I leave the bands in at all times. If I don't, the hair covers and irritates their eyes and make them tear up which isn't good. Zada and Azrael don't bother each other or Razael's top-knot and Razael is getting out of her mischievous habit of knot-attacking. She even leaves Zada and Azraels bows alone because she now knows "bows-mean-bye-bye".