Hairpins allowed in hair at meets?

[jago]

Is a girl allowed to have hairpins in her hair when competing (or even practicing for that matter)?

I have searched for information on this question in previous threads, but I can't quite find the answer that I need.

I believe that gymnasts MAY NOT use hairpins, bobby pins in their hair because they may slip out and cause damage to the mats and potentially to a gymnast as she performs her routine.

Hair clips are OK, although they don't really work for a bun.

I ask because my DD will be competing for the first time (L4) in a few weeks and has hair long enough to sit on and I'm unable to keep it in a bun without hairpins. I've used a hairnet in the past, but her hair is very heavy and curly and requires pins. Her hair has remained beautifully in place in a bun for dance recitals and all day at school but again thats with a LOT of pins.

btw - are there any regulations/policies regarding hair at meets?

Thanks! This little matter is actually consuming a lot of my energy. I'm not the slightest bit worried about her having fun or being confidant at the meet; just worried about the hair!

 

[Canadian_gym_mom]

I'm in Ontario, Canada and I use about 5-8 bobby pins to keep dd's hair in a bun for meets. I would ask her coach for clarification. We always do a bun, but there are girls who just wear a ponytail.

 

[bogwoppit]

Bobby pins were banned at our gym, coach would find them all over. Clips were allowed.there are no rules concerning their use.

 

[coachmolly]

I haven't heard of them being banned (unless an individual gym has made that policy), but I do know we would find them all over the floor at the gym and I imagine landing on one while tumbling could potentially be pretty painful. But if they are put in and secured correctly, and your DD knows not to mess with them, I think they can stay put just fine.
Have you tried braiding her hair before putting it up in the bun? I've heard that, along with lots of hairspray, can work for some girls. I seem to remember there being a few parents of very long-haired DDs on here with lots of good meet hair tips, hopefully they will chime in with some good advice for you.

 

[Azgymmiemom]

My dd has long, very wavy, hard to contain hair, and is at a gym that requires a competition bun. Hairpins are awful..imo they dont work at all. Bobbi pins are what we use, and then cover the whole bun with a hairnet to contain them (if one were ever to come loose, but that has not happened). Start with lots of gel in the hair, pull it back in a ponytail. Then we split the pony tail into two, braid or split and twist each half and pin around the base of the ponytail separately. you get a flatter bun (not a knob sticking out the back of her head) and it is easier to pin. Then stretch and wrap the net tightly around the bun, pin with one pin and put your scrunchie around that. Then use lots of hairspray

This one doesn't have the gel or the hairnet around it (and you can tell the difference)-but you can see how the shape should be...

 

[Pineapple_Lump]

Bobby pins were banned at our gym, coach would find them all over. Clips were allowed.there are no rules concerning their use.

At least once a week some child under seven interrupts my coaching by bringing one up to me with great pride over their 'find' I am over bobby pins.

 

[CoachGoofy]

We hate bobby pins too!

Our T&T girls aren't allowed them for meets (I'm not sure if this is USAG or if it's our program director, but we roll with it). We do their buns with hairnets, triangle clips, and scrunchies.

 

[3stars]

When my daughter's hair was longer, I had good luck with styling her hair when it was wet, adding a ton of gel, pulling it into the ponytail, and then making several braids in it then making those into a bun. Then came the hairnet and another rubberband and then the scrunchie and a ton of hairspray. Like AZgymmiemom said, if I need pins, they are underneath the hairnet so that if they would pop out, they are contained by the net. Luckily for me, my daughter decided a few months ago that her hair was too long for comfort at gymnastics, her current length (about 2 inches past her shoulders) is much easier to work with.

 

[bookworm]

We always use hairpins for buns with my daughter's long hair..it's the only way the bun would stay put ...then I put the hairnet over the bun and twist it and put the hairnet over it again and make a knot with the actual hair net (we have to use scissors to get the hair net out) so this stays in. She also has a snood (bun cover) that goes over the bun as well, and that is kept in place with the scrunchie...

 

[eme777]

My DD's former gym required buns for meets. What I learned is that you need to learn where, on her head, your DD prefers the bun. Many of the girls are particular if they like it higher, lower or in the middle. Try a test run durin practice and have her see how it feels when she does the backward roll. The more comfortable she feels with her hair, the less distractions during the meet.

 

[MaryA]

My dd has long, very wavy, hard to contain hair, and is at a gym that requires a competition bun. Hairpins are awful..imo they dont work at all. Bobbi pins are what we use, and then cover the whole bun with a hairnet to contain them (if one were ever to come loose, but that has not happened). Start with lots of gel in the hair, pull it back in a ponytail. Then we split the pony tail into two, braid or split and twist each half and pin around the base of the ponytail separately. you get a flatter bun (not a knob sticking out the back of her head) and it is easier to pin. Then stretch and wrap the net tightly around the bun, pin with one pin and put your scrunchie around that. Then use lots of hairspray

This one doesn't have the gel or the hairnet around it (and you can tell the difference)-but you can see how the shape should be...
View attachment 3163

Beautiful! I love the grin in the mirror. I will have to try this!

 

[cher062]

Unless a specific gym bans them I don't think USAG has banned them. If they do My DD's hair will never stay in. We must use at least 10 of them to keep her heavy thick hair in a bun on her head. We also use a good 10 or so clips to keep those stray hairs in place and of course 20 gallons of cheap hairspray LOL. Oh Yes we also put a bun cover over that bun and pin that in at the base of the bun too. We have had her hair come out before when she was younger.

When she started her hair was down to her behind, its thick and heavy so it took along time to get it up into that bun our gym required every girl to have. Last year she cut almost 14 inches off her hair and its still past her shoulder, heavy and thick. Of course she thinks it so very short but it isn't still takes a good 30 min to get all that hair up in that bun. New gym doesn't require it but she has been competing in a bun so long she can't stand the ponytail whipping around.

 

[MdGymMom01]

My dd's hair is long (around waist-length) and she wore a bun all least season. We didn't use any bobby pins. What I did do was slick her hair into a ponytail with gel and hairspray and secure with a ribbed pony tail holder. then I would twist the hair and wrap it into a bun. Then I would take another ribbed ponytail holder and wrap that around the bun. Then secure with a hairnet and another pony if needed and use her scrunchy to secure everything. It held rather tightly! Here is a pic (Sorry so big!!):

 

[lhmom]

We've never been told that it's "banned". I have, however, gotten to the point that I only need 2 hair pins for DD's bun to stay in. I braid the ponytail, wrap it with a hair net around it (twisting it several time as I wrap), secure with another ponytail holder and stick a pin on the top and bottom of the bun. By the time the scrunchie goes around it, that bun is not moving, LOL. Dark hair clips (matching her hair) cover the short pieces, along with gel and hair spray. Whew! Good luck.

 

[cher062]

We slick it back with hairspray into a ponytail then make 4 or 5 small braids with that pony tail and wrap them all up into a bun securing each with a hair pin. The smaller braids aren't heavy like the big one braid is so it stays up for days. Then the bun cover with hair pins at the base that go under the hair elastic to help hold everything then the hair scrunchie around the base of the bun.

We have tried lots of ways of doing it and this is the only way we have found that holds tight and doesn't come out when she tumbles.