3 Ways To Secure Your Hair With Bobby Pins

by Andy Tseng

Have you always wondered why your hair won’t hold up with bobby pins?

Portland-based wedding hairstylist Andy Tseng shares some useful tips and tricks on how to use bobby pins the right way. If you have to put on own veil on your wedding day or style your hair for a special event or for daily life, the following tips are for you. 

1.) Hair Powder If you want the bobby pins to stay, you want to make sure the area where you place the booby pins has enough grip. If your hair is very smooth and silky, you probably have a hard time keeping the pins in your hair. The trick is to apply and gently rub some hair powder into the area. For extra hold,  tease (backcomb) the area by using a fine-tooth comb after you apply the hair powder. 

2.) Criss-cross two bobby pins (see the photo below). After you secure the hair with one pin, take a second pin and open it wide enough to fit the first pin into it, and slide to create a  plus sign. The crisscrossing pins support each other to create extra hold and thus secure the style. 

3.) Wavy side down. Bobby-pins have two sides: one is smooth and the other is wavy (see the photo below). When placing the pins, make sure the wavy side is laid flat against the scalp for maximum security. Many people make the mistake of using it the opposite way. Also, bending the pins to create a similar curvature to your head shape (of where you are placing them) will allow the pins to grab the right amount of hair and lay close to your scalp. 

Lastly, invest in bobby pins that give you good tensions!