How to keep hair back without a ponytail?

[Kaelee]

My hair is about APL, layered towards the bottom, VERY straight and VERY sleek.

I normally wear a ponytail for work (I have to keep my hair back because I run machines.) I'm starting to notice (finally) some (minimal) shorter hairs that I think might be breakage from my ponytail.

Problem is, I can't manage to braid my hair (it's too short to just straight braid and I suck at French braiding my own hair!!!), it's too short to bun, and scrunchies are worthless to me (as they slide right out and do not hold my hair.)

Help?

[teela1978]

2 braids instead of one? multiple little buns at the base of your neck? differently placed ponytail? 2 ponytails (pigtails)? plenty of options :)

[Kaelee]

2 braids instead of one? multiple little buns at the base of your neck? differently placed ponytail? 2 ponytails (pigtails)? plenty of options :)

I'm thinking of 2 braids...I was hoping to avoid ponytail holder damage though. But I think I might be being paranoid. I have very little damage, so little that it's really impressive because I've SLEPT IN A PONYTAIL FOR YEARS.

[Debra83]

I second the two braids, two ponytails, high ponytails, low ponytails, caterpillar pony tails, two caterpill ponytails, claw clips high, claw clips low, loose, one braid, high ponytail with a braid, low ponytail with a braid, and if you can learn a dutch braid/french braid, hairstick, head bands with a braid/ponytail. Also, topsytail variations, etc.

I suffer from breakage on a regular basis. :(

[Freckled.Thing]

I would say try using alternatives to a regular hair elastic, like different clips or a flexi-8.

[hellucy]

How about a hairband to hold the front back then a french twist/peacock twist with a claw clip over to hold it all in place? or a gibson tuck (I've just learnt to do that one on my shoulder length layered hair - it works pretty well for me). Is your hair long enough for hairsticks & buns yet? might be worth trying I can almost get my hair to stay with a stick so yours may be long enough.
Good luck with experimenting to find what works for you.

[Blandine]

You can do a wide variety of updos with a handful of small claw clips. These are hair friendly and hold well if you use enough of them.

Another option that works already with rather short hair is the sock bun.

[jacqueline101]

I'd say a claw or octopus clip then wear it up in a variety of up dos.

[Renate]

Maybe try a more hair-friendly hair elastic?

[Kaelee]

My elastics are the most hair-friendly around.

Unfortuneately claw clips only hold if I put it in a ponytail first. Headbands (the fabric ones) don't hold. Ditto for hair sticks. About the only thing that holds is a ponytail holder. My hair is so sleek that it slides right out of literally everything I've tried. (Barettes and clips work for half ups but that's it).

I usually wear it in a ponytail with a baseball cap.

[Laylah]

How about headbands like these (http://www.threddies.com/store/images/ela-hea-sat.jpg) instead of the cloth ones? Without the metal of course. I wear a black colored one whenever my hair is down to keep it out of my face. If you have trouble with updos because of your hair sleekness (lucky you!) you could try spraying your hair with water to dampen it just slightly before you put it up to help it hold better. Oh, and for braids or a ponytail, cloth scrunchies will do pretty much no damage to your hair as long as your hair isn't already fried and snapping.

[Venefica]

What about a nice scarf, with a scarf you can hold your hair back and it should not be as tough on your hair as a ponytail is.

[torrilin]

Well, let's start with the basics... how thick is your hair? Coz some of these ideas will work no matter how thick your hair is, and others might only work if your hair is average thickness or on the thin side.

If your ponytail measures more than 4", you have thick hair, and all the ideas involving sectioning might well work for you. Depending on HOW MUCH thicker than 4", you might need to get pretty nutty with sections, or you can maybe get away with 2-3.

If you're dealing with hair that's 3" or less, you're pretty solidly average, and if you're having a hard time getting buns or braids to work, it's probably not your hair. It takes a good bit of practice to learn new hairstyles, and about the fastest I learn a genuinely new hair trick is over the course of a year. Most of the time it takes more like 5 :P.

If you're not clearly in one classification or the other, you're probably having both sets of problems at once.

[whitedove]

Goody's hair barettes have a rubber gripper bar which I find helps hold my fine hair better than any other barette I have used.
You could try Spidermoms idea of putting a bit of ribbon between hair and elastic.

[dulce]

Flexi clips are awesome .

[spidermom]

Twist back with a claw clip.

