Non-Damaging Bun?

[elocin9911]

Does anyone know a way to securely put hair in a bun without damaging it? I've tried a hair fork, hair sticks, and a simple hair ribbon, but nothing seems to keep it in place during the day. Am I doing something wrong? What are some of the bun methods you guys use? My hair is just below my waistline, so it really shouldn't be as difficult as I'm making it seem. Thank you!

[rowie]

Hi! Yeah this seems to be a common problem for a lot of people. Check this thread out:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=126891

I hope some of the tips people offered here can help you. :blossom:

[Madora]

Does anyone know a way to securely put hair in a bun without damaging it? I've tried a hair fork, hair sticks, and a simple hair ribbon, but nothing seems to keep it in place during the day. Am I doing something wrong? What are some of the bun methods you guys use? My hair is just below my waistline, so it really shouldn't be as difficult as I'm making it seem. Thank you!

Yes! Simple, via the sectioning process, wherein your hair is sectioned. By sectioning the hair, you distribute the weight of it across your scalp, rather than confining it to one spot (which is not hair friendly).

Sectioning:

Back in the day, I had very, very thick hair. When I first visited the George Michael salon in NYC they advised that to wear long, thick hair comfortably, you had to section it to distribute the weight. It is also better for your hair to be sectioned than glomed all in once place because you're not putting a lot of pressure on a small area on your scalp.
Sectioning (for the double braided bun):
1) Detangle your hair gently with a wide tooth comb
2) Part your hair from the top of your right ear, around the back of your head, to the top of your other ear
3) Take all the hair ABOVE the part, comb it out gently.
4) Divide hair in 3 parts and braid it loosely. Tie off w/hair friendly elastic
5) Coil the braid you just made by holding it FLAT against your scalp. While you are coiling, pin the braid to the scalp using crimped hairpins. Pin at the four directions (North/South/East/West..use more pins if needed)
6) Tuck the tassel under the braid coil
7) Take the remaining hair, comb out gently so there are no tangles
8) Divide in 3 sections. Braid Loosely! Fasten w/hair friendly elastic band.
9) Take the braid and wind it around the braided bun already made.
10) As you wind the braid around the bun, pin with crimped hairpins. Tuck in tassel.
Voila: you have created a comfy, long lasting double braided bun! Holds like a rock.

Sectioning can also be used to create: cameo bun, triple braided bun, double twisted bun, and a whole bunch of other variations
Sectioning can be done in more than 2 sections but I've only used two for most of my braids and stuff.
Special tip for step # 8 In order to get the remaining braid as close to the bun as possible, bend your head down steeply and then begin the braid as close to the bun as you can. It is a lot easier for gravity to work for you, than against you, when you are braiding the final braid!
Inversion tip:
In order to lessen tangle problems when hair is wet, try and center part your hair (while in the bent at the waist position). Then, take one side of the wet hair and hold it in the right hand. Take the other side of hair and hold it in the left hand.
Then stand erect. Place the right hand hair over the shoulder and release. Ditto with the left side.
This method is particularly helpful when brushing your dry hair. Once the brushing is finished, just make the center part, hold the hair in each hand, stand erect, then place left hand hair over left shoulder and drop. Repeat with right hand hair. The more you can control the motion of your hair, the more you cut down the horrible tangling problems that can occur (if you fling, toss or throw back your hair).

How to use crimped hair pins:
1 Push the hairpin legs through the edge of the braid, so that they straddle it.
2 The legs should be pointing AWAY from the bun
3 Now, grasping the pin at the top, slowly point it down so that the feet are just above the scalp
4 SLOWLY pivot the feet of the hairpin so that they engage a slight bit of your scalp hair
5 Now, with the pin filled with scalp hair, WEAVE the pin in an up and down motion through the bun and as far to the center of the bun as you can.
6 Pin in the 4 directions..north/south/east/west
7 I would strongly advise to use more than 4 pins!
8 You also might try doing the "pivoting" motion through the center of the bun too (to help anchor it)
9 Above all, no hair should pinch or hurt! If it does, take out the pin and try again.

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w225/07Erzbet/92214Howtousehairpinsindoublebraidbun.jpg (http://s177.photobucket.com/user/07Erzbet/media/92214Howtousehairpinsindoublebraidbun.jpg.html)

[Aderyn]

Really comes down to practice, practice, practice. Getting the tension just right - so the hair is tight enough to stay in place, but not tight enough to cause damage - requires practice. Not to mention different hair toys require different tension and the like.

[Madora]

More tips: how to do a simple bun - this time, using the inversion method (i.e. "upside down" braiding...or coiling!):

However, when creating updos, you must take pains to see that they do not pull unduly on the strands, especially the strands located in the very front and sides of your head. Those hairs are more delicate than hairs located on your crown and you need to be gentle handling them.

Here is a method I developed that helps contain your hair w/o putting undue stress on your hair:

Bring all hair in front, like a curtain/detangle gently
2) Head should be down -- steeply
3) Divide hair in 3 sections, begin to braid slightly loosely (either Dutch or English style. 4 strands if you're really dexterous/adventurous. You can coil it too!)
4) Braid down to end/fasten with elastic...or leave tassel unbraided
(I don't fasten with anything and only braid until I have about 2 inches of tassel left
5) Take the braid. Hold it FLAT against your scalp with your hand. Use the other hand to pin it against your scalp with crimped hairpins in the 4 directions. Tuck in tassel
6) Bingo: one handy dandy single braided bun!

You can also use the inversion method to do a double sectioned braided bun, double cinnamon bun, Cameo Bun, 4 strand braid bun, cable plait bun, rope braids, Rose bun.

Special caution! Since the inversion method goes against usual direction of the way your hair follicles lay, you will probably need to train your follicles to accept this new pathway.

You train your follicles by wearing the new inverted style for a short period of time...maybe 10 minutes. If your scalp hurts, then take down the inverted style and revert to your usual style.

Next day, put up the inverted style again, and try to increase the time you leave it up by another 10 minutes. Continue on in this way until your follicles are accustomed to the new direction and you can wear the inverted style all day w/o pain.

The inverted style is also very handy for doing a "fake" lace crown braid..that is, the hair in front is truly lace braided. The hair in back is just plain braided (3 strands with no "adding in" effect). Final product: one lovely fake crown braid around your head.

[Madora]

Mea culpa, the dreaded double post strikes again!

[Panth]

Have you tried braided buns? Also, have you tried spin pins?

Another possibility is that you just don't have enough length for your thickness. Buns depend not on absolute length but length:thickness ratio and many people with iii hair have trouble with making buns work with shorter (e.g. pre-waist) lengths. The solution to this is doing sectioned buns or double buns as, by halving the hair being put into a single bun at any one time, you increase the length:thickness ratio.

[lapushka]

I'm a iii as well, and Panth is right. I had to wait at least until waist to do buns. Wearing it up in a peacock twist until you reach that length is just a good idea - trust me on that!

[chen bao jun]

There is a new style out where a person french-braids the back of their upwards and then makes a bun at the top of their head. I have found this is useful for reducing the amount of my hair so that its easier to make buns as a thickie. Your mileage may vary, of course.

[elocin9911]

Thanks everyone for your tips-I really appreciate it! Madora, I tried your double braided bun, and it worked like a charm! Normally my buns can be a little heavy, but I can't believe how much weight your style took off my head. :) I also found some tutorials on torrinpaige's youtube channel that helped with different variations of it. Thanks again everyone!

[Catatafish]

That sounds like a good idea chen bao jun, I might try that.