# Why does balloon ribbon curl? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 12, 2003, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-balloon-ribbon-curl/154668 "2003-02-12T21:40:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PetW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@PetW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PetW)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-balloon-ribbon-curl/154668/1 "2003-02-12T21:40:25Z")
I’ve pondered this at great length: why, when you scrape scissors down the side, does the balloon ribbon curl? ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-balloon-ribbon-curl/154668/2 "2003-02-12T21:48:54Z")
Welcome to the boards. I found this topic had previously been discussed [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=101666&highlight=ribbon+curl). ---
**Author:** ![Bob55](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Bob55](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bob55)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-balloon-ribbon-curl/154668/3 "2003-02-13T00:17:16Z")
Most people in the other thread guessed it was due to fiber breakage. I have another WAG - I know that curly hair is straightened with heat because you’re breaking the hydrogen bonds in the hair proteins & causing them to reform in the straight position. Could ribbons curl in a similar manner? ---
**Author:** ![Fuel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df705f/32.png) [@Fuel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuel)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-balloon-ribbon-curl/154668/4 "2003-02-13T02:41:43Z")
WAG: Isn’t it because you flatten the ripples out on one side, leaving that side “longer” in length than the other rippled side, thus it will want to travel a longer path = outside of the curl? I wish I had some ribbon to look at around here…