For about 3 years now, I've been pulling my hair back into a ponytail.  I only use cloth-covered elastics (scrunchies) to do this.  However, I now have what I call a "ring" of breakage that goes the whole way around my hair where the scrunchie would be placed.  Oh yeah, and I do not color, perm, brush my hair.  Could it be that my fine hair is too fragile even for scrunchies?  I am really frustrated and annoyed, because all these years I believed the whole "ponytails are okay as long as you use a scrunchie" line.  The damage is so bad, I'm now contemplating cutting my hair off, (its 3 inches below the bra line) because I have all these broken off bits sticking out.   :'( Anyone else that this has happened to?

Even scruchies can do damage to the hair.  The causes of the breakages are:
1.  Too much pressure on the pony tail - wrapping the hair too tightly.
2.  Fabric of the scrunchie is rough on the hair and snags it.
3.  Constantly putting the scrunchie on the same part of the hair will increase the likelyhood of breakage.

Try to vary the location of the scrunchie - wear it high, low, to the side.

Put your hair in different styles, such as braids and buns to give your hair a "break" from the scrunchie.

Try to avoid tighening the pony tail by pulling on the hair to slide the scrunchie back up higher on the hair.

Yes, I have had that happen in fact I have the damage from it right now. If I put my hair up I have all these straggling locks of hair that fall on my neck and on the sides of my hair and it gives a really unkempt messy look. :'( I know it is from wearing my hair in a ponytail fastened back with one of those wrapped (non-tangling) hair fasteners. I had it happen years ago and I had to wear my hair down or in braids for along time but all the ends did grow out. I knew it could happen but I stupidly started wearing my hair in a ponytail again a few years back and now have the same problem. :-/ It will correct itself but like BB said you have to put the ponytail in a different spot each time or wear your hair down or in braids.

I was surprised to find out that wearing scrunchie-ponytails could damage your hair- I always thought it was just things like rubberbands.  I try not to wear ponytails much these days.  Too bad- because I love to wear high ponies, especially in the summer time.  I feel for me it's safer to wear a twist with a ficcare-like clip. I can feel the stress on my scalp more when I wear a ponytail- the hairs pulling out.   I also very the place on my head where I wear my scunchie- high one time , lowere the next.  In fact, I try not to wear the same style day after day because I feel it stresses my scalp in that place (except down, of course).