Claw clips have rapidly become a fashion and beauty staple, celebrated for their convenience in keeping hair tidy and adding a stylish element to outfits. However, despite their widespread popularity and perceived safety, new insights suggest that these hair accessories may pose risks, both for hair health and personal safety, particularly when driving.

According to trichologist Rachel Valentine, who shared her expertise on TikTok, the regular and repetitive use of claw clips can lead to significant hair damage, specifically breakage around the crown area. While claw clips are often considered a healthier alternative for putting hair up, Valentine emphasizes that the issue isn't the clip itself, but rather the consistent tension applied to the same section of hair over time. She explains, "Unfortunately, any repetitive hairstyle will cause breakage," attributing the damage to "the tension on the same area." This repetitive stress, even if not immediately noticeable, can manifest as breakage weeks later, especially with tight styles.

To mitigate this damage, Valentine recommends varying hairstyles daily. Her advice is to alternate between different hair-up styles and wearing hair down to distribute tension across different areas of the scalp and hair. This approach, such as using a claw clip one day, a silk scrunchie the next, wearing hair high or low, and then wearing it down, helps prevent stress from concentrating on a single spot, thereby reducing the risk of breakage.

Beyond hair health, claw clips have also been linked to severe safety hazards, particularly in the context of driving. Jeena Panesar issued an urgent warning after she was involved in a horror car crash where her claw clip became lodged skull-deep in the back of her head. During the accident, the impact rammed the accessory into her flesh, causing her to be unable to move and resulting in a 30cm cut from her eyebrow to the back of her head. Panesar recounted the circumstances of the crash, including dense fog, hitting what she believed was a gully or pothole, and her car flipping 50 meters after hitting a tree. Her harrowing experience prompted her to advise all drivers to remove claw clips before getting behind the wheel, emphasizing that while she was fortunate, others might not be.

In conclusion, while claw clips offer an accessible and fashionable way to manage hair, users are urged to consider both the long-term effects on hair health due to repetitive use and the immediate risks to personal safety, especially when driving. Varying hairstyles can protect against breakage, and removing clips before operating a vehicle can prevent severe injuries in the event of an accident.