You've Probably Been Using Bobby Pins Upside Down Your Whole Life
- Lifestyle
- Exien
- · Updated
Bobby pins are an absolute essential for everyone with hair long enough to style. You probably have a few rolling around in the bottom of your purse, sitting on your nightstand, or lost in your bathroom drawers right now. But here's a mind-blowing fact: there is a very high chance you’ve been wearing them upside down your entire life.
Most people slide bobby pins into their hair with the wavy, zig-zag side facing up so you can see it, and the flat side resting against the scalp. It turns out, that is the exact opposite of how they were designed to be used. Let's uncover why bobby pins have that weird bumpy side and how you should actually be wearing them!
Why Do Bobby Pins Have a Zig-Zag Side?
If you look closely at a standard bobby pin, you’ll notice one prong is perfectly straight and flat, while the other prong is crimped into a wavy, zig-zag pattern. Those ridges aren't just for decoration or to make the pin look interesting. They serve a very specific, functional purpose.
The zig-zag side is designed to grip your hair.
When you slide the pin in, the ridges gather and hold small sections of hair within the grooves. This creates much-needed friction and prevents the pin from sliding straight out of your hair as you move your head. Meanwhile, the flat prong is meant to act as a smooth lid, pressing down over the top of the hair to keep the style looking neat, flat, and polished from the outside.
The Right Way to Insert a Bobby Pin
So, which way should it face? The correct way to wear a bobby pin is with the wavy, zig-zag side facing down, resting directly against your scalp.
The flat side should be the only part facing out and visible to the world. This is the intended design by the people who invented the modern bobby pin.
Try it out right now! Grab a bobby pin and slide it into your hair with the ridges pointing down toward your roots. You will instantly feel a massive difference in how securely it grips your hair. It will feel much tighter and way less likely to slip. Plus, because only the flat side is showing, your hairstyle will look significantly sleeker and more professional.
Extra Tips to Stop Bobby Pins from Slipping
If you have very fine, straight hair or extremely thick hair, even wearing the pin the right way might still result in some slipping. Try these pro tricks to maximize their grip:
- Spray them first: Before you use them, lay your bobby pins on a paper towel and give them a quick spritz of hairspray or dry shampoo. This makes the metal slightly sticky, drastically increasing the friction against your hair.
- The "X" technique: If one pin isn't enough, use two! Slide one pin in, then cross the second pin over it to form an "X" shape. The pins will interlock and act like an anchor in your hair.
- Twist before you pin: Don't just pin down a flat sheet of hair. Take the section you want to pin, twist it a couple of times, and then push the bobby pin into the twist. The twisted hair gives the pin much more bulk to grab onto.
If you’ve been letting the wavy side show all these years, give the flip trick a try today. You'll be amazed at how such a tiny adjustment can keep your hair perfectly in place all day long!
