Women Travelers - headache with hair in a ponytail?

I have long hair--almost long enough that I can have it chopped for Locks of Love again, I'd guess.

I've noticed that when I pull it back into a ponytail (or even a bun), after a few hours, I start to get a headache. Does this happen to anyone else? Any suggestions on how to avoid it or solutions so it stops, besides taking Advil or something similar?

Thanks!

Take it out of the pony tail. Or loosen the pony tail. I occasionally get a mild ache when my hair is in a pony tail, & those 2 things usually work for me. Usually the loosening one if I still want to keep it in a pony tail/out of the way. Just me, but the idea of taking Advil, etc, for a headache caused by pulling my hair back seems to be solving the symptom & not the problem. Good luck!

Cheers.

I'm thinking that if your hair is very long and very thick, it may also be fairly heavy and causing some strain on your neck that could manifest as a headache. If you're not willing to cut it a lot shorter, maybe just consider having some layers cut so it's not so dense overall.

I had very long thick hair for years and it caused me headaches anyway I wore it, but a pony tail made it worse. The lower the pony tail the less strain I found. A not-too-tight french braid is good too, pretty much anything that brings the weight down lower on your head is better.

Take it out of the pony tail. Or loosen the pony tail. I occasionally get a mild ache when my hair is in a pony tail, & those 2 things usually work for me. Usually the loosening one if I still want to keep it in a pony tail/out of the way. Just me, but the idea of taking Advil, etc, for a headache caused by pulling my hair back seems to be solving the symptom & not the problem. Good luck!

Cheers.
:D It probably is solving the symptom. My hair can be pretty unruly with static some days if not pulled back somehow.
I'm thinking that if your hair is very long and very thick, it may also be fairly heavy and causing some strain on your neck that could manifest as a headache. If you're not willing to cut it a lot shorter, maybe just consider having some layers cut so its not so dense overall.
I'm probably going to cut it once it's long enough for Locks of Love. I would guess I'm almost there.
I had very long thick hair for years and it caused me headaches anyway I wore it, but a pony tail made it worse. The lower the pony tail the less strain I found. A not-too-tight french braid is good too, pretty much anything that brings the weight down lower on your head is better.
Thanks! I'll try that.

Untreandy tho they are, the cloth scrunchies seem to hold a less tight pony tail / bun than elastics.

I also have a velvet 'bun tie' that you thread the hair through and twist, that is great, but I bought mine at least 10 years ago, no idea if / where stocks them.

I have long hair ... Does this happen to anyone else?

Yes, sometimes it happens to me. I find that it happens more often when I'm tired and stressed than normal as I put my hair up almost all the time but rarely get headaches.

Depending on my situation at the time I either


loosen my updo
take down my hair altogether
take ibuprofen


based on what is most appropriate at the time. For example if my ballerina bun is giving me a headache but I am about to perform The Dance of the Sugar Plum Faerie, then I take meds, but if I'm on an overnight flight I'll go ahead and take my hair down and pop into a ladies room to put it up on landing.

Hope it helps. There's no magic bullet, but you aren't alone.

-J-

I had very long thick hair for years and it caused me headaches anyway I wore it, but a pony tail made it worse. The lower the pony tail the less strain I found. A not-too-tight french braid is good too, pretty much anything that brings the weight down lower on your head is better.

+1 on all counts. The French braid works great. It's not all over my face that way. emma69's suggestion of a cloth scrunchy is good too. They bother me less. I have very thick hair but it isn't that long and it still kills. Sometimes I just have to let it loose for a while.

Bobette

My hair is extremely long. I do a ballerina bun for serious work situations and a pony tail most of the rest of the time.

If I do a different sort of bun my hair hurts....my head hurts.

I sleep with it in a long braid which avoids the rat's nest problem.

Long hair. Check.

Headache sometimes from ponytail. Check.

Loosening it up helps. Check.

Ponytail or braid helps avoid the "rat's nest" problem at night or when wearing sweaters/jumpers. Check.

I find that when I do get the "ponytail headache", a scalp massage helps to get rid of it.

I have a couple of those velvet "bun tie" deals as well. Haven't used them for ages. Thanks for reminding me! :)

I think I need to find some of those velvet bun ties and see if those help! :)

Back when I had elbow length hair, I used to wear a lot of hoodies (obviously not at work) and after tying all the hair back in a loose and low ponytail, I would toss it into the hoodie.

For work, it would be a french braid or a french braid based low bun at the base of my neck.

I donated to locks of love twice and now everytime I have a bad headache, I keep on thinking of cutting my hair :D even though it's nowhere near the length it used to be.

Another problem for those who make a habit
of pulling hair tightly back in a ponytail or bun
can be breakage at the hairline. If it hurts, it probably isn't good for you . Just sayin.

