Choosing between the different types of hairsticks can be daunting. Hairsticks can be pricey, and the wrong kind may break or bend, damage your hair or just look silly. On the other hand, well-made hairsticks are among the most hair-friendly hair toys in existence, and elegant and beautiful to boot. Here’s how to find the right hairstick for your hair type.
Using Chopsticks, Pens and Other Objects in Place of Hairsticks
In a pinch, there are plenty of long pointy objects that can be used to hastily secure hair in a bun. Using pencils, wooden calligraphy pens, “magic wands” (often sold at New Age stores and craft markets) and chopsticks instead of real hairsticks can be quirky, but bear these thoughts in mind:
Anything you put in your hair should be smooth and snag-free. Pencils are often too rough at the sharpened end, and will tear hair unless you lightly sand them down. Driftwood or twigs from the garden are also likely to have cracks and bumps that will damage your hair.
Even though some actual hairsticks are blunt-ended, pointy-ended sticks are much easier to use and less likely to damage hair. Securing your hair with a fork sounds fun, but forcing it through a tight bun is surprisingly difficult.
Although wearing hairsticks of any kind will often prompt “chopstick” comments, real chopsticks aren’t generally the greatest for using in hair. Commercial chopsticks are often much too long, sticking several inches out the side of a hairdo; they may also have very blunt square or rounded tips. Japanese chopsticks are your best bet – comparatively short, and pointed at the tip. Don’t use disposable chopsticks, which are weak and splintery, or bamboo chopsticks, which are liable to break. Plastic and metal chopsticks may work, but test for strength before using them.
Buying Commercial Hairsticks
It’s generally easiest to find hairsticks online; particularly on craft sites such as Etsy, where many talented crafters offer a range of wooden, metal, bone, plastic, beaded, carved and plain sticks. Consider these factors:
- Some hairsticks have elaborate beaded “danglies” at one end. These look lovely, but have a tendency to swing around and get tangled in loose hairs. As a result they are not too practical, at least for everyday wear.
- Wooden hairsticks are a good choice as long as they are smooth and snag-free. Choose a strong wood, as the sticks are put under a lot of tension when inserted.
- I’m a fan of the Ketylo sticks, made of dymondwood (a very strong wood/plastic composite) and featuring a slightly wavy corkscrew shape. This holds the hair more securely than straight sticks.
- Metal sticks should also be strong, or they may bend when you insert them.
- Thin hairsticks may be better for people with fine or fairly short hair; thicker hair may require thicker, stronger hairsticks.
- Sellers often offer hairsticks in different lengths. Don’t choose sticks that are too long, or they’ll stick out the sides or top of your head and look peculiar! Hairsticks hold hair by tension, so a well-made bun will hold securely with a hairstick only slightly longer than the diameter of the bun – it is not necessary to have spare inches on each side. If you plan to use hairsticks with only one hair style, such as a cinnabun, make the style a few times and measure the diameter each time. This will give you a rough idea of the length you require.
How to Use Delicate Hairsticks
Some hairsticks are too flimsy to hold up hair, but too beautiful not to buy! In that case, simply secure the hair style by some other means, such as Amish pins, and weave the hairsticks carefully through the hair as a purely decorative accent.
How to Insert Haisticks Securely
Plenty of people give up on hairsticks after simply pushing them straight through a bun, which doesn’t work. To securely hold a hair style, the stick needs to be in tension against the hair. The correct way to insert a hair stick is as follows:
- Insert the pointy end of the hairstick at one side of the bun (or other hair style), angling the point slightly away from the centre of the bun. (For instance, if you insert the hairstick on the right side of the bun, the point should be angled slightly to the right.)
- When the point touches your scalp, pivot the end of the hairstick and “sew” it through the bun until it nearly reaches the opposite side. Make sure it catches some of the scalp hair as well as the length in the bun.
- Work the point of the hairstick up at a fairly sharp angle to the surface of the bun. Push or pull the stick a little make sure the ends are even. Shake your head to make sure the bun is secure.
With practice, most styles will hold with a single hairstick. If you’re using a pair of hairsticks, insert the second in the same manner as the first. The second hairstick can cross the first, forming an X shape; run across the bun parallel to the first; or be worn at an acute angle to the first stick, like a pair of held chopsticks. You can also use a plain, sturdy hairstick to hold up the hairdo, and then weave in a fragile hairstick for decoration.
Sarah Tennant - Sarah Tennant is a onetime English major who lives in New Zealand with her husband and two small children. Her interests range from ...
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