Συλλογή: French Hair Pins

A French hair pin is two metal prongs bent into a U. No hinge, no spring, nothing to clamp. It holds a bun or a twist because the hair packed around the prongs holds it, which sounds unlikely until you try it.

Getting it in takes a few attempts. After that, one pin replaces the half-dozen bobby pins you were using, and it looks like it was meant to be seen.

How to Pin a Bun

1. Twist your hair into a rope and coil it flat against the back of your head. Hold the coil in place with one hand.

2. Push the pin into the outer edge of the coil, prongs angled toward your scalp, until the tips catch the hair underneath.

3. Flip the pin so it points the opposite way and push it across the base of the bun.

4. Let go and shake your head. If the bun moves, the pin went in too parallel to the hair. Pull it out and go again at a steeper angle.

Step three is the one everyone skips. Reversing direction threads the prongs through two layers of hair instead of one, and that is where all the hold comes from.

How to Pin a French Twist

1. Gather your hair at the nape and twist it upward against the back of your head.

2. Tuck the loose ends down into the fold of the twist.

3. Slide the pin in vertically along the seam, catching both the twist and the flat hair next to it.

French Pin, French Clip or Bobby Pin?

If you want both, the Gold and Silver Mini Metal French Hair Pin & Clips Sets put a pin and clips in one pack. For the hold nobody sees, bobby pins still belong underneath.

The Pins

The classic shape comes in Gold, Silver and Hematite. Hematite is the darkest of the three and nearly disappears into dark hair. Gold and silver are there to be noticed, so match them to the jewelry you wear.

The Metal Clam Shell French Hair Pin adds a fan shell across the top, and the Gemstone French Hair Pin is the one you save for an occasion.

The Gold Bow and Gold Metal Barrette French Hair Pins are minis. They are sized for a half-up twist or a small bun at the crown, not a full head of hair, and trying to make them do more is how people decide French pins do not work.

When It Will Not Stay In

Freshly washed, silky hair is the hardest hair to pin, because the prongs need texture to grip and clean hair has none. Second-day hair holds a French pin better than anything you can buy. On wash day, a little dry shampoo or texturizing spray at the base of the bun gets you most of the way there.

Very short layers are the other problem. If your hair cannot coil around itself at least once, it cannot hold a pin, and a claw clip is the better tool for it.

French Hair Pin FAQs

Do French pins work on thick hair?

Thick hair is often where they work best, since there is more hair packed around the prongs. Use a full-size pin for a full bun.

How many French pins do I need?

One for most buns and twists. On very long or heavy hair, cross a second pin through the first from the other side.

Are French pins the same as U-pins?

Same shape, different job. U-pins are smaller and plain, meant to disappear inside an updo. A French pin is larger and meant to be the finishing piece.

Can I use a French pin on shoulder-length hair?

Yes, with a mini pin and a half-up twist. A full bun needs more length than most shoulder-length cuts have.