Hair ties and breakage

Do hair ties cause breakage or not? Does it depend on how much you use them, or how many tightly you apply them? Some say yes, others say no. I'm extremely confused. Can anyone please enlighten me on this issue?

It depends on the type of tie, the tightness, the placement and how ofter you use them.
It depends on the person.
My hair doesn't like the thin ones even when they are "ouchless" and don't have metal. I have to be very gentle taking them down and unwind them instead of just pulling them down or they will pull out hair.
Eventually I'm going to make a batch of satin scrunchies if I remember :/

What type of tie do you mean?

If it goes on my hair and I feel it will be drying, it gets soaked in an oil, conditioner, or something else before I put it in my hair.

^^^^ Anything you wrap around the hair to secure it except for bobby pins or rubber bands, (which are surely damaging). I usually use ouchless elastics, but I'm unsure as to whether they might cause breakage.

i find that all of them cause breakeage , even the oucheless ones with no metal , i still see a few hairs wrapped around it when i take it out. I'm not that worried about a few pieces of hair though. The breakage could just from putting pressure on the same spot everyday.

I only use a black satin scrunchy to secure my ponytail, anything else gets tangled or pulls out strands of hair.

WyrdWay said:

It depends on the type of tie, the tightness, the placement and how ofter you use them.
It depends on the person.
My hair doesn't like the thin ones even when they are "ouchless" and don't have metal. I have to be very gentle taking them down and unwind them instead of just pulling them down or they will pull out hair.
Eventually I'm going to make a batch of satin scrunchies if I remember :/

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howyoudoin said:

i find that all of them cause breakeage , even the oucheless ones with no metal , i still see a few hairs wrapped around it when i take it out. I'm not that worried about a few pieces of hair though. The breakage could just from putting pressure on the same spot everyday.

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Yeah I read some where to think of an old lace table cloth maybe a family heirloom, if you keep folding it in the same way over and over you will cause "stress/damage" along the lines of the folds, the same happens when you tie your hair in the same place frequently. You see it a lot in old tapesties*(sp).

So I guess hair ties can do a few types of damage, imediate and long term. And it all has so many variables. Everything is unique to the person and probably preventable.

I use Goody Ouchless, as do my 3 DDs. We've never noticed breakage, but we are very careful about removing them and we switch up ponytail placement regularly. I think any tie will lead to breakage if you pull the hair back tightly and twist the tie too many times.

eta: If hair becomes trapped in the elastic, we always cut the elastic with a scissor and then remove it carefully, thereby preserving all the hair. I'd rather lose an elastic than break hairs.

I occasionally use Ouchless Bands. IDK if its the fibers or what but Its always hair in it. Nothing major or I would ordinarily worry but with me being a religious ponytail wearer those little hairs will add up. Im considering using terry cloth ponytail holders. Their fibers arent wound as tightly so I dont think it will be that harsh on my ponytail. I like the silk scrunchies but they wear out fast and the only ones I have found are in a pack with 3 cotton and 3 silk for $3

They don't for me, but I use ones that are very soft and made of a Terry-cloth like material - no metal and no hard pieces of glue. On dry/damaged hair or when placed on too tightly, they are more likely to cause breakage.

Eta: when you take the holder off and pieces of hair are stuck to it, that's breakage! You should probably stop using them or figure out if your hair needs a good moisturizing treatment.

I use the thick ouchless bands on my hair and my kids hair. They don't cause any breakage. I just make sure not to twist them to tight and I am careful with how I take them off. I also avoid putting them in the same spots.

I have been using these for the past few weekshttp://www.beautyheaven.com.au/product_images/28415/59292.jpg

They are jelly elastics. They don't snag or rip hair.

LuvlyRain3 said:

I have been using these for the past few weekshttp://www.beautyheaven.com.au/product_images/28415/59292.jpg

They are jelly elastics. They don't snag or rip hair.

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I like the sound of these.

I use "ouchless" wide covered elastics that don't have any metal, but I find the part where the ends are brought together by burning or searing the material STILL snags my hair. I really like the idea of the jelly elastics and I think I've seen the pkg in the store but didn't pay attn they were made of a completely diff material! (Thanks LuvlyRain3). ETA those hard glue seams have to go! They always seem to steal a few shed hairs of mine as well as DD who is 4a/b. Ive gotta do the jellies frm now on.

I only wrap my elastic around 2 times cuz my hair is so thick. If i pull my hair taught enuf to do a 3rd wrap, I get a major headache. I only get a lil hair snag as noted above on the rough seam area of the elastic, but no breakage on the ponytail hair or in that area. As for DD her hair is mainly in cornrows w. beads, but when we do puffs or a bun, I only wrap 2 times and really moisturize the hair b4 and after.

My hair LOVES buns and I also like Good Day Hair Pins for buns but my hair is too thick and not long enuf (50-60%shrinkage) to stay in a decent bun done just w. pins! Can't wait til I'm at least MBL curly then I can wrap my hair around, secure w. plastic pins and go. <- and the same w. the hair sticks! I have a collection frm my long, straight hair days and I can't wait to br8k em out!

I use a cut up stocking soaked in conditioner or most recently, banana clips. I change bun placement frequently to avoid causing stress to one particular area.

I use a banana clip to do ponytails now. My fine hair looks fuller in my buns too. I like the more rounded one I get from Ulta compared to the longer ones I find at Walmart and Grocery Store.


The Elle one is from Ulta. The other one I see at Walmart and Grocery stores I like the Elle better than the other one because I dont have to do much to hide it like a regular ponytail holder without the risk of stress on my hair.

I do not get any breakage or snagging

I stopped using the scrungies, at one time I thought them safe but had later seen hairs in them so breakage and then I wonder if when tucking in my hair and binding it up with the scrungy was thinning my ends.

So now I turn to these goodie clips below.