the elastic, it is also important to remove them gently, preferably undoing them the way you put them on, rather than just yanking them out.
rock007junkie
March 14th, 2012, 09:13 AM
Elastics are safe depending on how you use them. On my ends sometimes I use the little tiny ones. I've noticed that wehn they have shedded hair wrapped around them they could present a problem. If you make sure that when you tie them that there are no loose hairs you should be fine. Always, be careful when putting them in as well as taking them off.
GRU
March 14th, 2012, 11:40 AM
For a braid, I don't even have to fasten it -- my wire-like hair just stays in place on its own.
spidermom
March 14th, 2012, 11:43 AM
I mostly use little terry hair thingies (http://www.coveryourhair.com/components/com_virtuemart/shop_image/product/resized/Goody_Tiny_Terry_4eae09e4842ad_375x500.jpg) in an unobtrusive color. My hair is not terrible thick that far down, and they are cheap, readily available, and don't seem to bother my hair. Often you can find packages of all brown, all black, or whatever...
I use these, too. I have them in all colors so can match/harmonize with my clothing. They're so cheap!
Anje
March 14th, 2012, 12:04 PM
I like little fabric elastics, terry elastics, or occasionally tiny jaw clips as braid enders. I'm not a fan of the "hair safe" elastics with a melted join in them, nor of the thin silicone elastics. (I would love to love the silicone elastics, so cheap and slim. But they bend and kink hairs in the tassel somehow, and I've had to give them up.)
ravenheather
March 14th, 2012, 12:08 PM
I mostly use little terry hair thingies (http://www.coveryourhair.com/components/com_virtuemart/shop_image/product/resized/Goody_Tiny_Terry_4eae09e4842ad_375x500.jpg) in an unobtrusive color. My hair is not terrible thick that far down, and they are cheap, readily available, and don't seem to bother my hair. Often you can find packages of all brown, all black, or whatever...
I have these for my daughter. I need to find the neutal color ones.
white.chocolate
March 14th, 2012, 02:34 PM
I mostly use little terry hair thingies (http://www.coveryourhair.com/components/com_virtuemart/shop_image/product/resized/Goody_Tiny_Terry_4eae09e4842ad_375x500.jpg) in an unobtrusive color. My hair is not terrible thick that far down, and they are cheap, readily available, and don't seem to bother my hair. Often you can find packages of all brown, all black, or whatever...
I prefer these, too. They are friendlier. I also use rubber elastics (http://edance.com.au/zencart/images/large/MyAccessory_NonstickHairElastics_Clear_LRG.jpg) to hide the tails of the braids when doing an updo.
The point is to not tie the elastic around too tight, and not leave it at the same place for a very long time constantly.
dulce
March 14th, 2012, 03:09 PM
I use mainly mini or xsmall flexis.
ravenheather
March 14th, 2012, 03:23 PM
I use mainly mini or xsmall flexis.
Ha ha. I have all my hair up in an xs flexi right now. Definitely not enough hair for that.
Miss Catrina
March 14th, 2012, 05:13 PM
I seem to remember seeing a post on here long ago where someone was showing how they used some sort of medical bandage as a braid tie - the kind that sort of sticks to itself, without using actual adhesive.
Hollyfire3
March 14th, 2012, 06:28 PM
I want to see someone do this with leather string, i want to try that!
pepperminttea
March 14th, 2012, 06:51 PM
For a little something different, you could incorporate ribbon into your braid, and then just tie the ribbon off at the end. :)
Gingerbear
March 14th, 2012, 07:02 PM
I remember reading on here about a fellow LHC member who wrapped a small length of ribbon flat around the end of the braid and then put a hair elastic over the ribbon. That way, the hair was protected. This picture is of a Halloween wig, lol, but it gives a good idea of what I'm talking about in case I'm not describing it clearly:
http://www.discounthalloweencostumes.com/girls-native-american-costume-wig.html
I thought her idea was genius. I guess if you don't want the Native American style look, you could match the ribbon to your hair color so that it is not so noticeable.
jacqueline101
March 14th, 2012, 09:37 PM
I have used elastics.
