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How to Use a Claw Clip With Long, Thick Hair (So It Actually Stays)

“Thick hair isn't too much for a claw clip. It's too much for a small one. Size up, give it something to grip, and it'll hold all day and still look like you did it on purpose.”Her take

Choose a clip that can hold your hair

For long, thick hair, choose a large clip, generally the biggest size in a range. The teeth need to reach all the way across your twist, and the spring needs to snap shut firmly. If a clip opens when you shake your head, it's too weak.

Matte finishes and teeth that interlock grip better than shiny, smooth ones. Medium clips are useful for half-up styles, but for a full updo with heavy hair, go bigger.

The basic twist-and-clip method

This is the method that works for most long hair. Practice it a few times in front of a mirror.

• Brush your hair back and gather it into a low ponytail at the nape with your hand.
• Twist the ponytail tightly in one direction until it starts to coil.
• Fold the twist up against the back of your head, so the ends point upward.
• Open the clip and place it across the twist with the teeth pointing down, catching hair from both sides.
• Let the ends fan out over the top of the clip, or tuck them in for a neater finish.

The elastic trick for heavy hair

If the clip slides down within an hour, give it something to grip. Tie your hair into a low ponytail with a hair elastic first, then twist the ponytail, fold it up and clip over the elastic.

The elastic carries most of the weight, and the clip only has to hold the shape. It's the most reliable way to keep a claw clip in very thick or very long hair all day.

The vertical twist for a polished look

For a French-twist look, gather hair at the nape, twist it upward along the back of your head in a vertical roll, and slide the clip in vertically along the twist, teeth biting into the roll and the hair against your head.

This spreads the weight up the back of your head instead of in one knot, and works well with a coat collar, which can push a low horizontal clip out of place.

Two-clip and half-up styles

When your hair is too much for one clip, split it. Divide the hair into an upper and lower section, twist and clip the top half at the crown, then twist and clip the bottom half just below it. The two clips stack and share the weight.

For a half-up style, take the top section from temple to temple, twist it back and clip it at the crown with a medium clip. It's a good way to keep hair off your face without the weight of a full updo.

Keep it comfortable

Don't force the clip shut over more hair than it can hold; a clip under strain pulls on the scalp and can crack. If it pinches, use a larger clip or the two-clip method.

Sitting back against a car headrest or a high chair back pushes a clip into your head. For driving or flights, a vertical twist or a lower clip positioned to the side of the headrest is more comfortable.

Questions people ask

The takeaway

Size up, twist tight, clip across with the teeth down, add an elastic or a second clip for heavy hair, and never force it shut.

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