Alligator clips don’t work for sectioning if the sections are tiny with little hair in them or if the hair has a lot of flyaways because the fine hairs will slide out between the teeth a bit. They are made to handle a lot of hair, so they are great for large sections or people with a lot of hair. The teeth do a fantastic job of securely holding your section where you want it without worrying that it will fall.Īlligator clips are also very ergonomic, with large fingertip handles and a double hinge arm, making the clip easier to open when placing and removing the clips in the hair. These clips are a type of hinge clip that has long, curved arms with teeth-like groves on them. Alligator ClipsĪlligator clips are the clips that I most often use as a hairstylist because they are the best of the best for holding tight sections while coloring, cutting, and styling. Below you will find any clip you could need for any hairstyle or function. There are many different types of clips, but these ten are the ones most commonly used in day-to-day life. I also like to use clips when doing a bouncy blowout to help each section cool in place before letting it fall. These clips are usually petite and flexible, so they do not create bends in your curl pattern. This is a highly vintage technique used back when roller sets and finger waves were all the rage. To Create CurlsĬlips can also be used to create specific curl patterns or to set curls so they last longer. A few other clips that you could use to keep troublesome flyaways back are barrettes and hinged clips. You can also use some clips, such as bobby pins, claw clips, and banana clips, to put all your hair back. Sometimes you only need a clip to keep back or up those pesky little hairs that fall out of a ponytail. Some clips that you could use for sectioning are duck bill clips, alligator clips, and claw clips. These clips are all about functionality and would not typically be worn out and about. Sectioning clips are used for hair coloring, styling, updos, and holding back hair while applying makeup.

Accessory hair clips can also be functional, such as butterfly clips, pearl barrettes, and resin french barrettes. This could be a pretty pattern, jewels, pearls, or simply bright colors.

Hair clips used for accessories have some embellishment that makes it look like you have jewelry in your hair. Most people in the general public who aren’t hairstylists or makeup artists use hair clips as an accessory. Below are a few different situations you will want to consider when choosing which hair clips are best for you. Depending on what you are using your clips for will make a huge difference in which type of hair clip you use. Hair clips are used in today’s world in a few different ways. If you are looking for a hair clip as an accessory, I love claw clips because they come in many different shapes, sizes, and styles and do a great job of holding your hair where you want it all day. These clips do a fantastic job of gripping the hair and securing it where you want it while sectioning for color, updos, styling, and whatever else you want your hair moved away from. The number one clip I go to most of the time in the salon is alligator clips.

However, there are so many other things that I like to use specific clips for, like quickly pulling all of my hair back into a quick updo, sectioning large amounts of hair, and adding cute pops of fashion to any hairstyle. For example, I once styled someone’s entire head with curls solely using hair clips, which would have only been possible with curl-setting clips. I have used various clips in the past ten years working in the salon, and each has its own function that I like to use for certain situations. After years of playing with different types of hair clips, I think I have mastered which clip works best for every style or function.Ī clip’s primary function is to hold the hair in a particular place on the head. Did you know you can create just about any hairstyle out there with different types of hair clips and use hair clips for a variety of functions? Having the different types of hair clips explained can make your life drastically easier when deciding what clip to use for what application.

Flat alligator clips