[Vallena]

I'm the same length and would recommend twin french braids. It takes a lot of practice and they might not look so nice in the beginning (mine didn't), but they work really well with the length, I believe.

[Kaelee]

How about headbands like these (http://www.threddies.com/store/images/ela-hea-sat.jpg) instead of the cloth ones? Without the metal of course. I wear a black colored one whenever my hair is down to keep it out of my face. If you have trouble with updos because of your hair sleekness (lucky you!) you could try spraying your hair with water to dampen it just slightly before you put it up to help it hold better. Oh, and for braids or a ponytail, cloth scrunchies will do pretty much no damage to your hair as long as your hair isn't already fried and snapping.

I have some like that, and wear them sometimes but they slip off the back of my head too.

I am currently sporting cloth scrunchies on my twin braids...I think I just can't wrap the scrunchie enough times around for a full ponytail.

My hair is thick...but it doesn't pass the ponytail test for "thickness". My ponytail is smallish, probably average, or even "thin"...but that's because my hair is super fine and when it gets squished together, it looks like I have no hair. It's actually thick enough that hairstylists have trouble cutting it. :D

I wish I could do a passable french braid...I'd be happy with one that didn't have loops and sticking out bits all over my head. *lol* I have a really hard time braiding my own hair, because my fingers get all confused with each other. It's hard enough to do twin braids at the sides LOL!

[swearnsue]

How about a Rosie the Riveter type of scarf? That would keep your hair out of your face and protect your hair from any oil or metal shavings etc.

[Kaelee]

How about a Rosie the Riveter type of scarf? That would keep your hair out of your face and protect your hair from any oil or metal shavings etc.

That's a great idea! I'm not sure how to tie one though, or what kind of fabric to use ("silky" fabric falls slips right off lol.)

I'm good with bandannas...but I only know two ways to tie one: Gangsta/biker style and Girl Scout style (Girl Scout style slips off my head...)

[Unicorn]

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=91490

This thread may be the solution for you...

Unicorn

[teela1978]

I have some like that, and wear them sometimes but they slip off the back of my head too.

I am currently sporting cloth scrunchies on my twin braids...I think I just can't wrap the scrunchie enough times around for a full ponytail.

My hair is thick...but it doesn't pass the ponytail test for "thickness". My ponytail is smallish, probably average, or even "thin"...but that's because my hair is super fine and when it gets squished together, it looks like I have no hair. It's actually thick enough that hairstylists have trouble cutting it. :D

I wish I could do a passable french braid...I'd be happy with one that didn't have loops and sticking out bits all over my head. *lol* I have a really hard time braiding my own hair, because my fingers get all confused with each other. It's hard enough to do twin braids at the sides LOL!

Have you measured your ponytail? That's how thickness is judged. If hairstylists have trouble cutting it then its most likely thick.

[Seeshami]

Flexi 8's, sock bun, and banana like clips come to mind.

I also really love my "ez combs" although I do not have the name brand ones. I wouldn't be surprised if they are not the greatest thing so that's my indulgent bad suggestion.

https://www.ezcombshair.com/

[Littlewing13]

I know Im going to get digital food thrown at me for saying this, but with sleek slippery hair you can often get it to grip better by spraying with hairspray or a salt spray. Most people avoid this as it can dry hair out & raise the cuticle a bit if you do it too often, but perhaps that is exactly what you need to make it manageable. Just a thought. *ducks*

[Seeshami]

I know Im going to get digital food thrown at me for saying this, but with sleek slippery hair you can often get it to grip better by spraying with hairspray or a salt spray. Most people avoid this as it can dry hair out & raise the cuticle a bit if you do it too often, but perhaps that is exactly what you need to make it manageable. Just a thought. *ducks*

We can hide together under the anti digital food umbrella because one of my suggestions is probably not hair friendly either. :cheese:

[PixxieStix]

I have very slippery hair, and my flexi-8 can hold a ponytail all day without slipping. My Ficarre is also amazing for holding a french twist all day, although you could secure it with small claw clips and/or bobby pins for hold too. Most hair styles just seem to need TONS of practice, but you'll get there.

[pink.sara]

I lived in a peacock twist with a large claw clip or large ficcare at APL, but if I only had one section of hair and twisted it in one direction it would pop right out as it's thick, heavy and fine (see avatar and siggy for an idea of the slink that is my hair)....