Vanille_
March 14th, 2012, 09:48 PM
For a braid, I don't even have to fasten it -- my wire-like hair just stays in place on its own.
I'm very gullible and have to ask if this is true!
GRU
March 14th, 2012, 10:56 PM
I'm very gullible and have to ask if this is true!
Sadly, yes. I can even sleep in a braid and still have 95% of it still braided when I get up in the morning. Even more so if I take the strands at the end and put them into a little spiral curl (by brushing them all together around my finger).
People with straight and/or fine hair just don't have any concept of what coarse-and-curly hair is like.... it's a whole 'nother world we live in!
Kyla
March 14th, 2012, 11:00 PM
I use strips of the legs of tights as elastics, or the small plastic slip ones.
elfgirl
March 15th, 2012, 12:25 AM
I use either elastics, or the scunci hair ties with no metal.
Naiadryade
March 15th, 2012, 12:35 AM
Well, I used to use those "ouchless" melted-together elastics until I came to LHC and learned they cause damage. Now I just use little scrunchies. Yes, in bright colors... I look sort of "cute" when I wear my hair in two braids anyway, which is quite often in the warm months, so I figure I might as well just go with it!
They must be doubled over many times, and I think this is a good thing since they end up covering 1-1/2 inches or so of my hair which I'm hoping is sort of spreading out the load of pressure? Does that make any sense?? :confused:
QMacrocarpa
March 15th, 2012, 07:30 AM
I got a package of black "pony socks" (I think that's what the package said) at a dollar store. They look like they are made of tights-type material, but much smaller in diameter than tights. It's increasingly rare that I secure the end of my braid though. Never for braided updos (well, sometimes just briefly with a tiny claw clip while I'm arranging the braid(s)), and for sleeping I've been starting to leave my braids unsecured as GRU describes.
ravenheather
March 15th, 2012, 07:45 AM
I got a package of black "pony socks" (I think that's what the package said) at a dollar store. They look like they are made of tights-type material, but much smaller in diameter than tights. It's increasingly rare that I secure the end of my braid though. Never for braided updos (well, sometimes just briefly with a tiny claw clip while I'm arranging the braid(s)), and for sleeping I've been starting to leave my braids unsecured as GRU describes.
My hair slides out of everything. I definitely can't go without a fastener.
Johanna
March 15th, 2012, 08:51 AM
I have to wear metal-free hair elastics. Everything else seems to slip off my ends.
melusine963
March 16th, 2012, 12:49 AM
I use safe hair elastics. I try to braid down as far as I can so that the elastics are are near to the ends as possible without being in danger of slipping off. That way, if there's any damage from them it will get trimmed off sooner rather than later. These days I hardly ever wear braids any more (too much rubbing against my clothes, the back of chairs, etc. resulting in braid shred and damage). I do wear them for sleeping in though, and I don't need anything to secure them for that.
Mannaz
March 16th, 2012, 04:44 AM
I use strips of the legs of tights as elastics, or the small plastic slip ones.
Ditto :cheese:
sfgirl
March 16th, 2012, 04:56 AM
I use ouchless elastics. For the time being that's a I have. The tiny slippery rubber ones pull my hair out. But if I'm careful with my ouchless I lose no hair. :)
Taenarian
March 16th, 2012, 06:26 AM
To finish a braid, I use the little clear ones that come 250 pieces in a bag. If I want a splash of color, I'll use a small terry elastic over the clear one, secured lightly.
UP Lisa
March 16th, 2012, 07:10 AM
Funny. i never thought of useing a Flexi 8 at the end of a braid. I don't have any smaller than a medium, though.
I have to wrap my elastic tight, or it slips off my slippery hair.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.3 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.