Which Hair Accessories Damage Hair, and What to Use Instead
Quick answer: The accessories most likely to cause trouble grip hard or snag: rubber bands, thin bare elastics, metal joins, chipped pins, heavy clips hanging from a small section, and tight barrettes or headbands. How tight and how long matter more than the material. Swap in covered elastics, lighter clips or soft scrunchies, in silk or any smooth fabric, and wear them loose.
Find the oldest elastic in your bathroom drawer and look at the little metal join. If there are hairs wound into it, you're holding most of this article.
Two different things go wrong. An accessory can snag and snap strands along their length, which costs you ends and smoothness. Or it can pull at the root over months, which can cost you hair at the hairline. As far as we can find, no one has tested accessories against each other in a trial, so what follows rests on what dermatologists and hair specialists see, plus some common sense about sharp edges.
Which hair accessories damage hair the most?
The likeliest culprits are the ones that stay tight for hours and the ones with an edge that catches. There's no official ranking, so read this as a list of what can go wrong and what to try.
| Accessory | What can go wrong | What to try instead |
|---|---|---|
| Office rubber bands | They aren't made for hair. They grip strands and can pull them out on the way off. | Covered bands made for hair, as the American Academy of Dermatology advises |
| Thin, bare elastics | A tight, narrow grip that can snap strands and pull hair out on removal | A fabric-covered tie or a soft scrunchie |
| Elastics with a metal join | The join can catch and tug | A one-piece covered tie with no metal |
| Metal bobby pins and clips | Sharp or chipped edges can dig into strands and scalp, and metal heats up under a dryer | Rubber-tipped or coated pins, taken out before you blow-dry |
| Heavy claw clips | All the weight hangs from what the clip grips, and a rough seam can catch | A lighter clip with smooth edges, big enough for all your hair |
| Tight barrettes and snap clips | Steady pressure on one small patch | A looser fit, in a different spot from day to day |
| Tight headbands | Pressure and rubbing at the hairline | A softer band that leaves no dent |
| Clip-in extensions and heavy hair jewelry | More weight means more pull | Lighter pieces, worn for shorter stretches |
The medical literature has its own small record of this. A 2018 review of traction alopecia reports patchy hair loss from pins and clips, and describes nurses who lost hair at the spot where two bobby pins anchored their caps. It also notes that plastic beads and barrettes on children's braids add traction, which is worth knowing if you do a child's hair. Keep the braids soft at the hairline and the hardware light, and ask your pediatrician about any sore spots or thinning.
Why do tight elastics break hair?
A tight elastic puts its whole grip on a narrow line, and hair held there for hours then has to be tugged free. One well-known hair clinic warns that bare elastics can snap strands and pull hair out on removal, and you may see short, broken hairs where your ponytail usually sits. Wet hair makes this worse, because it stretches far more easily than dry hair, so let it dry before you tie it back. Unwrap a tie rather than dragging it out. If a rubber band has stuck, snip it free.
Are claw clips bad for your hair?
Usually not, if the clip fits. A clip big enough for your hair spreads its hold across many strands, where a thin elastic grips along one tight line. That's reasoning more than research: we found no study of claw clips, and the warmest praise tends to come from people selling them. Trouble starts when a heavy clip hangs from a small section, when a seam or broken tooth catches, or when you sleep in it. The same clinic advises against going to bed with pins or clips in at all.
What should you use instead of elastic hair ties?
Use whatever holds your hair without leaving a dent or an ache.
- Covered elastics. This is the AAD's own suggestion, and any drugstore has them.
- Scrunchies in a smooth fabric. Cotton, velvet, polyester satin and silk will all sit softer than a bare band. Silk has a very smooth surface, and the LS Silk trio is 22-momme mulberry silk in mini, small and medium.
- Spiral ties. These plastic coils grip at a few points instead of all the way around, and some people find they leave less of a dent. We found no test of them.
- A soft headband. Any band that doesn't press will do. The LS Silk headband is a flexible band wrapped in mulberry silk, in one size, and it should come off if it ever feels tight.
Whatever tie you use, wear it a little looser and a little lower, and take it out when you get home. For bedtime, how to protect your hair while you sleep covers what to do with long hair overnight.
When should you worry about a hair accessory?
Worry when it hurts or when your hairline changes. Soreness, stinging, small bumps, broken hairs around your forehead or a patch thinning where an accessory sits all mean it's time to stop wearing it and see a board-certified dermatologist. Tension gets its own full treatment, with the warning signs, in is it bad to wear a hair tie on your wrist?
See LS Silk scrunchies in 100% mulberry silk →
Back to the drawer, then. That old elastic has done its years of service. Drop it in the trash with the hairs still wound around the join, and keep whichever tie you can take out without wincing.
Frequently asked questions
Are scrunchies better for your hair than elastics?
They sit softer and spread over a wider band, and many people find they leave less of a dent. We found no study that compares them. Fit still matters, since a scrunchie pulled tight strains your hairline just as an elastic does.
Can hair clips cause hair loss?
They can, if the same clip pulls on the same patch again and again. A 2018 review reports patchy hair loss linked to pins and clips. Occasional use is unlikely to matter, but see a board-certified dermatologist if you notice thinning where a clip sits.
Is it bad to sleep with a hair clip or tie in?
One well-known hair clinic advises against sleeping in pins or clips, because metal and hard edges can press on your scalp and catch your hair. If you tie long hair up at night, use something soft and keep it loose.
Are spiral hair ties better for your hair?
They may be for some people. A coil grips at a few points rather than all the way around, and many users report less of a dent. No test we could find has confirmed that, and a tight coil can still pull.
Do headbands damage your hair?
A loose one is unlikely to. Tight bands press and rub at the hairline, so a dent, an ache or broken hairs along the band are signs it's too tight. Wear it for shorter stretches or try a softer one.
Are beads and barrettes safe for kids' braids?
They're fine when they're light and the braids aren't pulled tight, but a 2018 dermatology review notes they add traction. Keep braids soft around the hairline and take them out if your child complains of soreness. Ask your pediatrician about bumps, sore spots or thinning.
Related reading: Why Your Hair Tangles While You Sleep · Silk Bonnet vs Silk Pillowcase: Which Should You Buy First? · Do Silk Bonnets Really Work?