SO what I did was section... pull it up like you are about to put in in a ponytail... split the pony in half straight down the middle... then twist both sides inwards and towards one another (like 2 french twists facing one another)... then claw clip or ficcare over the top.

Usually the tension created by rolling the hair towards itself stops the slinkiness making it slither out everywhere without being to tight :)

Hope that's not too incomprehensible and maybe helps to tame your mane at this annoying growing stage!

[trolleypup]

Hmmm, a ponyscrub for complete coverage and control, and some slide barrettes (http://www.bronzejewelers.com/slide-ba.htm) hold like crazy AND have no edges to damage hair.

[Kaelee]

Have you measured your ponytail? That's how thickness is judged. If hairstylists have trouble cutting it then its most likely thick.

somewhere around 3.5 inches. but I have very fine hair. If my hair was course or even medium, it would be HUGE.

Pink.sara your hair looks a lot like mine! I might try that.

[QMacrocarpa]

Maybe clips with grippy silicone on the inside would work? I really liked octopus clips (http://www.amazon.com/Scunci-No-slip-Grip-Octopus-Count/dp/B001SXPSD2) like that when my hair was shorter, they made great bun cages (though on me the "no-slip" feature was probably overkill, since my hair is grippy).

My niece has sleek hair, and she was pretty excited when I gave her a few Goody spin-pins, she found they worked quite well for securing buns, so you might have success with those too.

[longcurlygirl<3]

I second the flexi8, it comes in all sizes from xxs to mega large (which would only hold your hair if it where classic and beyond or dreads :p). Remember a ponytail cause stress to the hair. Bun your hair and clip it with a secured claw clip or octopus clip like : http://1000daysofhair.blogspot.com/2011/03/day-178-octopus-clip-braided-bun.html also try to use some product like a cg mousse or gel to give some texture to your hair so you can possibly braid?

[carolinaberry]

I suggest just varying how you do it daily so the stress isn't on the same place all of the time.

[Kinkycurlygurl]

I don't know if anyone has suggested this yet, but a youtuber called Habioku did a woven braid tutorial that I think is awesome. My hair isn't nearly as long as hers and I tried it and loved it. Tutorial:http://youtu.be/8tQ5W0uI-2Y

[teela1978]

somewhere around 3.5 inches. but I have very fine hair. If my hair was course or even medium, it would be HUGE.

Pink.sara your hair looks a lot like mine! I might try that.

That is on the thicker side :) (not quite iii but on the upper end of ii)

[Hollyfire3]

That is on the thicker side :) (not quite iii but on the upper end of ii)

Is 3.5 considered ii/iii when anyone lists ii/iii as their thickness, i get confused, sorry to highjack,

[Second Growth]

Have you tried two side combs? I do that all the time. They keep my hair back and it's very comfortable.

[mamaherrera]

Great thread. Not to hijack either, but a question. If my pony measures almost 3.75, but I have medium thick hair, does that mean it's not really that density high, but the thickness of the hair itself gives it that high number?? would that mean then, that I"m not a ii/iii

[Cinnamoon]

You can do a ponytail holder free ponytail by wrapping a section of hair about .5 - 1 inch thick around the base of your ponytail and then using spin pins to secure it. I'm not sure if your hair would be quite long enough, but if you used a bit of one of your longest layers it should be fine.

[racrane]

Um, at your length I liked french twists and gibson tucks held with spin pins. I have slippery hair and spin pins haven't failed me yet.

[mamaherrera]

where do you get spin pins, then I can look up those two styles in youtube.

[Natalia]

My hair is about APL, layered towards the bottom, VERY straight and VERY sleek.

I normally wear a ponytail for work (I have to keep my hair back because I run machines.) I'm starting to notice (finally) some (minimal) shorter hairs that I think might be breakage from my ponytail.

Problem is, I can't manage to braid my hair (it's too short to just straight braid and I suck at French braiding my own hair!!!), it's too short to bun, and scrunchies are worthless to me (as they slide right out and do not hold my hair.)

Help?

at apl with layered bottom should be long enough to braid if you start up toward the crown of your head. if that doesnt work i secon double braids started the same way. you can join them to make one braid int heback if you want.

[Deborah]

If you want to stick with ponytails, buy a pair of baby or toddler stretchy tights, then cut the little legs into strips about 4 inches wide. These make great, very hair-friendly ponytail holders. I managed to find a black pair, and the holders I cut are perfect with my dark hair.