How You Can Prevent Hair Damage From Ponytails And Buns

These days, many of us are ditching the hair products, the time spent primping, the heated appliances, and are instead choosing to throw our hair back into a quick ponytail or bun. We tell ourselves that it's actually a good thing since we can give our hair a much needed "break" from our sometimes rigorous styling routines. Unfortunately, our styling and heat-free ponytail and bun days can still be wreaking havoc on our hair.

The first big hair sin you could be committing with a ponytail or bun is by making them with wet hair. This is where a lot of us raise up our hands and profess guilt. It's so easy to throw our hair up post shower at the gym, or when we just don't have time to blow it dry. Cheryl Bergamy, who is a celebrity hairstylist and founder of the haircare line Contents Haircare explains why this habit should be avoided. "Hair is the most delicate when wet. When the hair is in a wet ponytail as the hair is drying in an updo it pulls even more. This could result in thinning hair/hair [loss]," she shares (via Byrdie).

A swinging ponytail instills the vision of a carefree gal, but this easygoing hairstyle could be causing some tension. Sure, a ponytail has the advantage of keeping your hair out of your face, but there is no need to pull your hair back too tightly. A too tight ponytail or bun could lead to tension in the strands and cause breakage around the hairline and to the hair that is in the tail or bun (via Loving Culture). So remember to keep it loose if you love your locks.

Another way to prevent unnecessary damage to your tresses is by switching up where you place the base of your ponytail. Jenna Marie Shafer, Lead Pro Educator for hair care brand Amika and Session hairstylist based in New York City explains, "But when you wear your hair in the same ponytail every day, you're adding stress to the same spot over and over and over again, and eventually that's going to cause your hair to snap and break off at the base of the ponytail," she says (via Byrdie). This same reasoning also applies for buns.

We're not trying to scare you away from your go-to hair style. Just remember to make sure your hair is dry first, don't pull too tight, and switch up its position on your head once in a while. This way you can go back to believing your lazy-day hairstyle choice is giving your locks a much needed break.