Nautilus tricks for thick hair?

[NormaJean]

I've been on a bun craze this week because I want to save that wonderful freshly trimmed ends feeling for as long as I can. Generally speaking, I've just left it loose with maybe a single braid or two before now.

I managed to do a LWB for the first time ever yesterday and a disc bun today, but can't seem to make the nautilus work. I can't seem to get the loop over the bun base. I've made the loop with my whole hand and pulled on it to loosen it up, but I must be missing something as it isn't working.

I can make it work if I do it with the top half of my hair and cross-wrap the bottom half, but I would like to be able to pull off that stickless/pinless wonder at least once.

Are there any tricks/suggestions for that?

[LongCurlyTress]

Hi! I am also at 31 inches w 4 inch thick 3b curly pony and I can do a lwb w no problem, but the nautilus still eludes me for the same problem you are having. I am thinking that thick hair looses some length during the wrapping part of the nautilus, so we need to wait until our hair grows to at least tbl imo.Others w very thick hair have also had this same problem w the nautilus. We are almost there!! :)
And please be careful w pulliing your buns too tightly. I am noticing alot of nape hair tearing due to pulling the wrap too tightly around the base of my lwb. :(

[NormaJean]

Ah, I figured since it's more or less the same as a LWB that if you could do one, you could manage the other. I assumed I was just doing it wrong. :/

[Cania]

I have very similar hair to yours and I couldn't do it at waist, but my nautilus is very happy at TBL, so maybe there is something to your theory :)

[NormaJean]

I'm at hip length now - just trimmed my longest ends back from TB to even up the hemline, so it shouldn't be long then. I'll take that. :)

[lapushka]

A LWB has been possible in my hair since it hit waist/hip, more hip than waist. A cinnabun is still loose, and a nautilus is still a no-go. I just don't have enough hair. It needs much more length. And right now I'm almost TBL.

[KittyBird]

I could do a nautilus at waist/hip length, but it was really tight! Not exactly the most comfortable style back then, I preferred LWBs and cinnabuns.
I'm not even sure how I managed to do nautilus buns. I know I used only two fingers, because my hair wasn't long enough to put over my entire hand, but how on earth did I manage to secure it with that tiny loop that couldn't fit over the bun base? I'm confused now :confused:

[lapushka]

Yeah, until it's the entire hand and a nice comfortable loose loop, I'm just not going there!

[LadyLongLocks]

For thick hair make 2 buns! It seems it would be easier with thick hair.
I have a tutorial doing the Nautilus years ago (2007) with knee length.I never knew how to do it before I reached knee. I think if I sprayed my hair with water and aloe Vera it would be less slippery.
I have not done this bun in a long time. Here is the VIDEO (http://youtu.be/MZs5o6MKjUM). It's not great picture quality but you get the idea. For anyone wondering how its done.

[LongCurlyTress]

Great video JJJ! Thank you so much for posting your video. :) I love how your length makes the nautilus into such a gorgeous thick chignon. So classy, imo!! Since my nape hairs are a bit stressed out these days, and showing some breakage, I am going back to my two trusty plastic claws, one on each side of my bun ---with a super loose cinnamon bun until those nape hairs grow out a bit. By then, maybe I will be tbl and able to make this pinless nautilus, gorgeous bun. :rolleyes::pray:

Lapushka, NormaJean, Cania, -- Let's post some nautilus pics to celebrate when we can do this bun!! NormaJean, thanks so much for posting this thread. It's nice to know I am not the only one who is frustrated by the elusive "easy and quick to do" (allegedly for some fortunate ones ;/ ) nautilus. :magic:

KittyBird --thanks for the encouragement! Your hair is so thick and gorgeous! Great idea to use those small pretty claw clips in your profile pic. Looks great! :thudpile:

[lapushka]

Lapushka, NormaJean, Cania, -- Let's post some nautilus pics to celebrate when we can do this bun!! NormaJean, thanks so much for posting this thread. It's nice to know I am not the only one who is frustrated by the elusive "easy and quick to do" (allegedly for some fortunate ones ;/ ) nautilus. :magic:

Not a bad idea, actually!