I had the same experience when I had long hair. The solution for me was either to let my hair loose or do a Gibson Girl bun (loose bun way on top of the head), so that the weight of the bun wasn't pulling my hair straight back from my forehead.

I have long hair--almost long enough that I can have it chopped for Locks of Love again, I'd guess.First off, applause all the way around for your gift to Locks of Love. What an unselfish and caring thing to do. Many can write a check; you give directly from yourself. :)

It sounds like you've got thick & lustrous hair. Perhaps don't pull your hair so tightly into an elastic band? Perhaps try a wider hair band that may not pull so much on your hair? What if you braided it and put the hairband at the bottom. Maybe use a big hair clip instead of an elastic hair band. Just some ideas. :)

First off, applause all the way around for your gift to Locks of Love. What an unselfish and caring thing to do. Many can write a check; you give directly from yourself. :)

It sounds like you've got thick & lustrous hair. Perhaps don't pull your hair so tightly into an elastic band? Perhaps try a wider hair band that may not pull so much on your hair? What if you braided it and put the hairband at the bottom. Maybe use a big hair clip instead of an elastic hair band. Just some ideas. :)

I didn't post about Locks of Love for any applause or recognition, but thank you. :D (We need a blushing smiley.) I only posted it so I could save everyone the, "just cut it," posts. :D

Hair clips tend not to work well for me, for some reason. My hair tends to fall out of them very easily. I'm trying something a bit different today, in that I pulled it back at the base of my neck, so I'm hoping that helps. I probably will try braiding it one of these days, to see if that helps.

I didn't post about Locks of Love for any applause or recognition, but thank you. :D (We need a blushing smiley.) I only posted it so I could save everyone the, "just cut it," posts. :DI know you didn't but I still wanted to applaud you. :)

Hair clips tend not to work well for me, for some reason. My hair tends to fall out of them very easily. I'm trying something a bit different today, in that I pulled it back at the base of my neck, so I'm hoping that helps. I probably will try braiding it one of these days, to see if that helps.So the big hair clips are no good? Bummer. You must have thick, fabulous hair. ^

I know you didn't but I still wanted to applaud you. :)

So the big hair clips are no good? Bummer. You must have thick, fabulous hair. ^

:D No, big hair clips don't work well. I have the oddest hair, I think. :) It refuses to hold a curl, won't stay in hair clips, and does not agree with Redken hair color (adding a touch of red turned into goth, pitch black). :D

If the lower ponytails don't work, try putting up your hair in a way that spreads the weight out over a larger area, to keep from getting a headache. A Ficcare Maximas (http://www.ficcare.com/Products.aspx?collId=1) will hold my hair in a French twist throughout a long, hectic day without ever needing adjustment. Similarly, two Ketylo hairsticks (http://www.ketylo.com/servlet/StoreFront) would hold an infinity bun all day and through a dance class that night, even when I had hip-length hair.

If the lower ponytails don't work, try putting up your hair in a way that spreads the weight out over a larger area, to keep from getting a headache.Spreading out the weight of the hair in a large area is what I was thinking of too.

Long hair clips that look like this: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0057QZSO0/ref=asc_df_B0057QZSO01893920?smid=A30X67JV7A54BE&tag=shopzilla_mp_1027-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395105&creativeASIN=B0057QZSO0

It would spread your hair in a very wide ponytail.

If the lower ponytails don't work, try putting up your hair in a way that spreads the weight out over a larger area, to keep from getting a headache. A Ficcare Maximas (http://www.ficcare.com/Products.aspx?collId=1) will hold my hair in a French twist throughout a long, hectic day without ever needing adjustment. Similarly, two Ketylo hairsticks (http://www.ketylo.com/servlet/StoreFront) would hold an infinity bun all day and through a dance class that night, even when I had hip-length hair.

The Ketylo black green 3 prong is a beauty. I hate blowing $75 on it if it won't work. Is your hair thick? The first one, Ficcare Maximas looks like there isn't enough room for thick hair. I might spring for the Ketylo one of these days.

Bobette

My hair is thick and wavy,and now that it's somewhat shorter (a couple of inches above my waist), I use a medium Ficcare for most styles when I want a visible hair accessory, not the large ones I used when it was longer. Most Nordstrom stores have a small display of the Ficcare Maximas (they tend to stock only the basic colors). I don't know what the policies are regarding trying on a hair accessory, but it might be worth asking, if you're near a Nordstrom.

I only have the single Ketylo hairsticks, not the multi-prong hair forks. I like the flexibility of being able to use a single hairstick (for a typical chignon) or two hairsticks and of being able to place each stick exactly where I want it.

Came across this article (http://news.yahoo.com/rapunzel-number-helps-scientists-quantify-ponytails-125219566.html) and had to laugh.

