Hair Tutorial: How To Use Chignon Pins

A chignon pin is a two-pronged hair pin which is used to secure bun and French pleat hairstyles (also known as a French twist or French roll). They may be simple to look at, but they can be daunting if you have never used one before! The following article will help you choose which chignon pin is best for your hair type and how to create an elegant French pleat hairstyle using a chignon pin.

Chignon pin hairstyles

Chignon pins are designed to create neat and elegant updo hairstyles such as a bun or French pleat. They lay flat against the head, making them a comfortable accessory when sitting in the car or working in the office (or from home!). You could use one larger chignon pin to secure the style, or use a few small ones if you want to keep it extra secure and neat. Small chignon pins could also be used to create a half-up hair style by using them to secure a small top-knot or bun using half of the hair. 

How to use chignon pins

French Pleat:

1. Gather the hair at the nape of the neck and twist.
2. Bring the twist up so it is flat against your head.
3. Tuck the ends under and roll slightly into the pocket of hair that forms beside the twist.
4. With the pin upside down so it curves away from the head, push the prongs of the chignon pin through the top layers of hair in the middle of the updo. Don't do this too low on the style, or the top will be too heavy and it will not hold in place.
5. Then flip the pin and push it into the twist so that it now follows the curve of your head.

Bun hairstyle:

1. Gather the hair at the back of the head at the desired height where you would like to bun to sit.
2. Twist the hair round into a bun shape.
3. With the curve of the pin facing away from the bun, push the prongs of the chignon pin through a few layers of hair on one side of the bun.
4. Then flip the pin and push it underneath the bun to secure it in place, with the curve of the pin following the curve of your head.
5. This technique could also be used to create a half-up bun hairstyle using a smaller pin and the top layers of hair.

Chignon pins for thick or long hair

The thicker or longer your hair, the larger your chignon pin should be. If you are doing a bun or French pleat hairstyle you could try the 11cm Chignon Pin from our French handmade range. All of the accessories from this range are made from strong cellulose acetate, a material which is slightly flexible and is hand-polished for a smooth finish making it comfortable to wear and strong enough to keep your style in place all day.

In medium-thick hair, one long pin should be plenty to keep your style in place all day. In very thick, heavy or curly hair you may find that you need two large chignon pins to give extra hold and keep the style secure. In this case, you could try a French pleat comb as an alternative as the hairstyle it creates is the same, but it may provide more hold if you hair is very thick or heavy. A great option for this is our Curved French Pleat Comb.

Alternatively, you could use multiple slightly smaller chignon pins, such as the 6x 90mm Chignon Pins, to give extra hold. These could also be used for half-up hairstyles. Placing pins along the length of your French pleat or around your bun, will help to hold more of the hair firmly against your head. This is particularly useful if you have heavy hair or feel you need the extra support for the hairstyle.

Chignon pins for fine or shorter hair

If your hair is fine, or around shoulder length, smaller hair pins will be better for you to create a French pleat or bun hairstyle. You could try the 10cm Chignon Pin from our French Essentials range which will hold fine or shorter hair by itself in an updo or bun. If your hair is particularly fine, one of the Handmade 8cm Chignon Pins from our French handmade collection is a great option. Alternatively, you could use a few of these if you have more hair to provide extra security. We also have our brand new colourful 8cm Waved Chignon Pins to add a pop of bright colour to your French pleat!

If you hair is fine or slippery but long, the 11cm Chignon Pin could be good for you as it is designed to hold more hair. You could also try using multiple smaller pins, such as the set of 6x Small Chignon Pins to help hold all of the hair in place. These smaller hair pins, as well as the Handmade 8cm Chignon Pins, could also be used to create half-up hairstyles.

We hope this has helped you to choose the best chignon pin for you, but if you would like more personalised recommendations or advice then get in touch! You can also view our other 'how-to' guides and check out the Tegen Accessories YouTube for more hairstyle tutorials.

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