Length for braided buns?

[TreesOfEternity]

My favorite hair style of all times are braided buns. I can’t stress enough how much I love any kind of braid put into a bun, it’s just so elegant and magical at the same time.

The thing is: I can’t really do one with my hair. Once I braid it, I can only form one “loop” at most, and tucking the ends underneath is almost impossible, let alone holding it with a stick or fork.

So my question is, can you do a braided bun? at which length were you able to do a decent one? How do you secure it?

At my length (MBL) the only option I can think of are bobby pins, but it doesn’t look neat at all and they destroy my fine hair so it is not an option I’m afraid. I haven’t tried spin pins but my hair is quite fine, so the little loop I can make with a braid is very flat and as I said the ends can’t really be tucked in properly as I do with a regular bun.

[Zesty]

I could do one around waist or hip, I'm not sure which. It depends a lot on your pony circumference (mine is 3.25"). You might try spin pins anyway, my hair is not especially thick and they don't show. I use a combination of short spin pins and Amish pins. At this length I can also do different braided buns with sticks/forks, like a braided LWB.

Just keep in mind that braiding effectively shortens the length you can work with, so you'll need to grow more before you're able to do the same styles braided that you can do unbraided. You might just need to wait for more length.

[Milady_DeWinter]

I'm starting to be able to do this style (braided LWB) at past Hip. I secure it with a fork or a flexi :) But I'm still not too comfy with it, I think I need way more lenght. But I've got very thick hair (5 1/8" of ponytail last time I measured it), so it's nornal I guess.

[AmaryllisRed]

I would say around waist or hip is when I was able to. I don't have much success with bobby pins these days so my preferred braided bun is a nautilus with a stick. It definitely has to do with your length-to-thickness ratio.

[TreesOfEternity]

Aaah seems like I still have a long way ahead haha, thank you everyone :) I have a 3” circunference but as you said the length that is lost once hair is braided makes it impossible.

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

Im around waist, almost hip and i still cant do one. i expect when i hit TBL i will be able to.

[TreesOfEternity]

Im around waist, almost hip and i still cant do one. i expect when i hit TBL i will be able to.

I think it depends on the person yes. I hope I can do one when I'm past hip as well, hope my taper isn't too bad by then though.

[Five of Five]

At a shorter length, this braided bun looks really elaborate and holds up nicely with or without pins:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnEBuIk9GuI

[Alibran]

I think mine was TBL before I could do a braided bun. It's possible to do a half-up braided bun at shorter lengths, though, because the braid is thinner.

[TreesOfEternity]

At a shorter length, this braided bun looks really elaborate and holds up nicely with or without pins:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnEBuIk9GuI


I think mine was TBL before I could do a braided bun. It's possible to do a half-up braided bun at shorter lengths, though, because the braid is thinner.

Guys those are awesome ideas thank you!!! I'll definitely be trying them this week :flower:

[TreesOfEternity]

At a shorter length, this braided bun looks really elaborate and holds up nicely with or without pins:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnEBuIk9GuI

Update: it worked yay!


https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=33743&d=1539865337

[lapushka]

I just don't do them. It's not the style for me. Due to the wavy hair, I don't want to add additional texture to it.

[TreesOfEternity]

I just don't do them. It's not the style for me. Due to the wavy hair, I don't want to add additional texture to it.

That makes sense, buns on wavy hair look way more interesting and textured! I usually add braids for that very reason, just to add some interest to my bun as the slick style can easily get boring.

[Milady_DeWinter]

Not "exactly" a braided bun, but I look for another idea for you, a style that I could rock since 1 year ago: interlaced braids. I just use 2 bobby pics to secure it :)

Here's the tutorial (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lG4MTltnX7M&list=PLSeQQzgb-I7TrSWrq_8W_HJarm4-O7IcO&index=20), and how it looked on me last year. I was at waist+, and with more taper than now due to layers:

https://i.imgur.com/XoJJKBu.jpg

Need to try it again soon, just to check how this style have changed with the lenght I gained this year :)

[lakhesis]

Not "exactly" a braided bun, but I look for another idea for you, a style that I could rock since 1 year ago: interlaced braids. I just use 2 bobby pics to secure it :)

Here's the tutorial (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lG4MTltnX7M&list=PLSeQQzgb-I7TrSWrq_8W_HJarm4-O7IcO&index=20), and how it looked on me last year. I was at waist+, and with more taper than now due to layers:

https://i.imgur.com/XoJJKBu.jpg

Need to try it again soon, just to check how this style have changed with the lenght I gained this year :)


That looks super elegant and pretty!! :) thanks for linking the tutorial

[spidermom]

My hair is APL, and I can do it, but it won't stay. Maybe it will by BSL.