LONDON (Reuters) - Scientists said on Friday that a "Rapunzel Number" may have helped them to crack a problem that has perplexed humanity since Leonardo da Vinci pondered it 500 years ago.

Scientists from the University of Cambridge and the University of Warwick said they had devised a "Ponytail Shape Equation", which when calculated using the Rapunzel Number and a measure of the curliness of hair can be used to predict the shape of any ponytail.

If the lower ponytails don't work, try putting up your hair in a way that spreads the weight out over a larger area, to keep from getting a headache. A Ficcare Maximas (http://www.ficcare.com/Products.aspx?collId=1) will hold my hair in a French twist throughout a long, hectic day without ever needing adjustment.
Oh, bad news, bad, bad news. :(

Gorgeous hair clips - just what I didn't need to know about! Since my hair began to come back after chemo (back in the day it was 38 inches from crown to the ends, and almost too thick to braid) I've been indulging in fancy hair clips and ornaments. Now you've given me a new budget buster to collect!

Oh, bad news, bad, bad news. :(

Gorgeous hair clips - just what I didn't need to know about! Since my hair began to come back after chemo (back in the day it was 38 inches from crown to the ends, and almost too thick to braid) I've been indulging in fancy hair clips and ornaments. Now you've given me a new budget buster to collect!

:D I think after chemo you deserve hair clips, if that's what you like.

:D I think after chemo you deserve hair clips, if that's what you like.

What she said.

I have the oddest hair, I think. :) It refuses to hold a curl, won't stay in hair clips

My hair too -- had never been able to put it in a bun until I discovered the Goody Spin Pins (http://www.amazon.com/Goody-Simple-Styles-Assorted-Colors/dp/B003FVDNO6) Now I can finally do a bun that stays!!

My hair too -- had never been able to put it in a bun until I discovered the Goody Spin Pins (http://www.amazon.com/Goody-Simple-Styles-Assorted-Colors/dp/B003FVDNO6) Now I can finally do a bun that stays!!

I should stop reading these boards, I keep finding things to buy.

My hair too -- had never been able to put it in a bun until I discovered the Goody Spin Pins (http://www.amazon.com/Goody-Simple-Styles-Assorted-Colors/dp/B003FVDNO6) Now I can finally do a bun that stays!!
I may have to try those, although they look a little complicated for me. :)
I should stop reading these boards, I keep finding things to buy.
I think we all probably do find things to buy on the boards. :D

Have you ever tried EZ Combs?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004SKUFY4/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2?pf_rd_p=1278548962&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B001P2VLZU&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=04T1JAE99YBDM9VS3DVF

Have you ever tried EZ Combs?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004SKUFY4/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2?pf_rd_p=1278548962&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B001P2VLZU&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=04T1JAE99YBDM9VS3DVF I've tried them, and in my heavy hair, they last about 5 minutes. If you're trying to glam up thin or lightweight hair, they might work.


I should stop reading these boards, I keep finding things to buy. You said it, sister! :D

Have you ever tried EZ Combs?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004SKUFY4/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2?pf_rd_p=1278548962&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B001P2VLZU&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=04T1JAE99YBDM9VS3DVF

Those didn't work for me. It broke after one day. I ordered it through one of those infomercials. It did look great on TV.

Bobette

I have fine hair and those combs wouldnt stay in.... I thought it was for people with thick hair.

Quote:
Originally Posted by CdnTraveller View Post
My hair too -- had never been able to put it in a bun until I discovered the Goody Spin Pins Now I can finally do a bun that stays!!

I may have to try those, although they look a little complicated for me. :)


They aren't complicated in the least -- I am one of the least co-ordinated people on the planet and I can manage them. You just twist your hair into a bun and screw them in from different directions. They have shorter ones too that come in packs of three (the longer ones are in packs of two). I have straight fine hair past my shoulders, and the pack of three shorter ones works great. Someone with thicker or curlier hair might need 3 of the longer ones.

Have you ever tried EZ Combs?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004SKUFY4/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2?pf_rd_p=1278548962&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B001P2VLZU&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=04T1JAE99YBDM9VS3DVF
I've never tried them, because I figured my hair wouldn't stay in it, since combs usually don't work for me. :)
Quote:
Originally Posted by CdnTraveller View Post
My hair too -- had never been able to put it in a bun until I discovered the Goody Spin Pins Now I can finally do a bun that stays!!



They aren't complicated in the least -- I am one of the least co-ordinated people on the planet and I can manage them. You just twist your hair into a bun and screw them in from different directions. They have shorter ones too that come in packs of three (the longer ones are in packs of two). I have straight fine hair past my shoulders, and the pack of three shorter ones works great. Someone with thicker or curlier hair might need 3 of the longer ones.
I'll try them, and see if they work.

