Shortest length for a bun with/without sock/donut

[The Maple Leaf]

I've always been curious as to what the shortest length to put hair in a bun could be. Assume the hair is all one length. Could a collar-length bob ever be put into a bun if a sock or donut was used? A chin-length bob? Without the sock, could hair at the top of the shoulders, for example, be put into a bun?

Years ago, I was surprised when I saw the movie "It Could Happen to You", in which Bridget Fonda had collar-length hair:
http://www.famousfix.com/post/it-could-happen-to-you-1994-32244739

...but in one scene has a pretty decent bun:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W-DH5gAD0RQ/T_CbusVJm7I/AAAAAAAAAIY/4bG9CTcuuU0/s1600/3657339_com_it_could_happen_to_you_27944_medium.jp g

I have thought she might have used a donut, but as it is a braided bun, I would tend to assume it was a hairpiece.

[lapushka]

That is the age old question that is always answered by: it depends on how thick your hair is.

Measure your ponytail circumference, and then get back to us.

I'm iii, for example and I have to wait until hip to squeeze a bun on my head, a little past hip, even TBL is more a good length for it to be comfortable.

[Nique1202]

Hair at shoulder length might be able to pull off a disc bun with a few pins for the nape section, but that's probably not the kind of bun you're thinking of. The disc bun and a variety of "messy bun" (either a ponytail only halfway pulled through on the last wrap of the elastic, or the hair all coiled up on itself and fastened with an elastic) might be achievable sooner than later. You can also section buns to be able to do them sooner, but then you have to use pins to hold the ends in place whereas with a full bun, you don't.

Body markers aren't always helpful indicators for this, because the same length of hair that makes your hip length might be my tailbone length or my mid-back length, depending on individual proportions. People with thinner hair can start to do buns like the lazy wrap by the time they have around 20-25 inches of hair measured from the front hairline over the back of the head. People with thicker hair tend to have to wait until about 30-35 inches from the front hairline, or longer, before being able to do things like the lazy wrap or a cinnabun that will hold with just a stick. You might be able to do a particular bun on one place on your head when the same bun won't hold elsewhere, too, so it can take a lot of experimentation, practice, and patience.

[LadyCelestina]

My mom has hair that's probably shorter than CBL and I could make a tiny sock bun which fell apart in an hour :D

I have 9cm circumference and I could do a cinnabun a bit past APL curly which means BSLish straight.
You could always do a half pulled out ponytail and call it a bun which works at about any length :D

[marvel-lover]

I have iii hair at BSL almost MBL, so personally, I can really only do a lazy wrap bun, or a bun held up by hair ties. But my sister, who has ii hair (significantly thinner than mine) just above BSL can do a lot more than I can. It just depends.

[Adavidal]

I have pretty thick hair but I was able to do a bun at shoulder length. I had to use the doughnut insert, and about a bajillion bobby pins to hold in there but it stayed up really well. My hair is passing collarbone now an I still can't swing a regular bun, but I make a messy one with clips most days- it's not an official bun though.

[Hairkay]

I think the shortest hair I've seen in a bun was 2 inches long. The hair and been brushed and gelled down towards a central point then a ringcomb held this hair there. The ringcomb was used the way you'd do a sock bun. Hair in the middle of the comb was fanned out and tucked under the circle and pinned in place. This was fine 4c hair straightened. I remember it because I was so shocked that it could be done. I loved the way that the girl did not depend on hair extensions and rocked her tiny bun with pride.

Oh, these are ring combs.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=ring+comb+ponytail+hair+clip&espv=2&biw=1366&bih=662&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjTvp-S6obSAhVPOMAKHfhqBfkQsAQIIA

[RavenRose]

I have fine, low side of average (2.25") that compacts tightly, with quite a bit of tapering- I was able to do cinnabuns, or pony tail based buns at collar bone with a ton of bobby pins, combs, or small claw clips but none of LHC hair sticks or forks. I often used french twists, Gibson style rolls/tucks or braids more often. When I was around APL (20") I was able to do a lazy wrap bun with short light weight sticks and forks.

[lithostoic]

My hair is nearly to waist and I can just barely do a couple buns. I could do a tiny cinnabun at APL. Like twist once and wrap the ends lol.

[Agnieszka]

I have shoulder length hair and I do sock bun everyday. (It is not a perfect bun but it still makes me happy ;-)My hair is thin and slippery. But:

-the sock I'm using was my 5year old school sock :-D
-I have to secure nape hair with mini claw clip as it wouldn't reach the bun which I wear quite high up.
- I use aloe gel on my hair and dry shampoo to have a grip otherwise hair is too slippery, sometimes I have to use bit of hairspray unfortunately.

Will post picture when I manage to take one.

[Arctic]

I was able to do both cinnabun and sock bun before my hair touched my shoulders. At first with cinnabun I needed to use a ponytail as a base, later I was able to ditch that step. I usually secured my cinnabun with 4 larger than normal bobby pins (if the bun would be square, I inserted the pin at the corners of the imaginary square).

My hair is at the lower side of ii.

When my hair was too short to bun, I used miniature claw clips to corral it up.

[bparnell75]

Hair at shoulder length might be able to pull off a disc bun with a few pins for the nape section, but that's probably not the kind of bun you're thinking of. The disc bun and a variety of "messy bun" (either a ponytail only halfway pulled through on the last wrap of the elastic, or the hair all coiled up on itself and fastened with an elastic) might be achievable sooner than later. You can also section buns to be able to do them sooner, but then you have to use pins to hold the ends in place whereas with a full bun, you don't.

Body markers aren't always helpful indicators for this, because the same length of hair that makes your hip length might be my tailbone length or my mid-back length, depending on individual proportions. People with thinner hair can start to do buns like the lazy wrap by the time they have around 20-25 inches of hair measured from the front hairline over the back of the head. People with thicker hair tend to have to wait until about 30-35 inches from the front hairline, or longer, before being able to do things like the lazy wrap or a cinnabun that will hold with just a stick. You might be able to do a particular bun on one place on your head when the same bun won't hold elsewhere, too, so it can take a lot of experimentation, practice, and patience.

Well said and good tutorial....so true!