Anybody else experiencing updo limitation?

[meteor]

Are there other LHC-ers who only do updos based on braids?
I am terrible at styling my hair so I have a very small arsenal of styles that don't hurt, don't fall apart and seem to be hair friendly... but they are ALL based on braids. Braided cinnabun, half-up braided knot or nautilus (not long enough for full versions), or some version of coronet/milkmaid/horseshoe braids... and that's it.:confused:

I just realized that I haven't been able to put my own hair up without braids in years. I can do it on other people though.
I've tried some very simple updos recently and ended up with horrible tangles and frustration.:brickwall :headache: But the exact same styles based on braids work great for me! Is there anybody in the same position? And do you guys know why some people's hair seems to need braids as the base?

I keep seeing advice about the need to change styles regularly, so I'm a bit worried about my limited arsenal.

[queenovnight]

I've noticed that I get more tangles if I do 'twisty' buns. Ya know, without a braid of some sort. Sometimes, the tangles are so bad that I can't comb my hair until im in the shower with a hair full of conditioner. Dunno why! Just doesn't work for my hair.

[Johannah]

My problem is the opposite of yours: I can't do braided buns.

Buns I do on a regular basis: lazy wrap bun (normal or with hair twisted), nautilus bun, disc bun, pha bun, cinnamon bun, infinity bun. That's quite it. I'm not able to do anything else (simply because I'm horrible in styling my hair).

[lapushka]

Maybe it's just a matter of changing up your game and getting used to braidless buns? I'm sure that if you practice a LWB or nautilus or any other bun without a braid, that you'll get the hang of it in no time. It's just a matter of getting used to and practice, IMMHO. :flower:

[darklyndsea]

I do too! Unbraided buns are generally uncomfortable and a lot less secure for me. I think for me it's a combination of texture, thickness, and weight, as well as laziness (unbraid my sleep braid before I throw my hair into a bun in the morning, and then rebraid it at night? Pff, not gonna happen).

I try to switch the braids I do every once in a while: 3 strand, 4 strand, 5 strand, dutch, rope, etc. And pretty much any nonbraided style is possible with braided hair anyway (no guarantees about appearance though).

[Lightchick]

I have trouble with braided updos and non-braided too. My hair is aggressively straight and wants to poke out in every direction. I put it up anyway and let it fly. It is SO hot in south Texas that I just could not cope with my hair down. Any suggestions on taming my hair?

[PurpleSunshine]

The trouble i have is starting any hairstyle without my hair in a ponytail. I've tried so many times I have just given up. So it really limits me to about 4 buns. (really just two, with a braided version of each). And i cant get many of the other buns, tried and failed with those too. I just dont understand how to start without a ponytail.

[Madora]

Meteor, have you tried the 2 strand lace accent rope braid? Not a "braid" but still very pretty and easy to do: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPHEzUr5bWQ

I prefer braids because they are more stable but I have worn buns based on the sectioning method. I don't care for the one bun style because I dislike the "doorknob" effect most of them have, not to mention carrying all the weight in one spot.

[Madora]

The trouble i have is starting any hairstyle without my hair in a ponytail. I've tried so many times I have just given up. So it really limits me to about 4 buns. (really just two, with a braided version of each). And i cant get many of the other buns, tried and failed with those too. I just dont understand how to start without a ponytail.

I think being able to manipulate your hair depends on how well you can "think" with your fingers and training your hands to work in a certain way.

That being said, here is a suggestion for hairstyling w/o using a ponytail as a starting base:

1) Gently detangle your hair so that all snarls are removed. Comb your hair back away from your face so that it hangs down your back.
2) Make a horizontal part from the top of your left ear, around the back of your head, to the top of your right ear.
3) Take all the hair above the part in your hand. Comb it out so that there are no snarls.
4) Take the combed hair and divide it in 3 parts.
5) Braid the hair, being careful to not pull it tightly!
6) Holding the top of the braid FLAT against your scalp with one hand, with the other hand coil it in a bun. Try and keep the coil flat.
7) Hold the bun in place with one hand and with the other hand, insert 4 or 5 crimped hairpins.

How to pin: Insert the pin on the outside edge of the braid so that one "leg" is inside the edge of the braid and the other "leg" is outside the braid. Pivot the pin so that it scoops up a little scalp hair, then weave the pin back into the braid. Do not put it in straight as the pin will pop out. Weaving the pin into and thru the hair helps anchor it properly. Your hair should not hurt when pinning. If it does, take out the pin and try again.

8) Take the remaining loose hair, be sure it is detangled.
9) Braid it loosely*
10) Take the braid and wind it around the bun already made. Pin securely.

Voila: one sectioned double braided bun

* It helps if you hold your head down while doing the braiding as the downward posture makes it easier for you to start the final braid closer to the bun.

This sectioned style can be done with twists or rope braids, or fishtails. Also useful when doing the cameo bun.

For the sake of your hair, I hope you try something other than ponytails as a ponytail is a hair killer (hair breakage, traction alopecia, etc.)

Good luck!

[meteor]

Thank you, guys! :flower:
It's reassuring to know I'm not the only one.
They say if the style is not working on thick hair, just wait for it to grow longer, but I find it's even harder for me to mount my TBL hair in a lazy wrap or nautilus than it appeared almost possible around waist/hip, because the unlayered thickness seems to play against it. Braids really make the mass much more manageable.

Madora, that Greek Goddess is a gorgeous style. :) I'll need to improve my twisting/rope-braiding skills to keep the tension right to accomplish that one.


