Stuck in a hair rut.

[Nadine <3]

I am bored with my hair. I don't know what to do with it! Buns are becoming uncomfortable and it seems they're always pulling. I end up with a really sore spot or a headache. Or both.

Braids are fun but they take a really long time because the ends velcro together and that gets frustrating. They give my really bad scalp cleavage too, and unless my hair is dirty they won't stay.

I've been wearing it down or keeping it in a blob on top of my head with a scrunchie, but that's just not very pretty! Down is impractical. I've been wearing a lot of pony tails, and I'm afraid I'm going to damage it doing that...

[HairPlease]

I know the feeling way too well. I'm not sure I'm qualified to give advice given what I've done to my mane today. It sounds like you need a couple inches trim. That way you can wear it down some more. I only like wearing my hair down, or half up, personally.

[lapushka]

Maybe try a side braid, that usually works for me when I get bored or want to try something "different" (and no cleavage).

What buns have you tried so far? Maybe there are a lot you haven't yet tried that you could now practice for. :) Some lovely things come out of boredom!

[Sterlyn]

I have no answers for you (about the hair rut or bored part), but I felt this way very much last year. I had been growing my hair out since 2012 and was closing in on my 4 year long goal of waist. I spent most of the summer wanting to cut my hair back to shoulder and couldn't tell you why. (*ETA) I didn't like keeping up all the time, it felt boring, and down was getting in the way and I wasn't enjoying it much either way. I was really bored with my hair being long.

Looking back on it now I still don't understand it. Looking back at my pics, I think I was delusional about my dislike of my hair but feelings aren't always rational. I compromised by perming and doing crazy colors. I might regret the damage from the perm now, I didn't regret the look I achieved with the perm or the colors. I can honestly say I'm glad I didn't cut it.

Oddly enough I'm solidly past the wanting to cut it. Even more odd is that I probably should cut a lot off due to damage and now I'm firmly in the, "I'm not cutting it, cause I really love the length" feeling. I don't know what it is about hair that is so oddly personal and reflects something about ourselves in the need to change it or keep it a certain way. We each seem to express it in our own unique fashion, whether that is to cut, dye, straighten, perm or grow it to the floor. I've come to the conclusion it doesn't really matter if my actions make sense even to me, I'm just glad I've found a happier place with my hair.

I hope that you will find your "happy place" in your head with your hair, no matter where that might take you. :)

ETA: Sorry got sidetracked from your original question, reacting to the hair rut feeling more than what would be helpful, I am feeling emotional and distractable today. I have been recently struggling with the updo's pulling as well. Sometimes sticks in pairs or spin pins help when the weight is pulling on my scalp. Also a french braid put into a bun seems to help as the stick tend to hang in the braided part down the head. A bun very low on the head also helps me, as in on my nape, seems to provide less pressure. When all those fail I just braid my hair let it hang down my back or over my shoulder and ignore it.

[meteor]

How about half-ups - with buns, braids, twists...? :) There are so many cool half-ups all over YouTube/Instagram (I particularly like the GoT and Vikings-inspired half-ups by silvousplaits, torrinpaige , ladollyvita333); and they solve a few of the problems you've mentioned: they feel lighter than buns but they keep hair a lot more contained than if the hair is worn fully down.

Also, what about updos that aren't buns (crown braids, milkmaid/horseshoe braids, etc)? Or multiple buns arranged in what looks like one elaborate updo?

I really hope you'll find something that works for you, Nadine! :)

[LongCurlyTress]

To the OP.... Nadine.. you didn't mention how long/what bodymarker your hair is reaching now. What is your hair goal? Maybe cutting in some face framing layers, just what is in front of your ears, not into the back... would give you some versatility and pretty options. Front layers are not too difficult to grow out and mightgive you the versatility you are looking for. Yes, buns will be difficult/thinner etc.. .but if you keep the length and don't layer into the back, you might find some fun options. Remember the two week waiting period before cutting. Also some great suggestions below for fancy buns.... You look to be in your teens? What/how are other girls wearing their hair these days? Maybe you want to cut your hair to be a bit more in style with the other girls? Just don't go short.. your hair texture is too pretty for that!! I am not encouraging you to cut your hair short by any means, just change up the style a bit... even some angled layers on the side/front layering... Good luck! Is there alot going on in the rest of your life? Stress makes me do all kinds of cutting on my hair which I always regret. Good luck!! 2 week rule, no matter what you decide!! ;)

[Horrorpops]

When I get in a hair rut I find doing a nice deep treatment helps - just putting in some time to my hair makes me feel better about it.

I also like to watch YouTube videos to get ideas for cool new braids or up dos. Favourites are: luxyhair, MissySue, KayleyMelissa, beautyklove. I recently learnt to four and five strand braid from Luxyhair's awesome tutorials!

Similarly I also find a few new hair accessories - flowers, bows, headbands etc - never go astray in helping me feel better about my hair.

Finally is there anything else in life that's stressing you out Nadine? I only ask because sometimes my life stress gets redirected as feeling frustrated with my skin or hair. It's just a way of diverting it for me and I am sure I am not the only one.

