Headband and Bun

Woman with long hair and wearing a headband
Photo: StockLite/Shutterstock
Q: I tend to wear my hair in a bun or pulled back because I can't stand it to be in my face, and I wear a headband. Is it bad to wear a headband or wear your hair in a bun?
 
A: Both headbands and bun hairstyles are perfectly safe for your hair as long as you keep a simple tenet in mind: tight is bad. The mistake many people make is thinking that in order to create a hairstyle that stays put all day, everything has to be pulled as tightly as possible.
 
In reality, excessive tension does far more harm than good. A hairstyle doesn't have to feel tight to be secure, and a comfortable hairstyle is almost always healthier for your hair and scalp than one that feels strained.
 

Buns & Hair Tension

A bun that is pulled back too tightly creates direct tension on localized points on the scalp, depending on where it is positioned. This is especially true when hair is twisted tightly before being wrapped, relying mostly on the twist and the weight of the hair to stay in place.
 
You can often immediately feel areas along the front hairline or around the temples becoming taut as the weight pulls against those sections. This is even riskier when hair is wet, as wet strands are more elastic and prone to snapping under high tension.
 
Over time, these constantly stressed areas can develop traction alopecia: a type of hair loss caused by repeated pulling on hair follicles.
 
• Early signs: Increased breakage, tenderness around the hairline, or localized thinning. At this stage, the condition is entirely reversible by relieving the tension.
 
• Long-term impact: If severe pulling continues continuously for months or years, the follicles can suffer permanent scarring, making regrowth much more difficult or impossible.
 
Hairstyle with a bun
 

How to Prevent Damage from Buns

• Distribute the weight: Adjust the placement of the bun so the pull is spread more evenly across the scalp.
 
• Avoid over-twisting: Gather your hair gently without winding it into a rigid coil.
 
• Use pins over tight elastics: Use multiple hairpins or bobby pins to hold the bun securely while distributing tension across several points.
 
• Upgrade your hair ties: Swap thin elastic or rubber bands for soft fabric scrunchies, silk ties, or spiral cord holders that minimize friction and shearing forces.
 
• Vary your style: Avoid wearing your bun in the exact same spot every day. Shifting it higher, lower, or slightly to one side spreads out the stress. Giving your hair a complete break by leaving it down or in a loose, low braid - especially while sleeping - gives your scalp a welcome rest.
 
Hairstyle with a silk headband
 

Headbands & External Compression

With headbands, the mechanics are similar. A headband only needs to gently hold hair away from your face, not clamp onto your skull.
 
If your headband leaves deep marks, causes tenderness around your hairline, or triggers a ache behind your ears and at your temples, it is too tight. Headbands that clamp too firmly can compress the superficial nerves and blood vessels around your temples, frequently triggering external compression headaches.
 
Continuous friction from tight or unpadded headbands can also cause hair shaft breakage along the hairline. Choosing a headband with flexibility, a wider band to distribute pressure, or one lined with soft fabric or silk keeps your hair neatly in place without risking headache or damage.
 
©Hairfinder.com
 
See also:
 
Ponytails and hairline recession
 
How to make a bun
 
How make a bun with a hair doughnut