if you have dead straight flat hair how do you put it up?

[southeastastra]

i have a ponytail but would love to be able to put it up with a nice clip like everyone apart from me can seem to do.

is there an art to it?

You are not alone.I have dead straight flat...thin...hair, and if I try to put it up in any style other than a ponytail it all falls out.
clips, slides even hair bands are hopeless.
If i let my hair dry naturally, I end up with a triangle shaped head as it does not dry flat but completely straight and sticking out.
I once let a pushy hairdresser use straightners until she would admit it was a pointless exercise.
I now use a huge heated round brush to get some sort of shape and am stuck with the same bob I have had since a toddler, every 5 or so years it comes back into fashion.

I don't put mine up, it looks crap. I blowdry it and turn the ends under with a hot brish to give it a bit of volume instead - needs half a can of hairspray to stay longer than two minutes but it's the only thing that works!

I don't but I do have fine hair: a hairdresser once told me that fine or flat hair styles and goes up much better if it's not newly washed.

Leave till a bit greasy, put some dry shampoo in and rub or comb out, back comb it a bit, smoothing down after getting the volume in: anything to give it a bit of volume and grip?

i don't have fine hair, but a few friends do and they always back come it a bit, to help hold the do up?

have you considered dying it? it will add texture and maybe grip? also what about layers- i have fine hair and find they make it look fuller

I have similar hair (mostly straight, though about 30% of it has decided that it will be really curly. Why, I do not know. It also seems to change colour of it's own accord. ).

Agree that blowdrying with a thickening spray and a round brush helps to get some texture and movement into it, it also makes it less slippy. One of the best sprays I used in the past was John Frieda Blonde thickening spray, which worked quite well. Also agree on using dry shampoo.

Have you tried something like this?

I have very fine, straight flat hair and put mine in a low-ish ponytail, then clip it up in one of these and push the band up inside so you can't see it.

Or I have a very messy bun, made up of a high ponytail, twisting the hair round it and pinning it into place, before nearly passing out in a haze of hairspray

I swear by a swinky

It's not a clip but it does a jolly good job of holding hair in place and if you practice a bit you can do all sorts of fun styles!

I use a hairstick, which can do a loose bun, roll and even a 'ponytail' this works better if a couple of days after washing.
It mixes up the styles a bit. Have you tried letting it dry pinned up in loose bun or twisted up in roll, as this seems to give mine a bit more texture and body.