Getting headaches

[FrozenBritannia]

I am sure there is a thread in here somewhere on this, but I don't even know what to search for.

My hair is not thick, freshly washed it is barely a ii, on day two or three it is definately i. It is just past APL though, and now when I wear it up in a french twist with a hair stick, I am getting headaches. My hair is kind of layered, so I can't really do many buns yet, but if I am going to start practising some it makes sense to learn how to balance them so I don't get a sore neck or headaches.

Does anyone have any advice or experiences to share? What else could be causing this?

[Amazinggrace]

The easiest culprit, I think, would be pulling it to tightly.

The other reason could be that your hair follicles are not used to being manipulted. You may have to get used to having you hair up. If that is the case, I would wear it up for 30-60 minutes, then switch to down. This should give your hair time to get accustomed to styles.

As your hair gets longer weight distribution is important. Everyone has, go to styles, that suit them best. You may want to try a crown braid, it distributes weight very evenly.

Good Luck :)

[longcurlygirl<3]

Happens to me too, my scalp was so sore I had to take my single BRAID down during the night because it hurt bad as I slept. But today I washed my hair and basically massaged my scalp for like 5 minutes CO-WASHING, usually I only massage for 2 minutes to get a clean feeling. My headaches are gone. Maybe do a braid and then bun. Use pomade for the layers

[auburntressed]

I have noticed that if anything touches my scalp directly other than my hair, I'll get a lot of pain from it. So... hairpins, hairsticks, clips... I have to be very careful that they are stuck in the hair without brushing my scalp. If your hair is on the thin side, it might be harder to avoid allowing a stick or pin to make contact with your scalp. I don't know if you're sensitive to that, but you might experiment to see.

[racrane]

I used to get headaches, too. I figured out I was pulling my hair too tightly. I found a balance that worked well, but it took trial and error. I hope your headache goes away! :)

[FrozenBritannia]

Hmm, some things to think about!

The stick does touch my scalp, and the hair is pulled tight, because that is the only way I can get it to stay right now. :( I will have to figure out another way I guess!

I have tried braiding my hair and then bunning it, but it doesn't work so good yet, that is my plan when it gets longer though!

[Kelikea]

Try sectioning it differently each day and wearing it up for a shorter amount of time, gradually increasing as you get used to it. I used to wear my hair in the same braided ponytail, almost everyday, and I would get headaches to the point of wanting to be able to just take my hair off, like a wig. I eventually cut it. But that was going from TB, no layers. As I near TB again, I worry about getting the headaches, but so far, so good. I change my updo's regularly and don't pull it too tight.

[Anje]

What's the angle of your hairstick? I know I get some serious scalp-pulling with vertical and near-vertical sticks. They're much better for me as they approach horizontal.

BTW, are you talking about actual headaches or scalp/follicle aches? I think it's important to distinguish whether your follicles are complaining about direction/tension/whatever POs a follicle or if the position and weight of your hair is causing tension headaches.

[Hollyfire3]

What's the angle of your hairstick? I know I get some serious scalp-pulling with vertical and near-vertical sticks. They're much better for me as they approach horizontal.

BTW, are you talking about actual headaches or scalp/follicle aches? I think it's important to distinguish whether your follicles are complaining about direction/tension/whatever POs a follicle or if the position and weight of your hair is causing tension headaches.

How can you tell the difference in folicle pain or hair heaviness?

[Anje]

How can you tell the difference in folicle pain or hair heaviness?
For me, follicle pain is right on the surface. The scalp feels all achy and strange if you massage it with your fingers or change the hair direction a little. A tension headache is a headache -- it echos through your whole head, like your brain hurts.

[Hollyfire3]

For me, follicle pain is right on the surface. The scalp feels all achy and strange if you massage it with your fingers or change the hair direction a little. A tension headache is a headache -- it echos through your whole head, like your brain hurts.

Oh, I get the second one then, and the first occasionally, but mostly the second one.

[Laylah]

How about trying a sewn-in hairstyle like hair taping? There are some very helpful youtube videos on it. Pretty much all you do is make a braid or two and sew it to your scalp hair with ribbon so the weight is distributed evenly. I have very thick and heavy hair so it hurts with hairsticks, pins, and updos in general, except the hair taping kind.

[Anje]

For me, follicle pain is right on the surface. The scalp feels all achy and strange if you massage it with your fingers or change the hair direction a little. A tension headache is a headache -- it echos through your whole head, like your brain hurts.

Oh, I get the second one then, and the first occasionally, but mostly the second one.
Whereas I tend to get the first one with a badly placed updo. Unfortunately, follicle pain is often easier to deal with.

[Hollyfire3]

Whereas I tend to get the first one with a badly placed updo. Unfortunately, follicle pain is often easier to deal with.

