Driving with an updo?

[Barefoot]

I put my hair in a bun for work last week, for the first time.
Driving to work was awful, I couldn't lean my head on the headrest, my neck felt craned forward and I just felt really uncomfortable. How do you keep your hair nice while driving?

[Zesty]

I haven't had a problem because I tend to sit on the edge of seats anyway, or at least not lean back onto the back of chairs. I find it's more comfortable to let my back support itself rather than relying on seats that are not the right shape. So I'd recommend just pushing the seat back more and sitting more upright/further forward so that your updo doesn't hit the headrest. If that doesn't seem doable to you, you could always wait until you get to work to put it up.

[red-again]

I feel your pain! I get round it by wearing a high bun or indeed a low bun.

[Dragon Faery]

A few years ago I had that problem with headrests in general, especially in newer cars. I solved it by finding a pillow that fit between my lower/mid/upper back area and the seat, which kept the head rest from pushing my head too far forward. This is what I would do if I had to wear a bun while in the car.

[faellen]

I never seem to use headrests when in the car, so luckily not a problem for me :)

[coneyisland]

Regardless of hairstyle, I take the headrest out.

[ariesfairies]

I put my hair bun up high or in a French twist to soften it. I totally feel your pain though, it can drive a headache sometimes. I definitely recommend the french twist though, especially since a super high bun can look rather silly sometimes!

[Madora]

My car (a '66 Plymouth Valiant) doesn't have a headrest.

If your hair is long enough (shoulder or longer) you might like to try this two strand lace crown braid:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPHEzUr5bWQ

Sometimes I just bun my hair in a loose braid on top of my head.

[jacqueline101]

I do a softer hair style like a french twist.

[1nuitblanche]

Headrests are awful... I usually wear a high bun or else braids in the car.

[piratejenny]

Oh I feel your pain! I keep wondering the same. In practise I let my hair down in the car and put it back up when I get to my destination. (No, my updos aren't particularly elaborate :cool:)...

By the way, I think driving without a headrest is illegal in Europe...

[CareBear]

Is your headrest fixed or does it come out/adjust? If it adjusts, sometimes you can pull it out all the way, turn it around, and put it back in. Then the pushy forward part of it is pointing back. I have this problem with the cars at work, the Ford Focus is the worst! It drives me absolutely crazy! I do think the newer cars are worse than older ones, I don't have the same problem with my personal car. Obviously the car makers don't have anyone on staff with long hair who like updo's! Maybe we should start an awareness campaign! :D
I forgot to say, recline the seat a bit before you try taking the headrest out, modern cars have very little head room to begin with, and sometimes the headrest will hit the ceiling, and you think, ah well then, headaches for me, but no, it just needs more room to come out

[Amapola]

LOL! I thought this was about CARRIAGE driving as in horse and buggy, and I was hoping to get some tips here about getting my hair in a helmet! :D:D:D

[Annibelle]

Please don't remove the headrest, as some have suggested. That headrest could save your life. You think your hairstyle is more important? Think about-- if you did manage to survive-- the quality of life you'd have after snapping your neck. My SO has been dealing with that for over a decade. He wouldn't even be alive if he didn't have a headrest.

I have this same problem, though. My solution is to just wear simple buns to work that I can quickly re-do when I get there. :)

[Slug Yoga]

I put my hair down or in a braid. Or else you could put it in a bun that is high enough that it's off the back of your head. That's what I do when I am bench pressing at the gym (so that I can lie down with my head flat).

[Ticky]

I think that a braid would do, and if you want to have an updo, maybe you can do a quick one when you arrive. Headrests are annoying when it comes to hairstyles, however, I agree with others. They are there for a very good reason, so I try not to get too annoyed at them :)

[Tisiloves]

If you don't want to re-do why not try a really flat bun like the vortex. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DF5HXky3B8&feature=plcp)

[darklyndsea]

I either tilt the seat back enough that I can sit up straight and have my bun rest against/just in front of the headrest, or I wear a hairstyle that's on the flatter side, such as amish braids. For buns that it doesn't take much effort for me to do, sometimes I just take them down for the car ride, and put them back when I get to my destination. Removing the headrest sounds dangerous.

[Seeshami]

In my Jetta I could adjust pretty much everything about the seat so I pushed the lumbar support out as far as it could go so I would still be able to lean back and the naughty mess wouldn't be touched.

