The Better Flatter Way to Pin Your Hair Up Under a Wig

I learned this tip when I was a kallah a lot of years ago. I’m surprised more people don’t know about it.

Are you still putting your hair up in a ponytail under your wig? Does the “bump” bother you?

There’s a better way.

Get rid of the hair elastic and get a package of these hair clips. You’ll need 2 or three of them, depending on the length and/or thickness of your hair. (Another brand here.)

Start by gathering your hair in a ponytail at the nape of your neck. You’re going to use the clip – backwards – to hold that ponytail. 

This will let you flip up the ponytail – but the base will be flat instead round. 

At this point, you can lay the ponytail flat against your head and pin it down with a second clip.

If your hair is too thick to lay flat, you can split it in half and pin each half towards the side of your head. This will also help if your hair is a bit too long to go straight up without coming over the top of your head. If it’s too thick for this clip to be used at the bottom, you can try this bigger one.

It might take a couple of tries to get the hang of it, but you won’t look back once you do!  Only downside is that you will probably set off the metal detectors when you fly. Worth it!

Note: I’d love to give credit to the sheitel macher who taught me this tip, but I don’t remember who it was. Possibly someone in Crown Heights, so if that rings a bell for you, please reach out!

Want to wash your wig at home? We show you how in this post. And avoid the frustration of tangling with these tips here.

Esti Waldman

Esti’s career has brought her behind the lens of food, fashion, books, and families as a leading photographer. Her talent and technical know-how make the photography you see on the site so appealing.

22 responses to “The Better Flatter Way to Pin Your Hair Up Under a Wig”

  1. PY Avatar
    PY

    Please post alternate choice of barrettes that will work as well as this item is sold out, thanks!

    1. Esti Waldman Avatar
      Esti Waldman

      We sold them out quickly! Added another link and hopefully they’ll restock.

  2. Shprintse Avatar
    Shprintse

    Goody makes these type as well

  3. D Avatar
    D

    Your link for washing sheitels at home bring you to cups on Amazon

    1. Esti Waldman Avatar
      Esti Waldman

      Fixed it, thanks!

  4. Tova Avatar
    Tova

    My mother did this 35 years ago!

  5. CK Avatar
    CK

    A braid also works pretty similarly.

  6. Pessie Avatar
    Pessie

    I’ve been doing this for over 10 years! Had a shaitel macher in Toronto (who moved to Montreal) by the name of Orli who taught me to do this. My hair is too thick to even fit in the bottom “pony” (even with a clip) so I first separate roughly half my hair, make a side half pony and clip that in on the left side of my scalp/head, then take the other half of the hair, do a small, flat twist, put it up and pin it down on the other side of my scalp/head. I’ve barely ever worn a ponytail. When my hair gets very thick and long you can still see a slight bump but that goes away as soon as it’s cut or thinned.
    Thank you for all your posts!

    1. Tova Avatar
      Tova

      Trying to imagine how this works… U split ur hair horizontaly or verticaly? My hair is always way too thick to put in barrete.

  7. Miriam Avatar
    Miriam

    Twisting the hair and pinning it with the berets is neater.
    And yes, you will absolutely set off the metal detectors at the airport and no, it’s NOT worth it.

    1. Pessie Avatar
      Pessie

      I’ve been doing this for over 10 years, have flown many many times and have barely ever set off the detectors. My clips are definitely metal!

      1. Miriam Avatar
        Miriam

        So interesting. after flying and getting caught way too often and having TSA agents grope under my wig to feel the clips I stopped wearing my hair this way. My hair also thinned considerably, so a low bun does the trick.

  8. Practical Avatar
    Practical

    You can do this for everyday, but when you fly do something else…

  9. Sarah Avatar
    Sarah

    My sheitel macher taught me a different method – make a low pony at the nape of the neck and split it in 2. Put each half alongside the bottom of your wig (on the left and right) there is a gap of space there that hides the pony perfectly!

    1. M Avatar
      M

      Do you pin the ponies in place? Or is my hair just super slippery

  10.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    This post was really funny for me because my mother-zol zein gezunt un shtark, who is now 80 kah, always pinned her hair up with those clips. For some reason I always use ponies and have the “bump”! Mother knows best! Thank you

  11. M Avatar
    M

    I’ve done this but it kind of slides back and gives the most insane pressure headaches. Am I doing it wrong?

  12. Devo Avatar
    Devo

    My mother does this as well. I never liked the way it made the top of the head look big. I do a pony/bun along the nape of my neck in extra space of the wig there.

  13. Hadassa Avatar
    Hadassa

    I have been doing this for exactly 22 years (my anniversary was yesterday!)
    I had bought a 3 pack of these clips from goody. I sleep with the bottom one in the pony like that even. About a month ago each clip snapped in half from daily wear for sooo long. I finally found a replacement on Amazon. it’s a bit smaller. But works fine. You can find these flat barrettes often at Walmart too for under $5/package.
    I can’t say enough how flat my hair is under my sheitel even when I was younger and my hair was thicker! I never understood how women wore an actual pony with elastic under their wig and had a bump in the back of the head.
    But whatever method works for each one’s hair… .

  14. Ruchie Avatar
    Ruchie

    My mother also did this for many years and I have doing for over 20 years as well. Both she and I have flown many times and not once set off a metal detector. At least not with clips. I have never had any metal detector issues at all

  15. #bc fan Avatar
    #bc fan

    Lol just buy these clips in plastic
    It’s for sure made

  16. #bc fan Avatar
    #bc fan

    Lol just buy these clips in plastic
    It’s for sure made!

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