Most women have tried just about every type of elastic product known to humankind in their quest to shape and control their hairstyles. Hair rubber bands take a variety of forms, but all have one thing in common: they are used to hold portions of hair in place or separate one volume of hair from another. Given the importance of maintaining healthy hair, and the tendency of some rubber bands to pull at or otherwise damage the hair during removal, it is important for you to understand which types of these bands are best for your particular hair needs.

Types of hair bands

In general, there are really only two basic types of elastic hair bands. The first is the common rubber band that you can find in small packages in the store or even on your daily newspaper. The second is the more elaborate elastic rubber band that often comes with balls or other decorations attached to them. Both types have their place in your arsenal of hair care products, though you have to be careful and know which ones should be used under what circumstances.

Advantages of each type

The smaller hair rubber bands have the advantage of being more useful for tying off the ends of braids, pigtails, and other hair divisions, without being so bulky that they draw too much attention to themselves. Even bands with a metal sleeve can be useful in this regard. Larger rubber bands – usually six inches long or more – are generally thicker and thus more appropriately used at the base of large ponytails. Many of these larger bands are actually encased in a light fabric that helps to protect your hair from becoming entangled within the folds of the band.

Disadvantages as well

There are, of course, some disadvantages to each type – though these disadvantages are easy to avoid if you use the right kind of band. To begin with, the smaller rubber bands should not be used to secure pony tails or large braids at the base. The reason for this is quite simple: it is far too easy for your hair to become tangled up in the rubber band, making it difficult to remove the band without pulling out large swaths of hair with it. Anyone who has ever tried this knows that about the only way to save your hair is to simply cut the rubber band in two! Bands with metal sleeves – large or small – are also poor choices for this purpose, and for exactly the same reason. In contrast, larger rubber bands are inefficient at the ends of the hair, since their size and bulk means that they generally have to be wrapped dozens of time around the hair before they are tight.

Hair rubber bands can be your best friends when it comes to styling your hair, provided that you understand which ones work best for you. There are many different styles to choose from, so do your homework wisely before committing to and one type. Trial and error is usually the best teacher in this regard. Finally, don’t limit yourself to the hair bands you see on the shelves of your local retail stores. After all, there is an almost endless variety of rubber bands for hair available at many online web sites.