Your Guide to Hair Accessories That Actually Work (and Won’t Wreck Your Hair)

I’ve been a hairstylist for a long time, and I’ve seen it all. Trends pop up, fade out, and come back again. But one thing is absolutely timeless: the power of a great hair accessory. It’s so much more than a bit of decoration—it’s a tool. The right one can hold a style perfectly all day, keep your hair healthy, and make a simple look feel polished. The wrong one? It’ll cause breakage, slide out by lunchtime, and might even give you a headache.

So many people just grab whatever looks cute on the shelf, and I get it! But in the salon, we’re trained to look deeper. We examine the material, the mechanics of the clasp, and even the weight. It’s not about what’s trendy; it’s about the simple physics of how an object interacts with your hair. My goal here is to pass that pro perspective on to you, so you can choose quality pieces that you can count on.

Why Most Hair Accessories Secretly Damage Your Hair

Before we dive into the fun stuff, we have to talk about what’s actually happening when you put something in your hair. It all comes down to three things: tension, friction, and weight. Getting this balance right is the secret to a style that lasts and keeps your hair from breaking over time. We see the fallout from getting it wrong every single day—usually as that fuzzy halo of broken baby hairs or a thin spot where a clip always sits.

First up is friction. Your hair strands are covered in tiny, overlapping scales. When they’re smooth, hair is shiny and soft. When they’re roughed up, hair looks dull and gets tangled. A good accessory should be incredibly smooth to glide over your hair without catching on these scales. This is why material is a huge deal. Polished cellulose acetate or pure silk are fantastic because they create almost zero friction. On the flip side, a cheap plastic clip with rough seams or an elastic with an exposed metal bit is like rubbing sandpaper on your hair. Ouch.

Next, let’s talk tension. You need enough tension to hold your hair, but not so much that it’s constantly pulling on the follicle (the root in your scalp). Too much pulling can lead to traction alopecia, which is just a fancy term for hair loss caused by chronic tightness. A well-designed accessory spreads the pressure out. For instance, a French barrette with a curved back hugs your head, distributing the hold. A cheap, flat one concentrates all that pressure on two tiny points—which is both less secure and way more damaging.

Finally, there’s weight. A heavy accessory is just going to slide out of fine hair, but more importantly, it puts a constant downward pull on your roots. For a special occasion, it’s fine. But for every day? Lightweight is always the way to go. When I’m styling a bride with a heavy, beaded comb, half my job is building a hidden support structure of pins and braids underneath it so the anchor holds the weight, not her scalp.

A Stylist’s Breakdown of Common Hair Accessories

Okay, with those principles in mind, let’s go shopping. Here’s what I look for—and what I tell my clients to avoid at all costs.

1. The Claw Clip

The claw clip is a lifesaver, but the quality gap between a cheap one and a great one is massive. Seriously, it’s night and day.

Material is Everything: The best claw clips are made from something called cellulose acetate. It’s a strong, flexible, plant-based material that can be polished until it’s perfectly smooth and seamless. You’ll pay a bit more for it, but it won’t snag. Cheaper clips are made from brittle plastic that will have a tiny, sharp seam where the mold came together. Go grab your favorite clip right now. Run your finger along the inside edge and the teeth. Feel any sharp bits? That’s what’s catching and breaking your hair. Time to toss it!

What to Look For: A high-quality clip from a brand like Machete or France Luxe might run you $25 to $50, but it will last for years. For a more budget-friendly option that’s still pretty good, you can find some great styles for around $15. When you’re holding it, open the clip and check the spring—it should feel strong and tightly coiled. The teeth should be rounded and smooth. If anything feels sharp or flimsy, put it back.

Quick Pro Tip: To make your style last, twist your hair tightly from the base to the ends. Then, fold the twisted rope of hair up against your head, tucking the ends under the top. Place the clip over the thickest part of the twist, making sure the teeth lock through the hair close to your scalp. If your hair is super fine and slippery, a quick mist of texturizing spray gives it the grit it needs to stay put. Even a good drugstore dry shampoo will do the trick.

2. Hair Ties & Scrunchies

This is probably the #1 cause of mechanical damage I see. Your daily ponytail holder matters more than you think.

The Golden Rule: Avoid any hair tie with a metal clamp. Period. That little metal piece pinches and cuts hair strands every single time. I once had a new client with a visible ring of frizz and breakage about four inches from her ends. The culprit? Using the same cheap elastic in the same spot for her ponytail every day. We had to do a ton of treatments and trims to fix it. It’s a small change, but switching to gentle ties makes a huge difference.

The Best Materials:

• Silk: This is the gold standard. A 100% silk scrunchie is the kindest thing you can put in your hair, especially for sleeping. It prevents creases and breakage. You can find these for $10-$20, and they’re worth every penny.
• Satin: A great, affordable alternative. Satin is a weave, not a fiber, so it’s super smooth. A polyester satin scrunchie does a fantastic job and usually costs under $10.
• Velvet: The texture of velvet actually provides a better grip for very silky or fine hair that tends to slip out of everything else. It’s generally safe, but I’d still choose silk for fragile hair.

3. Barrettes and Pins

This category is all about the closure mechanism. A bad one is useless and damaging.

French Barrettes: These are the workhorses for holding back a good amount of hair. The best ones have a slight curve to them. Why? A flat back forces a round ponytail into a flat shape, creating painful tension points. A curved back follows the natural shape of your head and the gathered hair, spreading that pressure out. No more ponytail headaches! Also, check that any decorative parts are securely attached—old glue can get sticky and trap hair.