Good to know - I asked because I have a pack of them sitting on the side someone gave me as a gift (yeh... whole other story!) and I was willing to volunteer them to kipper, but if they are rubbish they can go to the charity shop!

Good to know - I asked because I have a pack of them sitting on the side someone gave me as a gift (yeh... whole other story!) and I was willing to volunteer them to kipper, but if they are rubbish they can go to the charity shop!

:D Thanks for the offer. I'm touched, but I think they can probably go to the charity shop. :D

My hair too -- had never been able to put it in a bun until I discovered the Goody Spin Pins (http://www.amazon.com/Goody-Simple-Styles-Assorted-Colors/dp/B003FVDNO6) Now I can finally do a bun that stays!!
Oh thank you - I've been looking for a source of that type of clasp ever since I grew my hair again :) ^

My hair is very fine and curly so struggles to be held as there is not a lot of it - but these screws always worked very well.

:D Thanks for the offer. I'm touched, but I think they can probably go to the charity shop. :D

LOL - I didn't mean it quite how it came out!!!! :p

LOL - I didn't mean it quite how it came out!!!! :p

:D LOL, no worries. :D

For flying I usually put my hair into low pigtails. I've found that it keeps the hair smooth and does not get bothered by the headrest.

For flying I usually put my hair into low pigtails. I've found that it keeps the hair smooth and does not get bothered by the headrest.

I'm not a fan of pigtails, at least at work. To me, it's too "little girl-looking," at least on me.

Pig tails are defiantly a no go for work situations. It did take some practice to make them low profile and not cutesy. My hair is 18-20" long and it must always be pulled back at work. I vary the low ponytail with a low bun. Also the fishtail braid seems to look more professional than a regular braid. I do try to keep my hair down when not at work so I can give my scalp a break. Otherwise I get the headaches.

Pig tails are defiantly a no go for work situations. It did take some practice to make them low profile and not cutesy. My hair is 18-20" long and it must always be pulled back at work. I vary the low ponytail with a low bun. Also the fishtail braid seems to look more professional than a regular braid. I do try to keep my hair down when not at work so I can give my scalp a break. Otherwise I get the headaches.

Fishtail braid?

The fishtail is shown here. (http://www.refinery29.com/3-super-cool-braided-hairstyles-that-you-can-actually-do)Fishtail braid?

Also, if you google fishtail there's are many YouTube videos showing how to do it.

Bobette

I agree with VickiSoCal- I am a runner too. At times I end up working after my run with my high ponytail, eventually the headache starts. I found if I want my hair restrained, to put the ponytail at the nape of my neck. If I need to look 'nice'- I add a nice colorful clip or barrett to make the plain ponytail look dressier. Add a small scarf to accent your attire. Good luck! Don't forget to do neck rotations to ease the strain...

Welcome to Flyertalk, MargaretM.

generally I wear pony tail very often and it almost never happens to me. BUT if I try to make a different kind of pony tail (on the top of the head, or one where all is very tight) then it happens sometimes. Maybe my hair is not used to certain hairstyles. :)

generally I wear pony tail very often and it almost never happens to me. BUT if I try to make a different kind of pony tail (on the top of the head, or one where all is very tight) then it happens sometimes. Maybe my hair is not used to certain hairstyles. :)

Welcome to Flyertalk, kolchi.


Bobette

I have found that when I put my hair in a low/looser ponytail I am less likely to get a headache :)

If the lower ponytails don't work, try putting up your hair in a way that spreads the weight out over a larger area, to keep from getting a headache. A Ficcare Maximas (http://www.ficcare.com/Products.aspx?collId=1) will hold my hair in a French twist throughout a long, hectic day without ever needing adjustment. Similarly, two Ketylo hairsticks (http://www.ketylo.com/servlet/StoreFront) would hold an infinity bun all day and through a dance class that night, even when I had hip-length hair.

I've been thinking about this ever since you posted it so today I tried to order the Ketylo three prong hair thingy. They were all sold out so I ordered one from Etsy and I will let you know how it works out. Here it is..

Bobette

I got it and it's very nice looking. It's about 5 1/2" long but I'm having a heckuva time getting it to really hold my hair. I looked at all the You tube instructions but I'm either doing it incorrectly or my hair is just too darn thick.

As I'm sitting here reading these posts I'm undoing my pony tail (shoulder length thick hair) and braiding it, then loosening up the scrunchie etc. I also find repositioning it -- moving it up a couple of inches from my neck (looks like a '50's ponytail) etc. I don't always wear it back, but when travelling I find it's easier, especially in hot or humid climates. I really never thought about the asprin, just redoing it for awhile seems to work for me.