No More Headband Drama!

This guest blog post by Accented Glory's visionary was originally shared in Curlebrity online natural hair community! Click name to check out this new online community. 

Too often, hair accessories get a bad rap and are accused of causing damage to hair. One of the primary suspects is the headband. As a hair accessory designer and natural, I embrace opportunities to educate other fellow naturals on what to look for when purchasing and styling with hair accessories. So for the record, it's not the headband that's the problem. It’s the misuse of it, bad fit, or material used to create it that’s an issue.

As naturals, we must be mindful of protecting our hairline when choosing hair accessories. We all desire those perfect flat edges. Often times we use too tight ties, bands, or scrunchies to achieve this look, which cause damage to our hairline. I recommend using hair care products to lay down your edges and not hair accessories.

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So how do we know if our hair accessory is a proper fit? The accessory doesn’t hurt - our headbands should not cause pain or headaches. Many people experience headband headaches, because their hair accessory is too tight. Headaches caused by headbands are known as external compression headaches that are the result of continuous pressure on forehead, scalp, and behind the ears.

Naturals need to also avoid headbands created with fabrics that will cause friction with textured hair and dry out the hair. Course fabrics, such as tweed, can cause friction and lead to breakage. Some cotton fabrics have a tendency to dry out hair as well. Many naturals already struggle with dry hair and there is no need to further contribute to the dryness. Softer fabrics with a smooth finish like satin are better suited for naturals because they don't cause friction or dryness.

Adjustable headbands are a great solution for headband headaches because they allow the wearer to adjust and control the amount of tension placed on their head. Also, being able to control the tension protects the hairline from stress. In addition to adjusting headband tension, we should always moisturizer our hair before wearing hair accessories. This too will minimize damage to our hair. As naturals, we can safely rock a cute headband and save our edges at the same time!

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Tonya Cross - Hair Accessory Expert | Accessory Designer | Natural Hair Enthusiast

You can shop for "natural hair friendly" adjustable headbands at Accented Glory! Also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube for great content relating to natural hair and natural hair accessories.
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