Anyways I hope this helps, sorry to hear your feeling this way. :grouphug:

[Stormynights]

First off we are in the dog days of summer and everything is uncomfortable and next your hair has grown so fast in the last few months. Look back at your old pictures and sort them out according to which ones you like you hair best. Take your time deciding what you want to do. You may just be at an awkward length for you.

[spidermom]

2 or more buns is a good way to distribute the weight over multiple points. I also like to braid across the back of my head from behind one ear to behind the opposite ear, then curve and pin my braid above itself. My hair makes about 3-4 turns right now. It looks so beautifully complex this way.

When you get scalp cleavage from a braid, use a comb. Comb over your scalp toward the braid anywhere that you don't like how the hair is laying.

When you're braiding, after you transfer the hair from one hand to the other, use the free hand to run down the sections and separate them. I get a little snarling toward the ends sometimes, but a little careful separating with the free hand corrects that issue.

[Tosca]

When my ends get velcroey, I find S&Ding fixes that. I low ponytail at the top, and ponytail about ~4 inches from the ends. I then S&D the bits below the second ponytail.

I got stuck in a rut a few months ago, and going to the hairstyle of the month forum helped. I read all the threads, and found a few more buns to put in my bun rotation, like the disc bun and the helix bun.

[Nadine <3]

I think the majority of my irritation is coming from the fact that I have a messed up shoulder. It's been messed up for a few months but the only thing I can do for it is ice and physical therapy, and then don't be a nutter the rest of the time. I can manage a fast to do bun like a LWB. Figure 8 only sometimes stays put so I don't usually try that one. cinabuns fly out almost as fast as I put them in. Nautilus holds but that one pulls the worst for me. Any sort of braid hurts to do (unless it's a side braid, which I do wear pretty often)

I did chop in a few face framing layers, which did help. I was feeling like my hair was starting to look like a bed sheet. Just one rectangle of hair. I like the layers! They don't pop out of styles to badly.

My goal length is waist. I was an inch away until I chopped a 1 1/2 inches off to get rid of a sizable amount of splits. I'm not to sad about that one, the ends felt like petting sandpaper.

Maybe I will buy a new product to try like a deep conditioner. I need to get excited about growing it again!

[Horrorpops]

Oh Nadine! I am sorry to hear about your shoulder!! That has to be one of the more painful and inconvenient places to injury yourself! I think not being able to style it in as many ways as you would like and dealing with pain can definitely make you feel fed up with having long hair!

That's great you like the layers :)

It sounds like you can trim it shorter to make it more manageable with your current shoulder problems or grit your teeth and only wear your hair in certain ways and wait for the shoulder to heal.

How do you go doing side braids and things over one shoulder? I can imagine that might be less painful if your problems arise more from reaching overhead and behind. And there is still plenty of cute styles that can be done in that manner. :o

[lapushka]

My goal length is waist. I was an inch away until I chopped a 1 1/2 inches off to get rid of a sizable amount of splits. I'm not to sad about that one, the ends felt like petting sandpaper.

Maybe I will buy a new product to try like a deep conditioner. I need to get excited about growing it again!

What about trying to do your buns with some claw clips at the sides. Maybe it will hold better and it won't put so much strain on your shoulder from having to redo the style on and off again. Otherwise I'd stick to what works (LWB), at least until the shoulder starts being a bit better.

New products always did and do it for me when I'm bored. I mean... I reached goal since about a year, so... I have to find something new in a way to keep things interesting. It's the same bun (LWB) all the time, so yeah, I can get excited about products. ;) :lol:

I'd keep the goal in mind, and not stray too much from that. Hang in there, and I hope your shoulder will feel better soon! :flower:

[meteor]

Oh no, so sorry to hear about the shoulder injury, Nadine! :( :grouphug:

Since your length goal is waist but the shoulder injury is really limiting what you can do to hair right now... I don't know, honestly, I'd just try to power through this period with benign neglect, I'd avoid any rash decisions and keep the hair detangled and bunned or side-braided or in a half-up and remember that the boredom will pass when your shoulder feels better and you can have a lot more fun with styling... :flower:
This can be a good time for deep conditioning though! ;)

Best of luck! :D And I really hope your shoulder will feel much better soon! :pray: :heartbeat

[enting]

I'm going to second lapushka about claw clips at the sides of buns. If you have those little ones, you can put claw clips all around the bun edges and it will hold more evenly.
Would something crazy like snaking your hair up and down the back of your head and affixing the turns with claw clips work? Or would that just pull terribly all over?
I've actually been looking up and practicing how to do hairstyles using only one hand. I tried out a one handed side braid the other day, I think it came out well. I began looking these things up for a friend who broke clean through one arm/wrist and couldn't use that hand for quite some time. I started practicing because I like learning new skills, and knowing how to put up hair one handed seems like the sort of thing that would be useful to know how to do. Perhaps that would ease your hurt shoulder for now if you didn't have to use it as much to put up your hair.