The trouble i have is starting any hairstyle without my hair in a ponytail. I've tried so many times I have just given up. So it really limits me to about 4 buns. (really just two, with a braided version of each). And i cant get many of the other buns, tried and failed with those too. I just dont understand how to start without a ponytail.
PurpleSunshine, I don't even bother to try ponytails anymore. Even if they worked, they'd hurt my scalp too much and pull everywhere. I'm in awe of Torrin Paige who mounts her hair in ponytail for her styles. I just try to do what she does without any ponies. Oh, and you absolutely don't need a ponytail to do a braided bun or a Chinese bun, and thick braided hair doesn't wrap properly around that ponytail base anyway, so I always skip that stage. For a braided bun, I just wrap the braid around and pin with a stick. For a Chinese bun, I put a stick through the bases of 2 braids and then start winding/weaving the braids around. My braided buns don't even look braided, they kind of look like knobs/knots. And just like darklyndsea, I am happy to take those braids down and sleep in them at night.


I seem to remember some LHC thread on thick hair where some ladies were mentioning how they can only braid and can never really bun their hair... I wonder if they tried braiding and sectioning, the way Madora described here so well.

Sectioning really works for me, but I guess I was not doing this much because it takes more time and manipulation and tends to require lots of pins/hair toys, and I prefer keeping it minimalistic.
This is a great video by Torrin where she shows how we can split, section and build buns:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZvXrEOfJ4w

[meteor]

I have trouble with braided updos and non-braided too. My hair is aggressively straight and wants to poke out in every direction. I put it up anyway and let it fly. It is SO hot in south Texas that I just could not cope with my hair down. Any suggestions on taming my hair?
I think if it really bothered me, I'd do little twists / accent braids to contain that flyaway hair. Or I use a tiny bit of oil/leave-in/water to help keep it in place.
But like you, I tend to just let it fly, simply because flyaways are normal and don't bother me too much.

[JustPam]

I am useless at updos, I can never get them right, either too tight or not tight enough that they fall apart. My go to recently has just been a loose side braid most days, wear down day after wash night with just the top section tied/clipped back. I've watched hundreds of bun tutorials but I think my hair is at an inbetweeny length, too long for some styles and not long enough for others. The only bun I can do reasonably well is the boring twist and wrap one, what I call a "dog poop" bun, haha! I actually hate how it looks.

[meteor]

Maybe we can help each other out by listing braided updos to help each other increase the number of updo options?
Here are the braided updos I know:
I. Buns based on 1 braid:
1. Braided cinnabun
2. Braided nautilus
3. Braided knot

II. Buns based on 2 or more braids:
4. Chinese braided bun
5. 2 braids tied (knotted) together in the back and pinned
6. Horseshoe braids
7. Combinations of multiple braids woven together: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8y8or_RC6wM, http://thebeautydepartment.com/2011/12/prim-proper/#more-4969, etc...

III. Buns based on "Luana" (combination) braids, i.e. small English into large English braids:
8. Elling woman bun
9. Amish braided bun
10. Woven braided crown - http://rapunzelsresource.wordpress.com/2009/10/23/luana-braids-woven-crown-variation/
11. Variation of sideways Elling woman bun - woven like an infinity sign
12. Variation of 2 Luana braids woven at the back - http://rapunzelsresource.wordpress.com/2009/10/21/luana-braids-renaissance-variation/

IV. Tucks:
13. Braided tuck (called the Masara by Torrin Paige and Antenna bun by Loepsie) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ND5dJXnBs2k
14. Folded braid(s)

V. Looped braids:
15. Two looped braids on sides or in the back attached to their bases
16. Skyrim braided style - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5wJ32M9PzQ
17. Cleopatra braided updo - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QigGoRY_Nic
18. Elisabeth of Austria braided updo - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IHpzecbd_M, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNpMVlgykvo

VI. Crown type updos:
19. Crown braid
20. Coronet braid (with 1 or 2 braids)
21. Braided wreath - lots of small coronet braids stacked or woven
22. Milkmaid braids and Frida Kahlo braids

These are the ones I could think of as relatively distinct styles, but there are lots of variations, especially as you start changing to French/Dutch/rope/##-strand braiding.


What are some of the braided styles you guys like or use or would like to use?

[MeowScat]

My hair is a pain in the rump to keep up. There's one bun that works like a charm for me. The Lazy Wrap on top of my head holds with one stick all day and night, no twisting, so less damage. Nothing else holds. Nothing. Grrrrr...

[lapushka]

Just saw this in my YT subscription box. It's pretty cool:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9W-kbWPSfQ

[meteor]

Just saw this in my YT subscription box. It's pretty cool:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9W-kbWPSfQ

Awesome idea! It has that distinct Elling bun feel to it. I absolutely love styles like that because they are secure and eat up length and density.
I really like PansPage's simplified version of the Elling bun, as well. Her videos are always very clear.
Thanks so much for sharing! :blossom:

[HairFaerie]

I am limited at the moment due to two things: 1) they give me headaches 2) I am a little past shoulder and I have some layers and some updos that I can manage without a headache fall out as the day goes on and the pieces drive me crazy! I cannot wait to get to BSL! I really would like to wear it up sometimes but right now it is frustrating. :(

[Nimia]

I've never, ever, EVER managed a decent French twist. Why does it hate me so?

meteor -- I like your thinking! If one can't do better than a braid, then one should maximize its usefulness. I love braided looks, anyway; something about the detail and repetition is very appealing. Now I'm going to have to go through all those links and try them out.

[meteor]

I've never, ever, EVER managed a decent French twist. Why does it hate me so?
Nimia, if your problem with French twist is caused by length and/or thickness of hair and the characteristic "bulge", then maybe this tutorial by LHC-er Firefromwithin can help:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCZ1ZxnB_vA
She's using a neat braid trick to do a compact French twist on long hair.