Yeah, I ignore my headaches for as long as I can since I usually put my hair up on bad hair days, but they often get so bad I take my hair down and deal with it, if not, I suffer for a long while being unfocused with the pounding head until I can get some medicine, no fun! And here i thought this heat damage was making my hair lighter...ha! Folicle pain is easy, take the bun down, massage head, put bun back up, I have done this with sucess, but actual tension headaches from heavy hair, forget it!

[FrozenBritannia]

I have had both, today I was wearing the stick vertically though, and had the whole head aching kind, not just the follicles.

I will look into hair taping, thanks!

[Hollyfire3]

I have had both, today I was wearing the stick vertically though, and had the whole head aching kind, not just the follicles.

I will look into hair taping, thanks!

Huh, wonder why. If your hair isn't thick, then why would you get a headache beacuse of its weight?:confused: Hair taping sounds cool! I might try it too!

[torrilin]

About the only time I get headaches from hair... it's not actually from the HAIR. Some hair styles make me feel like my bun is bumping my neck or my bun ends up bumping into furniture and I'll tend to contort myself as a result. Voila, tension headache.

Wearing a style that doesn't result in me engaging in odd contortions is fine. Often the EXACT SAME bun will be fine as long as I position it differently.

[Phalaenopsis]

I have this too. I never got used to it, my follicles get angry when pulled back. So I don't have a headache that badly when I keep my parting and keep it more losely, but I like tight buns :shrug:

[heidi w.]

Hmm, some things to think about!

The stick does touch my scalp, and the hair is pulled tight, because that is the only way I can get it to stay right now. :( I will have to figure out another way I guess!

I have tried braiding my hair and then bunning it, but it doesn't work so good yet, that is my plan when it gets longer though!

FrozenBritannia, I show an updo in a recent youtube video I made. It's near the end of the video, and it might be somewhat helpful to you. Perhaps you can do an amended version of it somehow? I don't know what length you are currently, but if it's shoulder length then this updo isn't appropriate for you as you simply don't have enough length yet.

I would suggest that you can do fairly well dividing the hair in half and creating two smaller buns.

Braided buns generally work well. Just braid the length as best you can, then rotate around in a plain ole bun.

There are two reasons you're getting headaches.

1. You're likely pulling too tight which can irritate the capillaries just under the scalp skin. In irritation mode, they swell over time, and can lead to the cause of headaches.

2. You're manipulating the hair in a direction other than it's hair growth pattern. All hair has a hair part of some kind, and if you comb the hair in an upward direction, or a side part, this can lead to aggravation of capillaries which can swell and lead to a headache. You may not be allowing enough loose hair time for these capillaries to relax, such as wearing the hair in its direction of growth and not wear it up at night. Allow the hair to rest so the scalp skin can "rest" and so can the capillaries.

I hope this makes sense and helps somewhat. Try the two smaller buns idea. In summer, this can be a fun look. And I have worn this look to work. People think it looks a little goofy, but some days I have been able to get away with it. (When I was working...)

Have a great day, and hopefully this is somewhat helpful.
heidi w.

[heidi w.]

About the only time I get headaches from hair... it's not actually from the HAIR. Some hair styles make me feel like my bun is bumping my neck or my bun ends up bumping into furniture and I'll tend to contort myself as a result. Voila, tension headache.

Wearing a style that doesn't result in me engaging in odd contortions is fine. Often the EXACT SAME bun will be fine as long as I position it differently.

I can end up with a slight headache if the bun has fallen down the back and is rather dangling from the forehead hair (line). This creates a serious irritation that I usually detect rather rapidly, and dismiss myself to the ladies room and redo my updo. Also, my coat jacket neck can rub against the underside of the updo and cause hair to fall out of the bun, and to prevent this, I often will tilt my head forward and a headache can arise from holding my head for a longer period of time in this uncomfortable position. Again, I usually have to wait til I get somewhere (as this tends to occur mostly while I'm driving) to reset/redo the updo.

heidi w.

[heidi w.]

I have also had irritations on the head because the hair stick is too close to the scalp and is in fact actually pulling a given strand or section of hair. I have to redo the updo to make this stop.

When I do an updo, I tend to draw all the hair length to the back of me and make an updo. But the last thing I do after the updo is finished, is press the palms of my hand on either side of my head and press and slightly pull forward to slightly loosen the hair so it won't be too tight, hopefully.

heidi w.

[FrozenBritannia]

Thanks Heidi, I will try the two buns, but my APL length hair is definately not long enough for the updo in your video- I have tried! Lol.

[Seeshami]

when ever I hook into scalp hair to hold my hair I get a head ache. I know it weird but my spin pins go in the middle of my buns and they only hook bun hair. Yes I get saggy buns but no head aches.

[Vanilla]

I also have a hard time with positioning my updo and headaches. I get the follicle hair aches and the full blown tension headaches.

If I start getting the twinge of pain in my scalp, I'll take the updo down immediately and either reposition or French braid. For whatever reason, French and Dutch braids work well to put in my layers and don't give me a headache or help relieve one that is forming. Hope this helps!

[FrozenBritannia]

Thanks everyone!