In my chevy I think I could take the head rests off if I wanted to but I haven't tried and unfortunately I have just started slouching. :( Thank goodness I am going to ride my bike to work in Fall, summer is just to hot.

[torrilin]

If I expect to drive a car (eeeeew) or even be in one, the bun of the day will be plonked on the nape of my neck. I don't like how I look in a lot of buns that are high on top of my head.

My real solution tho is to ride my bike. Dealing with long hair and a helmet is a lot easier than dealing with long hair and a car, at least to me.

[swearnsue]

Please don't remove the headrest, as some have suggested. That headrest could save your life. You think your hairstyle is more important? Think about-- if you did manage to survive-- the quality of life you'd have after snapping your neck. My SO has been dealing with that for over a decade. He wouldn't even be alive if he didn't have a headrest.

I have this same problem, though. My solution is to just wear simple buns to work that I can quickly re-do when I get there. :)

I agree with Annibelle. What good is it to be a paraplegic with beautiful hair? Also, I disagree with sitting forward in the seat. This would be very bad if the airbags deploy.

[embee]

For sure some headrests are worse than others. There are some that make my neck hurt and my back slouch forward even if my hair is in a simple braid or topknot.

I do not understand the manufacturers who make headrests poke so far forward that one cannot sit straight in the seat. But I am reluctant to remove the rests, although the ones in the back seat have been taken off - I could not see out the back of the car for all the headrests. And visibility is a very important safety feature. :(

[xoxophelia]

I don't think you should take out the headrest or drive with your seat back. They are there for a reason and that is to protect you and decrease whiplash if you were to get in an accident. The best solution is either a higher or lower updo, one that is flat in the back by being parted in two or is on the side a bit, or doing a simple updo that you can redo after you drive.

[coneyisland]

Annibelle, swearnsue, and xoxophelia, thank you very much for your concern. Please notice that I was not suggesting that anyone else drive without headrest.

My not using the headrests has nothing to do with my hair and everything to do with the troublesome configuration of the newer headrests. It is for two compelling safety reasons that I drive without them. For one thing, they would be in the way of my looking around behind for backing up and for changing lanes. For another thing, the outsiest part of the (newer type) headrest is at the outsiest part of the back of my head. A (newer type) headrest would stop my upper head but that would surely cause my neck to fold.

[Note to those readers less familiar with English: "Outsiest" is not a word.]

[Annibelle]

Annibelle, swearnsue, and xoxophelia, thank you very much for your concern. Please notice that I was not suggesting that anyone else drive without headrest.

My not using the headrests has nothing to do with my hair and everything to do with the troublesome configuration of the newer headrests. It is for two compelling safety reasons that I drive without them. For one thing, they would be in the way of my looking around behind for backing up and for changing lanes. For another thing, the outsiest part of the (newer type) headrest is at the outsiest part of the back of my head. A (newer type) headrest would stop my upper head but that would surely cause my neck to fold.

[Note to those readers less familiar with English: "Outsiest" is not a word.]

I do. not. understand. these new headrests. I'm sure there's some reason for them. I do not understand the reason. I don't even understand how the heck you're supposed to use it! We're gonna have to find something new soon, but I'm dreading it. SO has broken his neck already and must lean his head against a headrest, but you can't really do that in these new contraptions.

Thank you for clarifying. I hope there's a better solution than removing the headrest. :( Could you turn it around instead? Or is the back weird too?

[nobeltonya]

I don't usually lean back anyway, if I did keep my hair up in a bun.. but it's usually more comfortable, especially on a long drive, to leave it loose and throw it over my right shoulder. :rolling:

[tokitoki]

I took the headrest off.

[my2cats1]

On long car rides, I braid loosely into two braids and let them hang down over my chest. Same on airplanes, too -- airplane headrests are the worst! Must be designed for people over 7 ft. tall.

[kme81]

This is why I like Heidi braids so much...they are the perfect travel hairdo and they look nice! The only thing I can suggest for having updos while driving is to sit closer to the edge of the seat. ...Or perhaps wearing a scarf or some sort of head covering?

[Chromis]

I'm a passenger, but I flip the headrest around. Our car's headrest does not work well for me even with my hair in a braid because as others have mentioned, new cars seem to be designed only for taller people.

[CurlyMopTop]

Regardless of hairstyle, I take the headrest out.

This! I just bought a new vehicle in March. What in the world were these people thinking? It certainly isn't any safer for me to have the headrest (with my hair in a bun or whatever) than without one! I'd end up with a broken neck either which way!

