Ponytails Cause Thinning? Rumor Control Needed

[wyldcurlz]

went to a stylist today who told me that my hair seems to be thinning from the "point where i place my ponytail." she said damp ponytailing is to blame for the thinning and states that my hair is noticeably thicker at the root than it is in the middle/ends.

i'll acknowledge that my hair is thicker at the root and thinner at the ends, but is wearing a ponytail/bunning to blame? especially the fact that i usually ponytail damp hair.

i need some rumor control, please.

 

[sugarose]

I ponytail or bun 98% of the time. I do it very loosely and I haven't seen any damage from it. I don't think I would recommend pony tailing wet hair though.

 

[Divine Inspiration]

I definitely think wet ponytailing/bunning could be to blame. Wet hair is weaker than dry hair so it's more prone to stretching and breakage. You may want to consider using looser elastics, being sure to put moisturizer in that area, and/or cutting back on the ponytails.

I stopped wet bunning last year because I was afraid of this kind of thinning. I never had any problems, but I didn't want to stop. I think wet bunning is best done on occasion rather than weekly. I would ease up on it and see what happens.

 

[Determined22]

I did experience breakage due to ponytails on wet hair. It was in one area, but my stylist saw it and immediately said "you put your wet hair in a ponytail, don't you?". I had to switch to pinning up my hair when it was wet.

 

[Radianthealth]

This is good to know, and makes plenty of sense. This is why my hair thinned out from wearing a wet baggy. I will have to find something else to do with my hair

 

[TLC1020]

Pontails can cause thinning depending on how you do them, if you do them wet let your hair dry a little bit more. Try not to make them tight so there is less tension on your scalp. I ponytail bun 98% of the time and have been for over a year now, I make sure not to pull the pontail tight and keep the hair moisturized and it has done wonders for my hair as far as health and length. Try to keep the tension to a minimum if you can.. HTH

 

[SvelteVelvet]

Before I knew the right way to pony my hair, they caused me much breakage and thinning. I didnt need anyone to tell me that, I figured it out from the point at which my length seemed to be stunted at the sides and other areas...right where I'd cinch my pony. I went many years deathly afraid of the pony, I just started wearing them again this year, always on dry hair, always using a silk scrunchie and always very loose. If you take out your holder and your hair has an imprint 'bend' left on that area, you're causing yourself thinning and breakage.

 

[Radianthealth]

Before I knew the right way to pony my hair, they caused me much breakage and thinning. I didnt need anyone to tell me that, I figured it out from the point at which my length seemed to be stunted at the sides and other areas...right where I'd cinch my pony. I went many years deathly afraid of the pony, I just started wearing them again this year, always on dry hair, always using a silk scrunchie and always very loose. If you take out your holder and your hair has an imprint 'bend' left on that area, you're causing yourself thinning and breakage.

This post makes me feel really silly I noticed the thinning but never put two and two together. I am so happy that this thread was started. I am going to do a personal challenge to do no ponytails for the next six months. I will survive by doing frech braids and french rolls.

 

[SvelteVelvet]

This post makes me feel really silly I noticed the thinning but never put two and two together. I am so happy that this thread was started. I am going to do a personal challenge to do no ponytails for the next six months. I will survive by doing frech braids and french rolls.

I felt really dumb when I realized it too. After I stopped them I evened out my hair all around into a bob and when it grew back out the sides and back were finally growing together.

 

[Radianthealth]

I blamed my ex-stylist for leaving the relaxer in my hair too long. I am sure that this was a contributor but I only made it worse with the ponytails.

This should be one of the first things we tell newbies, it is so very important

 

[meaganita]

I think it depends on how tight the pony is being pulled. I've been wearing ponytails lately and they've been pretty tight too. Yesterday I noticed a small lock of hair in the front of my hair...it looked broken. I'm thinking tight, gel slicked ponies are the culprit.erplexed

 

[imstush]

Before I knew the right way to pony my hair, they caused me much breakage and thinning. I didnt need anyone to tell me that, I figured it out from the point at which my length seemed to be stunted at the sides and other areas...right where I'd cinch my pony. I went many years deathly afraid of the pony, I just started wearing them again this year, always on dry hair, always using a silk scrunchie and always very loose. If you take out your holder and your hair has an imprint 'bend' left on that area, you're causing yourself thinning and breakage.

ITA with your post. I've been wearing ponytails for so many years, and I always blamed this one stylist for the way she cut my hair. I used that as an excuse as to why the front of my hair has always been unbelievably shorter than the rest of my hair. I am now off the using any kind of ponytail holders, satin or silk scrunchies, etc. I just twist my hair into a bun and pin it.

 

[wyldcurlz]

I definitely think wet ponytailing/bunning could be to blame. Wet hair is weaker than dry hair so it's more prone to stretching and breakage. You may want to consider using looser elastics, being sure to put moisturizer in that area, and/or cutting back on the ponytails.

I stopped wet bunning last year because I was afraid of this kind of thinning. I never had any problems, but I didn't want to stop. I think wet bunning is best done on occasion rather than weekly. I would ease up on it and see what happens.

DI, if you say it, I trust it. I try to be very careful by using the nylon ponytail holders (which are very gentle)...but i guess this could be the problem. i don't know what to do with my hair, though. i have to get up early, hit the gym, then get to work. i need something quick and easy that looks professional. guess i'll have to spend this weekend experimenting with the proper ratios of gel and conditioner so i can wear my hair down and curly ina wash-n-go type of style. argh!!!

 

[ajoyfuljoy]

I just took my hair out of a ponytail holder as I was reading this thread.

I've been being lazy in the summer heat and not wearing my hair down as much as I usually do during the rest of the year. But I'll try my best to lay off the ponytails and lay off the wet ponytails (even though I love them SOOOOO much).

Did I mention that I love wet ponytailing? Anyway, I'll still try to stop it because I've been doing this very consistently for several months.

 

[CAPlush]

Try bunning with pins or clips only rather than an elastic.

 

[Divine Inspiration]

DI, if you say it, I trust it. I try to be very careful by using the nylon ponytail holders (which are very gentle)...but i guess this could be the problem. i don't know what to do with my hair, though. i have to get up early, hit the gym, then get to work. i need something quick and easy that looks professional. guess i'll have to spend this weekend experimenting with the proper ratios of gel and conditioner so i can wear my hair down and curly ina wash-n-go type of style. argh!!!

Do you soak the elastics before you use them? That would probably make a huge difference b/c the nylon elastics can be drying to the area it has bound. Try soaking them in leave-in or a light oil like jojoba.

There's nothing wrong with still wearing them; you may just need to not do them on wet hair and switch up the position every 7 days or so so that no one area is constantly being pulled.

If those things don't work, then you can commence to experimenting although wearing your hair out one or two days a week probably wouldn't be a bad idea.

 

[RosesBlack]

I always oil my elastics and make sure I don't wear my little ponytail or bun in exactly the same position for too long. And I never wet bun/ponytail my hair really hates that.

I have found that I can dry baggy at night and I get the good effects of softer less frizzy ends and my length stays nice as well. But I don't use an actual baggy I use a cut piece of grocery bag and oiled elastics on the inside and a dry one on the outside so it doesn't slip.