In the year 2020 and possibly beyond, it seems most of us are living in ponytails. I’ve always loved a good messy bun, but day after day during quarantine wearing your hair the same way can take it’s toll.

Have you ever noticed any breakage or baby hairs around your face? What about stragglers that hang down in the back but never seem to reach your hair tie? These pesky things are caused by repetitive friction.

Wearing your hair that same way every day can cause stress on the fragile hair around our heads and these finer, softer pieces can break so easily. I’ve heard from so many clients post-shutdown that they’ve noticed all these little fuzzies. It’s ponytail breakage!

Whether you’ve already started seeing signs of breakage or you want to steer clear of issues in the future, there’s a few simple solutions.

Switch up your up-do

Instead of wearing the same messy bun every day, change it up! Try a low pony on Monday, a French braid on Tuesday, and maybe a half-up-something-or-other the rest of the week! Just by moving the your point of tension around your head (AKA whatever is holding up your hair) you can reduce repeated stress on your baby hairs.

Opt for silk scrunchies

Scrunchies might seem like a thing of the past but I don’t think I could EVER go back to a classic black binder ever again. I loose significantly less hair when I use a silk hair tie and they don’t give me headaches! You do have to mess with them a bit to get them to hold as well as other, tighter hair ties, but they really are WAY more gentle on your hair. MAKE THE SWITCH! It’s worth it. (PS, I buy almost all my silk and velvet scrunchies from amazon. You can get a 40 pack for like, $8.)

Treat problem areas very gently

If you’re already struggling with breakage, the best thing you can do is treat your baby hairs with care! Switching to a healing, mending shampoo and conditioner can help, using a deep conditioning mask to hydrate and repair compromised hair makes the grow-out process more seamless, and nothing beats frayed ends like a good ol’ fashioned trim. If you must wear a tight bun in the same spot (let’s say, for work or working out) you can slather some oil or leave in conditioner on these spots to give them a little extra protection!

Mask Up

Using a hydrating or repairing hair mask can help soothe stressed strands and prevent future breakage! My favorites are NOUNOU Hair Mask, The Restless Circle, and The Renaissance Circle! Apply to problem areas on dry hair before you wash, or post shampoo in place of conditioner! Let is sit for 10 minutes, rinse, and style as usual. A mask is like a super intense conditioner, it’s super easy to use and will give those little babies the help they need!

Easy on the Heat

I know those baby hairs can be annoying, but PLEASE: DO NOT SCORCH THEM. If you have curly or wave hair and they stick up and go crazy, try adding a styling paste or pomade to soothe the out instead of telling them what to do with a flat iron. Baby hairs that are heat styled with never grow, so while you might think it’s helping the situation, it will really only make it worse! Also, hairspray is your best friend! Use it to slick down stubborn spots and carry mini can around with your for touch up if needed!

---

Baby hair breakage varies from person to person and while for many it may never go away completely, by treating your hair right and taking care of them properly, you’ll be back to healthy hair in no time!