[DreamSheep]

What I do is I just slip two fingers underneath instead of the whole hand, and twist out like that, and plonk my twist on top of my ends. It doesn't go round neatly and it isn't a big loop, but it is big enough to get a stick in and out, and once you've found the sweet spot it holds like a rock :)

I may try and make a video of this, as I also found it hard to master at first, but I find it holds better than LWB once done :) and tangles less when taking down

[Cania]

Not a bad idea, actually!

I've posted this a few times (oh, the exposure!) but this is what it looks like in my chaos nest :P

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=12874&d=1409863894

How I envy the fine haired with their sleek buns!

[ooglipoo]

:rollin: chaos nest! I love it.

[lapushka]

I've posted this a few times (oh, the exposure!) but this is what it looks like in my chaos nest :P

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=12874&d=1409863894

How I envy the fine haired with their sleek buns!

Very nice!
My hair is F, but my buns are far from sleek (because of wavy texture, I guess). :)

[TrapperCreekD]

I could do a LWB at waist (second bun I learned) but at roughly tailbone it takes some fiddling to get the Nautilus work like its supposed to. And I have a lot off taper!

[Laurenji]

I also cannot do a nautalis. I am basically at waist and I've only just barely started to be able to do a LWB. Hopefully TBL is the key!

[patienceneeded]

I am flirting with hip and can just now BARELY manage a nautilus for a few minutes. It won't stay though, not enough length to actually make it stable. Still waiting on that particular bun. LWB works fine.

[CurlyCap]

Count me in the ranks of those that can't do a nautilus. 3b, ii/iii, BCL. Bah.

[lapushka]

Count me in the ranks of those that can't do a nautilus. 3b, ii/iii, BCL. Bah.

Almost TBL with a iii circumference and can't do one either yet. I need the loop to be big and loose. I want a nice comfy nautilus, not a tight, can barely do one one.

[tigereye]

A nautilus wasn't possible for me until at least hip at my old thickness. Then I had a medication + stress-induced mega-shed and voilà, suddenly it worked.
A lazy wrap never had a chance until I eventually figured out after hip that it would only hold with a ficcare, for some reason. Think it was my slippery hair that kept sliding out of a stick held one. Even a nautilus will not hold more than 5 min without something in it.

[NormaJean]

I had no idea there were so many of us that couldn't do this bun. It seems like it's the standard go-to around these parts. :-P

[Lindenare]

I'm just at TBL and still can't do a nautilus.

[librarychick]

Im just nearing tbl and iii thickness and i can just barely do it...but i prefer tighter more secure buns and i do have to hold it with a stick. Its one of my go-to buns for most days.

[DreamSheep]

I made a video on how I do the Nautilus bun (although who knows, maybe this is what you've already tried) -but if it helps someone than yay! :D

http://youtu.be/8b6WVvzfV9U

[lapushka]

I made a video on how I do the Nautilus bun (although who knows, maybe this is what you've already tried) -but if it helps someone than yay! :D

http://youtu.be/8b6WVvzfV9U

That's amazing. Looks like half a nautilus, with a stick wriggled in. But it's impressive! :)

[two_wheels]

Ahhh thanks DreamSheep! I don't have thick hair, but it's short, and now I have a new bun that I can do :)

[Wildcat Diva]

I have waist length ii hair and I could do a nautilus way before BSL. It's my go-to.

[DreamSheep]

Ahhh thanks DreamSheep! I don't have thick hair, but it's short, and now I have a new bun that I can do :)

Yaaay! I'm glad it helped! :D
Amd lapushka, you may be right! This was born from me following steps for doing a nautilus bun, but it never quite looks like one. :p But that said, it is by far the most secure bun I can do with one stick at this point (although it took a few tries before it worked... and a broken chopstick :( )

[lapushka]

Yaaay! I'm glad it helped! :D
Amd lapushka, you may be right! This was born from me following steps for doing a nautilus bun, but it never quite looks like one. :p But that said, it is by far the most secure bun I can do with one stick at this point (although it took a few tries before it worked... and a broken chopstick :( )

Oh it's all about the bun being a nice and secure one, whatever it's called and however it's done. ;) You may be more comfy with the bun and the nautilus the more length you gain - nice in and of itself!

[NormaJean]

I made a video on how I do the Nautilus bun (although who knows, maybe this is what you've already tried) -but if it helps someone than yay! :D

http://youtu.be/8b6WVvzfV9U

Yeah, I can make that work, but it felt like it was going to snap my new stick for a second there!

Also - you are totally adorable. :p