Snap Clips: These are fine for small sections, but watch out for chipping paint. Once the coating chips, it exposes rough metal edges that will absolutely tear your hair. If it’s not perfectly smooth, throw it out. It’s not worth it.

Bobby Pins vs. U-Pins: For bobby pins, look for ones with coated comfort tips to avoid scratching your scalp. And a common mistake: the wavy side is meant to go against your scalp for better grip! For looser styles and updos, I much prefer U-pins. They secure buns and twists without clamping down, which preserves volume and texture, especially for curly hair.

Finding the Right Accessory for Your Hair Type

What works for me might not work for you. The right accessory depends entirely on your hair’s texture and density. Here’s a quick cheat sheet.

For Fine or Slippery Hair…
Your biggest challenge is slippage. You need lightweight accessories with great grip. I recommend velvet scrunchies, mini claw clips, or smaller barrettes. To give your hair some hold, start with a texturizing spray. A pro-level one is amazing, but honestly, a drugstore hero like Batiste Dry Shampoo works wonders, too.

For Thick or Heavy Hair…
You need strength and durability. Look for jumbo-sized claw clips made from that tough cellulose acetate and powerful springs. For hair ties, you’ll need extra-strong, thick, seamless ones. Large French barrettes (the 100mm size) are your best friend. And U-pins are brilliant for securing heavy buns without needing a dozen bobby pins.

For Curly and Coily Hair…
The main goal is to avoid disrupting your curl pattern and causing tangles. Go for accessories that are super smooth and easy to remove. Large silk or satin scrunchies are perfect. Also, look into open-ended circular clamps (sometimes sold as PuffCuffs); they are genius because they gather hair without having to pull it through a tight opening. Avoid anything with tiny, intricate metal parts that curls can get snagged in.

A Final Word: Invest in Your Hair

A good hair accessory is an investment, not a disposable trend item. A well-made clip or tie that’s gentle on your hair will be more comfortable, more reliable, and will save you from that slow, creeping damage caused by cheap products.

So here’s your homework: Go do an accessory audit. Dig through your collection and find just ONE accessory that’s a hair-breaker—a clip with a rough seam, an elastic with a metal clamp, or a chipped snap clip—and throw it out. It’s the easiest hair-health win you’ll get all week! Your hair will thank you, I promise.

Inspirational Gallery

The one habit to break today: Stop placing your favorite clip or barrette in the exact same spot every single day. This concentrates stress on one area, leading to localized breakage and thinning over time. Consciously vary the height and side of your ponytails, partings, and accent clips to give your strands a well-deserved rest.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, any hairstyle that constantly pulls on the hair can cause traction alopecia. The culprit is often not the style itself, but the accessory used to secure it too tightly.

Give your accessories a spa day to prolong their life and protect your hair from grime buildup. A quick cleaning guide:

• For acetate or plastic: A gentle wipe with a microfiber cloth dampened with mild soap and water is enough. Avoid harsh chemicals that can degrade the finish.
• For silk or fabric: Hand wash like a delicate garment using a pH-neutral detergent (like a wool wash) and lay flat to dry away from direct sun.
• For metal parts: Use a jewelry polishing cloth to remove tarnish and restore shine, ensuring they’re completely dry to prevent rust.

Love the gentle touch of a pure silk scrunchie but find it slips right out of your fine or straight hair?

The hairstylist’s trick is to create a hidden foundation. First, secure your ponytail or bun with a small, hair-friendly elastic that matches your hair color, like the non-damaging ones from brands like Goody or Kitsch. Then, simply place your beautiful silk scrunchie over it. You get all the aesthetic and protective benefits of the silk, with the non-slip security of the hidden elastic.

• It holds your updo from morning meetings to midnight without drooping.
• It distributes weight so perfectly you forget it’s even there (no tension headaches!).
• It never, ever snags a single hair upon removal.

The secret? The classic French barrette mechanism. Its two-part clasp with a tension bar is designed to secure hair smoothly and evenly, unlike the harsh, concentrated pressure of an alligator clip. It’s a century-old design that simply can’t be beaten for elegance and function.

Cellulose acetate, the premium material used in high-end eyewear and hair accessories, is derived from natural cotton and wood pulp.

This is why it feels so different from cheap, brittle plastic. It’s not just about looks; it’s a more sustainable, non-petroleum-based material that can be molded into incredibly smooth shapes with no sharp seams. This quality is what makes accessories from brands like Machete or France Luxe gentle enough for daily wear without causing friction damage.

The padded headband is back, but it’s more chic than schoolgirl. To elevate the look, choose one in a luxe material like velvet, silk, or knotted satin—designers like Lele Sadoughi have mastered this. The key to modern styling is placement: position it about an inch back from your hairline, not right at the edge. This frames the face and adds a touch of volume at the crown, offering an instant polish for second-day hair.

The Drugstore Claw Clip: Often made from brittle, injection-molded plastic with sharp internal seams that snag and tear hair strands. The spring mechanism is typically overly aggressive, creating a single point of high tension.

The Designer Acetate Clip: Think brands like Emi Jay or Kitsch. They use polished cellulose acetate, a plant-based material that’s smooth and flexible. The teeth are rounded and the spring provides even, gentle pressure for a secure hold without the damage.

Want a couture touch in five minutes?

Give a simple, good-quality metal barrette a designer upgrade. Take a thin, 1/4-inch velvet or grosgrain ribbon and wrap it tightly and neatly around the top bar of the clip, securing the ends discreetly underneath with a tiny dab of strong fabric glue like E6000. You can leave long ribbon tails for a romantic, on-trend look or trim them flush for a minimalist color-pop accent.