Hair

[lindajdunn]

After a quarter century of long hair, I've had it cut super-short because I have epicondylitis (tennis elbow). Shampooing and combing long hair caused pain and I wanted to eliminate anything that interferred with the recovery process.

Thus, I'm now looking at hair questions: What IS a good hair length/hair style for fencing? What IS the best way to keep growing hair out of your eyes while fencing? How do other fencers manage their hair so it looks good and still stays out of the way while fencing?

[Peach]

After a quarter century of long hair, I've had it cut super-short because I have epicondylitis (tennis elbow). Shampooing and combing long hair caused pain and I wanted to eliminate anything that interferred with the recovery process.

Thus, I'm now looking at hair questions: What IS a good hair length/hair style for fencing? What IS the best way to keep growing hair out of your eyes while fencing? How do other fencers manage their hair so it looks good and still stays out of the way while fencing?

As far as I'm concerned, there IS no way to manage hair so it looks good and stays out of the way while fencing.

I cut my long hair short about ten years ago because I had a scalp condition, and I just keep it in a pixie cut because otherwise I can't do anything with it.

[lindajdunn]

Wow! THAT was a fast reply. It arrived within 30 seconds of my posting. How did you manage to type so fast?

[lefty_monster]

I think it's a matter of personal preference. Whichever way you wear it, it's going to be messy. My personal preference is long and in a bun (or braid or whatever) because then it's all pulled back, but I'm biased because I love the look of my long hair.

[Peach]

Wow! THAT was a fast reply. It arrived within 30 seconds of my posting. How did you manage to type so fast?

Hee hee hee. Love doing that (it boggles my students' minds as well)

Many years as a legal secretary.

[Neinteen]

I think it's a matter of personal preference. Whichever way you wear it, it's going to be messy. My personal preference is long and in a bun (or braid or whatever) because then it's all pulled back, but I'm biased because I love the look of my long hair.

x2

[lefty_monster]

Are you seconding my opinion that long hair looks good, or are you hitting on me again?

[Rabid Monk]

Where is the option for "short"?

I see long, shoulder length, chin length, ans supershort, but no happy medium. Therefore the poll is flawed.

I keep mine short. Easy to manage. But supershort is a little bit much.

[MyrddinsPrecint]

When fencing sabre, the easiest length for me was long enough so that it stayed well in two short pigtails, and stayed okay in one ponytail. When it got long enough so that someone might complain about it being on my lame, I had a friend trim it.

I'm letting it grow now, mostly because I can, and I just leave it in a ponytail. It's not yet long enough that I need to do anything else, but when that happens, I imagine I'll put it in a braid.

No matter what, if you're using hair elastics, or really any other hair product, the Goody Stayput line is key. they have little bits of exposed elastic-- not enough so that you can't get them out, but enough so that they --do--not--fall--out--. They also don't break often. I've cut down drastically on hair elastic purchase since I found these, and best of all, I don't have to fuss with my hair nearly as much.

[Nusy]

Depends on character, tho... when I was younger, until 14-ish, long looked very good on me, but later as my looks, habits, character changed, a chin length looked better of me, and caused less p.i.t.a. about combing, fencing, etc.

[lefty_monster]

I use one of my trophies as a scrunchie holder!

[Katman]

I've had it every which length and there was nothing better than the time it was so short it actually couldn't get in my face.

[lindajdunn]

Where is the option for "short"?

I see long, shoulder length, chin length, ans supershort, but no happy medium. Therefore the poll is flawed.

I keep mine short. Easy to manage. But supershort is a little bit much.

There's an option for chin-length which I inteded to be "short, chin-length"

[Zilverzmurfen]

My hair's long enough to be braided/ponytailed but I still always wear a bandana whilst fencing. I have very fine hair and those little hairs always seems to come loose and find their way into my eyes.

I'd say the ideal length would either be short enough so that your hair doesn't get into your eyes, or long enough so that you can put it up in a ponytail/braid.

I hope you'll recover well from your tennis elbow, that's painful!

[Phaeton]

"This is men's sabre. If you have to stop to fix your hair one more time I'm not only going to yellow card you but suggest you change events"--Michael Da'saro

It was either that or something more or less to the same effect. I cut my hair short again by the next event.

[JackOfHearts]

I hope you'll recover well from your tennis elbow, that's painful!

Seconded, yeowch... Get well soon!


I tend to keep my hair short. Long hair doesn't look good on a guy like me. Although I do wear a bandanna under the mask, both for a better fit, and to keep the sweat from dripping onto my face.

[TBean]

I am also in the supershort catergory having worn my hair that way for the better part of two decades. I cannot say it looks good while I am fencing, but whose hair does and it is out of the way. At least after fencing I can wet it down, towel it off and be on my way knowing it looks decent - after all that is what I do in the morning.

[Warrior Princess]

To keep my hair our of the way, it takes about 20 minutes to put up. First I braid it into two french braids, twist those up in a loop, put on a headband, pin it into place, pin the strands into place coming from my braids, pin the unbraided ends of my hair to my head (ultrenating the way the pins go), and after all of that I'm ready to fence. My hair is very very thick so it's impossible to keep it out of the way unless I do this. It's also layered prety derasticly, the longest layers being about halfway down my back, and the shortest ones a little less then chin length. I had short hair once a couple years ago and I just don't have the bone structure for it so I keep my hair long (it's one of my best features, next to my fencer-chick legs).

[pinkelephant]

Mine is now chin length, which is easier to look after for normal life (whatever that is) than very short. My visor mask is a very snug fit and keeps it out of my face.

[oiuyt]

Note the following new (to the USFA, the FIE's had it for months) rule:

t.86 2. When presenting themselves to fence a bout, the fencers must arrive on the piste completely ready to fence — regulation clothing, jacket fastened, sword-hand gloved and holding the weapon, bodywire connected to the plug inside the guard. The mask should be carried in the unarmed hand.
Before the start of the bout, the fencers' hair must be fastened and placed inside the clothing
and/or mask in such a was as to ensure that:
— it does not cover a valid surface (and thus prevent a hit from being scored).
— it does not conceal the name and nationality of the fencer.
— it does not need to be put back in place during the bout, thus interrupting it.
In the case of violation of this rule, the referee will apply the penalties for group 1 offences (t.114, t.116, t.120).

Immediate application (starting ~11:10 Sunday morning CDT (so a bit after noon on the East Coast and 9:10am on the West)). Not yet posted to the USFA website, although that should have happened by now.

-B