Which Hair Tie Is Actually Best for Your Hair? | The Pixie Garden Hair Podcast Ep. 14

Are hair ties actually bad for your hair? Not the right ones. In this episode Delena, a licensed cosmetologist, ranks the hair tie lineup from the metal-crimp elastics that cut hair to the ties she hands clients at her own station -- the Silk Satin Scrunchies, the handmade Upcycled Vintage Silk Scrunchie, and the Upcycled Sari Silk Hair Tie -- and explains how to match the tie to your hair type.

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Episode Summary

Hair ties are not bad for your hair -- the wrong tie, worn too tight, in the same spot every day, is. Delena ranks the worst offenders (metal-crimp rubber elastics, skin-tight daily ponytails that cause traction thinning), defines what a good tie looks like (smooth surface, some give, no metal), and matches ties to hair types: silk satin scrunchies for fine or damaged hair, jumbo scrunchies for thick hair, ribbed fabric elastics for workouts, and sari silk ties for everyday wear. Plus her three wearing rules and why silk scrunchies really do prevent creases.

The written companion is your guide to every band type we sell: Types of Hairbands: The Complete Guide.

Full Episode Transcript

Jess: Welcome back to The Pixie Garden Hair Podcast. I'm Jess with Delena Markland. Delena, today's question comes straight from search: which hair tie is actually best for your hair? People genuinely worry their hair ties are wrecking their hair.

Delena Markland: And sometimes they're right, which is why the ties I sell in my shop are the same ones I hand clients at my station: silk and satin scrunchies, and the upcycled sari silk hair ties. But let me answer the fear first. Hair ties are not bad for your hair. The wrong tie, worn too tight, in the same spot, every day, that's what's bad for your hair.

Jess: Okay, let's rank the lineup. What's the worst offender?

Delena Markland: The old rubber elastic with the metal crimp. The metal piece snags and cuts hair every single time you pull it out. For over 25 years I have been looking at breakage patterns, and mid-shaft breakage at exactly ponytail height almost always traces back to tight rubber elastics. Second worst is any tie pulled skin-tight day after day, because constant tension at the same follicles is how you get thinning around the hairline. That's called traction, and it's preventable.

Jess: So what does a good tie look like?

Delena Markland: Three things. A smooth surface so it doesn't grip and tear individual strands. Some give, so it holds the ponytail instead of strangling it. And no metal. That's why silk and satin scrunchies are what I reach for. The fabric barrel spreads the tension over a wider band of hair, and the silk surface lets strands slide instead of snag. If you sleep with your hair up, that should only ever be a loose silk scrunchie. Never sleep in a tight elastic.

Jess: Does hair type change the answer?

Delena Markland: Completely. Fine or damaged hair wants the lightest grip that will hold, so a silk satin scrunchie or our vintage silk scrunchie, which is handmade from upcycled silk. Thick, heavy hair needs more anchor, so a jumbo scrunchie or a wider tie. For workouts you want a soft ribbed fabric elastic, no metal, that holds through movement, and then you take it out when you're done rather than living in it. And the upcycled sari silk hair ties are my everyday answer for almost everyone: soft knot band, gentle hold, and every one is a little different because they're made from reclaimed sari silk.

Jess: Any rules for wearing them, whatever you pick?

Delena Markland: Rotate the position. High pony today, low or braid tomorrow, so the tension never lives at one spot. Looser than you think, because a ponytail should never pull at your scalp. And take it down at night, or switch to the loose silk scrunchie. Do those three things and you can wear your hair up every day without paying for it.

Jess: And the classic question: do silk scrunchies actually prevent creases?

Delena Markland: They do. The crease comes from a hard elastic pressing a dent into the hair shaft, and silk over a soft barrel just doesn't press that way. It's the difference between folding a shirt and steaming it.

Jess: Where can people get the ones you use?

Delena Markland: All at thepixiegarden.com, the sari silk ties, the vintage silk scrunchies, and the silk satin sets, every one of them something I've vetted at my own station.

Jess: Links are on this episode's page. See you Thursday.

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Hosted by Delena Markland, Licensed Cosmetologist and Owner of The Pixie Garden. New episodes weekly. Browse all episodes.