How to make bun waves last longer?

[Jonquil]

Thanks to the wonderful advice here, I've taken to sleeping with protective hairstyles lately and I LOVE IT! It's so nice to not have it wrapping around the neck, and waking up without any tangles ^^

I've been doing a simple bee butt bun at the top of my head for the past week. It gives me the most beautiful waves when I take it out in the morning. BUT... the waves only last a couple hours :(
It would be great to have them last longer because they make me feel so pretty and confident. You know how it is on those great hair days! Currently I don't use any product other than a small bit of Garnier Fructis leave-in conditioner immediately after washing, and then air-dry for a while and put it up in the bun when it's damp. I figure some type of styling product or gel might make the waves stay better but I don't know what to try. My hair is fine and fairly thin so I'm afraid that any gel would make it look limp and greasy really fast.

Any suggestions or product recommendations?

[emilia1992]

I let hair dry completely, then dampen it with a little bit of leave-in conditioner. I think that leaving the hair too damp would actually make the waves stay in for a shorter period of time. I did try using mousse once but it made my hair crunchy.

[leilani]

It's totally dry when you release the bun in the morning? Like, body temperature and dry, not dry but cool feeling?

[Jonquil]

It's totally dry when you release the bun in the morning? Like, body temperature and dry, not dry but cool feeling?

It's a bit cooler than body temperature. Does that mean it hasn't dried completely?

[kidari]

It's a bit cooler than body temperature. Does that mean it hasn't dried completely?

In my experience, if it feels cool to the touch it probably is not completely dry. The waves look the best that way but the hair falls flat fast (at least on my straighter texture). I agree that the best method is to do this on completely dry hair. Have a mister that sprays an even, fine mist and spray your hair with water/leave-in conditioner/whatever you like and make sure it's evenly distributed by combing or brushing through. Careful not to get it noticeably damp though. With experimentation you will find what works best for your hair. Then you bun it up and make sure it's up in a bun at least 6 hours. When my hair has less layers and is longer, the weight from the length makes it even harder to curl. In that case you are better off making more buns that are smaller. Something like two buns on each side of your head to a row of rag curls even. The more buns or curls you make and the smaller they are, the more your hair will hold the curl. The only thing is, it will look too full in the beginning but they will "drop" later. If my curls are too curly then I just spray it down a bit with conditioner or just smooth it out and put it in a low loose bun for a few hours.

[Johannah]

I agree with the advice you already got. If I want waves, I make a bun on dry hair but damp it a little bit with water. Next day it's dry and I have waves.