My long hair keeps coming loose under my fencing mask, so how do fencers with long hair wear it, and can I get carded for it?
Braid it first, then fold it flat and low: that is what holds up through a full tournament day. A plain low bun slips because the mask goes on and off dozens of times and the back strap drags across it on every pull. Fencers with long or curly hair mostly do one braid or two French braids that end at the nape, put an elastic at the base and another at the end, then fold or coil the tail into a flat knot pinned with a claw clip or a couple of U pins. Another common option is to tuck the finished braid down inside the jacket collar.
Yes, you can be carded. The rules say that before the bout your hair must be fastened and placed inside your clothing or mask so that it does not cover valid target, does not hide the name on your back, and will not need fixing during the bout. It applies in all three weapons. Breaking it is a first group offense: a yellow card warning the first time, and any further first group offense in that bout is a red card, a touch to your opponent. Enforcement varies. Local events are often relaxed, while national events, where names on the back are required, tend to be strict, and some referees want no loose hair showing at all. Treat the strictest version as normal.
Mind where the mask sits. The back strap has to run low across the back of your neck so the mask cannot slide off, and on masks with a metal tongue, the tongue should rest against your head, not on a pile of hair. A thick bun right where the strap or tongue goes pushes the mask up and loosens it, so keep the bulk below that line or coil it to the side of your unarmed arm. The hook side of Velcro on many newer straps chews hair, so plenty of fencers wear a thin skull cap, bandana or head wrap that covers everything and also tames flyaways.
If braids slide out of slippery hair, a little texture spray or braiding while hair is slightly damp helps them grip. If you cannot braid your own hair, two low pigtails pinned flat or a looped ponytail tucked into the collar work too, or ask a teammate to braid it before check in. Keep spare elastics and pins in your bag, and redo your hair between bouts, never on the strip with the referee waiting. The same rule and the same tricks apply to anyone with long hair.