Non-damaging hair-styles - suggestions please

Just so things aren't stretched and pulled in only one direction all day long each and every day, try different yet "safe" hairstyles each day. That is once you find out what styles are safe.

Now I am hoping someone else answers your post, cause I want to know as much as you do.

But for years... 22 to be exact... I would braid my long hair after washing it. Never in tight braids, just gentle french braids. Either two (one on each side) or just the one in back. This way my hair was out of the way as it dried, and when I took them out my hair had beautiful waves.

You talk about being pulled in one direction all the time. But I never had problems. That is definitely less damaging then brushes and blowdryers.

Now, since I have cut my hair (just recent!!!) I have been letting it air dry loose and I have natural waves I never knew.

But when it is dry I use a plastic clip, can't think of what they are called... the claw clip things. I have some medium sizes, not the ones that are huge, but mine are about 2 inches long. And I have a way that I put it up in a ponytail so it doesn't pull. I have been doing this for about 2 years and it works.

I bend over and gather my hair and make a loose twist, stand up and clip it with the claw-clasp thing, then I open it again and secure it closer to my head. It doesn't pull my hair doing it this way like it could if it were a free moving ponytail.

It looks pretty too because the highlights sort of flow down into a swirl and the ponytail becomes layered. Now that my hair is shorter it barely works for me, but it's cute. I have some hair underneath that ends up loose.

I hope some people answer your post so we both get ideas!!

wittils

i would suggest a loose braid down the back or a lightly twisted bun held up with hair sticks. these seem to be the most gentle for me.

Hi Uzma - I have had my hair long (bsl, waist)(then cut it all off last year and am on the grow)I think it is maybe the years and years of doing it, but I can remember it hurting more to wear my hair when i was younger. I really believe that my roots have become stronger due to the daily wearing it up and they no longer hurt as much. I can wear it up all day and not feel anything...Now, i do take it down every few hours and massage my scalp. i don't use scrunchies or goody bands - I use a hair band that is made out of a knit yarn with a slight stretch. I have them in many colors and they wrap around my pony tail 4 or 5 times but never become too tight. i do the same thing you do, except I take the ends and fan them out before pulling partway through...kind of like Phoebe on Friends. i also use the clippy....but I know that once my hair reaches about 21-22 inches it will be too thick for one of those....It doesn't grab all of it and ends up falling out. i tell you this as I think from your hair description yours is thick also...you may want to try the biggest clip- not the 2 inch.

As your hair becomes longer and longer the pull will be from the actual weight of the hair and not so much from the band anymore...Instinctively, I feel that wearing it up only helps to make the roots stronger...Just don't use any goody bands or bands with a diameter of less than 1/3" I feel that is too much of a "point load" on one spot of your hair.....AS far as it bending...I really think God made it malleable for that reason...He wanted us to be able to move it up and out of the way when neccessary for survival.....I am rambling...

jacqui

Ok what about this? I saw a Picture the other day, of long hair gently pulled back and wrapped (pretty tightly) with a long peice of fabric. So, the fabric is wrapped all the way down the length of the hair. Or wrapping two ponys could work too.

The ends were still sticking out, but I would think that this generally would be really protective.

Plus it looked really cool, maybe too casual for the office, but fun.