[spidermom]

Milady_DeWinter, I love that one, although when my hair was long, it tended to sag over time so that it would be resting on the back of my neck after several hours. I hated that sensation! It works better now as far as staying in place, but it doesn't look as impressive. I can only cross braids one time, then pin the ends down.

[lithostoic]

I could do a braided lwb at waist. You could try a disc bun using 2 braided sections.

[mwallingford]

Sorry if this is a hijack, but how do you guys start your braided buns? With a ponytail as a base, as a French braid, or a faux French braid, or something else? I was just curious, since low buns really aren't flattering or comfortable on me so an English braid is out, and a French braid seems like it would show any and all hair oiliness. I guess a ponytail base would work, but then that's just one more step and I don't find them to be incredibly comfortable. I think Torrinpaige did a video with a braided nautilus and she used a faux French braid; perhaps I should look up that video again to see how she did it :hmm: Anyways, curiosity killed the cat (but satisfaction brought it back). Any ideas?

[Zesty]

Sorry if this is a hijack, but how do you guys start your braided buns? With a ponytail as a base, as a French braid, or a faux French braid, or something else? I was just curious, since low buns really aren't flattering or comfortable on me so an English braid is out, and a French braid seems like it would show any and all hair oiliness. I guess a ponytail base would work, but then that's just one more step and I don't find them to be incredibly comfortable. I think Torrinpaige did a video with a braided nautilus and she used a faux French braid; perhaps I should look up that video again to see how she did it :hmm: Anyways, curiosity killed the cat (but satisfaction brought it back). Any ideas?

I do a regular English braid, just higher up on my head.

[WyntreBlossom]

Im just at/past BSL and I can manage a braided LWB if I put it high enough on my head. It might depend on hair thickness as well ( I have a thinner circumference so my hair can wrap more easily I feel.)

[AmaryllisRed]

mwallingford I do braided buns a few different ways.
My favorite way is to French or Dutch braid, stick a stick through, then wrap the braid around the stick.
Or I'll French or Dutch braid and then just bun the length, though that does result in a lower bun.
I like doing diagonal French or Dutch braids and bunning the length. I can usually get those higher off my neck.
Usually what I do, though, is make a ponytail, braid it, and then slide the elastic off before bunning. This way I can make it whatever height I want but I struggle to start the braid higher without temporarily putting a ponytail in.

[spidermom]

I usually do a dutch braid, then bun the ends. Diagonal, then wrapping the bun toward the center is most comfortable, but like I complained before, it isn't long enough to stay. I keep trying though because I know that one day I'll have reached that sweet spot and will be able to do that braided bun from then on (except for clumsy days when nothing is comfortable or stays put).

[Hairkay]

I do braided/plaited buns a lot. It does stay best when I use many plaits/braids and do a lwb. I plait all the way down and I have a taper so there's no tassle or bushy bit in my case. I've been doing them since I was bsl. I can get away with doing a bun without using any hair accessories. As long as I don't try to put a hood or hat on my head the bun will stay in place all day.

[mwallingford]

Thanks Zesty, AmaryllisRed and spidermom! Maybe I'll just try doing an English braid a bit higher or try French braiding. I'd never heard of taking the ponytail out before bunning, but that makes a lot of sense. You guys are the best!

[Simsy]

When I was in school, I slept in French braided pigtails. I could kinda bun the ends by about apl using hair elastics. Vortex buns would have been doable and pretty by bsl if I started the braids up higher. Braided cinnibuns didn’t stop looking ridiculous on me until I was well past hip.

If I’m bunning an English braid off my neck, I’ll start the braid from just below the crown of my head. Think of it like braiding a ponytail; though I don’t add the hair tie near the scalp. I also bun on French and Dutch braids if I’m planning on leaving it up for a few days; just so the short sections don’t suffer.

[Kat-Rinnè Naido]

I was able to do a braided bun from hip because of my thickness.
I started just plain simple buns at bsl but then the buns were cutting my hair. Caution and patience is always best.
Good luck!

[spidermom]

I forgot to mention that twin braided buns are easy to do and will stay.