Not sure if you've seen posts of me on our Instagram page, but my hair is short. It's currently a hybrid between ear and neck length due to a recent mishap with the scissors. Dealing with kinky strands of varying lengths is rather frustrating, and has resulted in my utter dependance on bobby pins. I use them for everything from stretching my hair to hiding my ends to keeping my twists or braids down. They're actually a fantastic tool in this sense, providing a tonne of versatility and functionality when I need it most. However, I'm finding that I need so many of them that by the time I'm finished styling I've got as many bobby pins on my head as braids!
I don't know about you, but I can't stand the sight of bobby pins - unless they're strategically placed as accessories. To me bobby pins are scaffolding. My hairstyle is a performance and I'd rather people didn't look backstage! But alas, many of my strands are too short to even reach the ponytail so what's a girl to do?
The answer is tucking! Instead of pinning my ends down wherever they stop, I've started tucking them underneath adjacent braids / twists so they lie flat. Sometimes this involves creating twist made of twists or a braid made of braids, which usually morphs into a very sleek and elegant look provided the sections don't get too big. With tucking, I've gone from using seven or eight bobby pins in any given updo to only two or three! It's also better for my ends because they aren't exposed to the wind or sun at all.
What's your secret for taming and protecting your ends? Share in a comment below!