[CurlyMopTop]

Annibelle, swearnsue, and xoxophelia, thank you very much for your concern. Please notice that I was not suggesting that anyone else drive without headrest.

My not using the headrests has nothing to do with my hair and everything to do with the troublesome configuration of the newer headrests. It is for two compelling safety reasons that I drive without them. For one thing, they would be in the way of my looking around behind for backing up and for changing lanes. For another thing, the outsiest part of the (newer type) headrest is at the outsiest part of the back of my head. A (newer type) headrest would stop my upper head but that would surely cause my neck to fold.

[Note to those readers less familiar with English: "Outsiest" is not a word.]

And this! :(

[WaitingSoLong]

I've never had trouble with headrests in any car/truck/vehicle? I don't rest my head against anything so it has never been an issue for me. Therefor I find this thread interesting. I ride in new and old cars of all types. Maybe if you actually tried to rest your head against it, but why would you do this? Your head need to be able to move freely to look around while driving.

And I will echo what everyone said abotu headrests being there for safety and not for resting your head.

[cobden 28]

Short of wearing my hair down - and having it blow in front of my face, impeding my driving ability - I find it's best to either wear my hair in a ponytail at the nape of my neck (which doesn't suit my face at all) or a Croydon Facelift high on top of my head.

I seldom wear my hair up in a bun as my husband says it makes me look like an old granny, so does a ponytail count?

[Nae]

Ficcares work fabulously for this. They sit really flat and you can just rest the ficcare, bun and all against the head rest.

I think I sit slightly forward naturally because I don't usually rest my head on the headrest itself but occasionally on long trips it is a must.

[Chromis]

I've never had trouble with headrests in any car/truck/vehicle? I don't rest my head against anything so it has never been an issue for me. Therefor I find this thread interesting. I ride in new and old cars of all types. Maybe if you actually tried to rest your head against it, but why would you do this? Your head need to be able to move freely to look around while driving.

And I will echo what everyone said abotu headrests being there for safety and not for resting your head.

I don't rest my head either, but my head still bumps into ours. The part that sticks out the most on the headrest is exactly where back of my skull that sticks out the most is.

[BittSweetCherry]

I echo the point that you should not remove the headrest - your safety is more important than your hair!

Copied from a comment I made back in 2008:

"FYI, someone ran into the back of my car just before the New Year (I was the passenger) at moderate speed. Both cars were able to drive away safely, but the impact was enough to shatter my claw clip as it was crushed between my scalp and the headrest. And I still have a whiplash injury *sniff*. According to my physio, the failure to impact against the back- and head-rests in a stable (sitting upright) position because of the huge lump behind my head added to the injury. A deviation of an inch or two from the correct alignment can really strain your neck on impact - my chin was halfway tucked into my chest."

Four bouts of physio later, I am still trying to cope with the knock-on effects of that whiplash incident. Thanks to my driver's stuff-up with claiming insurance (I didn't get anything) I postponed physio for three months until it was debilitating, and I have calcium deposits and wearing in my shoulder joint due to the long-term changes in my posture caused by ongoing pain. I now drive with my hair out over one shoulder.

[KwaveT]

I will add my own personal story about the headrest. I try to U-turn on a five lane highway in front of my house. I didn't see the car coming on the inside of my and they went right into my driver's door. My head slung back and hit the headrest and busted my head open. They had to take me to the hospital and put 8 staples in my head to close the wound. If there was no head rest then I probably have a neck injury. I was very light headed and I suspected I passed out at some point. I mentioned medical information that I would normally not mention because I was mentally out of it from the hit. I got a scar back there on my head but nothing more.

[OilPaint]

I have issues with the new headrests, also. In my old car I would simply adjust the headrest depending on how I wore my hair, but the new one is not adjustable.

To compensate, I simply put in a lumbar-support on my seat and started wearing my bun a bit higher and looser. Actually, it's been a bit of a blessing in disguise, because now I have slightly better posture and the new positioning of my bun actually seems to have taken some of the weight off my head.

I actually have more issues driving when my hair is down or in a braid, simply because it's either trying to eat me and the emergency brake OR I have an uncomfortable rope between me and the back of my seat. The only way I drive with it down is if it's in two braids.

[luxepiggy]

I tend to sit up very straight all the time, so I've managed to circumvent this problem thus far.

[longNred]

this was driving me nuts last week - I ended up just tilting the back of the seat back a bit.