Ok, so it all started when I was browsing Google today and saw some really interesting new claw clip designs. I found a question in the related search: Are claw clips damaging to hair?
What? There are still questions like this in 2025! It seems like there are still a lot of people discussing this, and we need real solutions!
what is a claw clip?
Claw clip is also called claw clamp, hair clutcher or jaw clip. It is a hair accessory with metal or plastic teeth. Simply put, its function is to fix the long hair that is tied up.
Are claw clips better than scrunchies?
Most of the time. You can clearly feel that scrunchies can’t handle most occasions well – whether you want to go out shopping or get ready to play sports, it will fall off soon. The biggest problem is that it is not strong enough, just like some people’s shoelaces. In fact, the life of the rubber band in scrunchies is also a problem. You know, it will become inelastic after a long time, just like an old lady’s shoe insole.
Compared to the regular elastic band, I would recommend the claw clip as your daily hair butler. It can continuously provide strong grip, allowing you to easily deal with situations where your hair needs to swing. At the same time, the force provided by the claw clip is continuous, and there will be no stretching of the hair, which can well avoid headaches or hair breakage.
Summary:
The advantages of scrunchies are: simple binding, small space, you can often wear it to sleep without damaging your hair, or when you need to simply deal with your hair after taking a shower, they will also be your good helper.
Disadvantages: scrunchies cannot be tied tightly, and are not recommended for going out or exercising. The lifespan is short, and the binding force will decrease over time
The advantages of claw clips are: providing long-lasting and stable grip, and performing well in activities where you need to move. And claw clip manufacturers will launch fashionable and interesting new designs from time to time.
Disadvantages: The hair needs to be relatively complicated to bind, which means that it may cause damage to the hair. At the same time, it is not friendly to people with fine hair. Poor quality claw clips may entangle or cut the hair.
How claw clips work?
Simply put, Claw clips work by using a hinged, jaw-like mechanism to grip and secure hair. The design of claw clips may change, but the principle is always the lever effect. Here’s a quick breakdown.
Claw clips secure hair via a hinged, spring-loaded mechanism. Two toothed jaws open when the levers are squeezed, allowing hair to be gathered inside. Releasing the levers closes the jaws, with the spring and interlocking teeth gripping the hair firmly. The curved design ensures comfort and stability. To remove, squeeze the levers to release the hair.
Do Claw Clips Really Damage Your Hair?
1. So, there are many examples in customer reviews that prove that low-quality plastic or metal clips with rough edges may snag or cut hair.
2. Compared with coarse hair, fine or fragile hair is more susceptible to damage from claw clips
Experts have demonstrated the source of hair damage. The tension on the scalp follicles will weaken the retention of hair over time.
It is common sense that plastic claw clips, which are very polluting, generally perform very poorly because they are made of cheaper materials and the process results in barbs on the teeth. However, claw clips made of acetate materials will perform better and more durable because acetate sheets are more stable than plastics, and in the production process we put them into a roller machine for polishing, so acetate claw clips are better in gloss and smoothness.
Tips: Try not to wear a claw clip while driving. There are reports that a woman was involved in a car accident while driving while she was wearing a metal claw clip. The accident led to very serious consequences: The sharp teeth of the claw clip scratched her eyebrow to head-back. Report from BBC
How to avoid damage?
First, confirm whether your hair is coarse or fine?
Choose a high-quality claw clip with smooth edges and strong springs. You can find them on the famous shop such as emijay or chunks
Try to learn various hair tying methods from youTubers and tiktok bloggers to find the ones that best suit your hair.
Use hair clips on dry or slightly damp hair, not wet hair (wet scalp is softer and easier to pull)
Try to alternate between claw clips and headbands. For example, wear a claw clip during the day and a headband at night to sleep.
For thick hair, choose a larger hair clip to evenly distribute the pressure.
Remove the hair clip gently during operation to avoid pulling.
Is cellulose acetate good for hair?
1. In terms of the production process, acetate hair accessories are different from traditional injection molding and demolding. We use modular cutting and assembly. And the components will be polished by a roller for a day, and they will show unparalleled gloss and smoothness.
2. In terms of chemical structure, plastic is unstable, easy to decompose and emit unpleasant gases in hot weather and easy to deform. Acetate hair accessories are stable, and the material is environmentally friendly (plant cellulose), and the process also includes spraying environmentally friendly paint.
3. In terms of texture, plastic is brittle and easy to break when deformed. Acetate has a certain deformation space and can adapt to large hair volume.
So now that you know how to better protect your hair, try these tips and share your favorite claw clip styles in the comments section!
→ View the complete custom hair claw process
How to identify high-quality claw clips offline?
We all know that it is difficult to conduct fine quality control in some large supermarkets, so what details should we pay attention to to ensure that we buy high-quality claw clips? Please see the following points:
① Check whether the outer packaging is complete: Some claw clips are exposed on the shelf (stuck on the paper card) or are packed with OPP bags and other things. Check whether the paper card has creases or whether the bag is sealed
② Try it yourself: feel its weight in your hand, try to open the claw clip to see if the force is appropriate, and finally feel whether there is a sense of jamming (if there is, it is likely to be a defective product) Of course you can’t wear it. Please imagine whether the one in your hand can hold your hair well.
③ Check the origin and material: Generally speaking, if it comes from China, it has the highest cost performance, but it still needs to be distinguished; if it is produced in other Asian countries, the quality is generally uneven; if it is produced in developed countries, congratulations, they usually give a high price. In terms of material performance, environmental protection and price ranking: acetate>acrylic>metal>>plastic
Related Blogs:
3-Key Acetate Hair Accessory Techniques