I can't make a bun—what am I doing wrong?

[bunashimeji]

Hello everyone!
My hair is around BSL and it's pretty thin (but maybe not the thinnest). I definitely don't have a wonderfully thick mane on my head. It's pretty much straight (but I do have some odd wavy/bent/damaged... strands), and my strands are kind of coarse (my hair texture has been really strange recently)... but my hair is still somehow slippery (at least it is whenever I try to put it up :/)

I've tried reading through multiple discussions and watching YouTube tutorials, but I still cannot make a bun!
I'm trying to avoid elastics, so I tried using a pencil, hair sticks, and spin pins.

Every time I try to make a bun, it just falls apart within the first minute.

I had the highest expectations for spin pins... but I can't get them to work! It can't be the pins—it has to be me. I've been trying my best to try and secure a cinnabun with spin pins, but I just can't get the cinnabun to stay up. After I insert the spin pins (one going from top to bottom, another one bottom to top), my bun just... unravels. Sometimes the center of the cinnabun begins to stick out before falling apart, sometimes the entire thing just... falls apart simultaneously. I've tried using 3 pins (10 o'clock, 2 o'clock, 6 o'clock), but my bun still falls apart. I've tried to "sew" the spin pin through my bun and my scalp hair to the best of my ability (which, admittedly, is not so great—I'm seriously hair-challenged), but my bun still falls apart every single time.

I would really like to be able to wear buns as braids (even the loosest braids) hurt my scalp, but I'm losing hope! I would really appreciate some advice! Thank you!!

[bparnell75]

stop trying to do a Cinnabun. You may yet still need more length. Do a Disc bun instead. Do it tight and a stick and a couple of spin pins should hold it.

[Haven]

Seconding that, cinnabuns won't stay up for me with a fork. You could try a lazy wrap bun. There are tutorials on YouTube, and although I was confused at first, once I got how to do it, it's very quick and easy and won't fall out (as long as I anchor it in some scalp hair).

[LittleHealthy]

Make sure you’re getting plenty of scalp hair with your hairtoys. My hair is very thin/fine and has a lot of slip, getting plenty of scalp hair is the key!!

[bunashimeji]

Seconding that, cinnabuns won't stay up for me with a fork. You could try a lazy wrap bun. There are tutorials on YouTube, and although I was confused at first, once I got how to do it, it's very quick and easy and won't fall out (as long as I anchor it in some scalp hair).

So I tried giving up the cinnabun idea and attempted to do a disc bun, but I'm so bun-challenged, I couldn't do it... I really admire and respect all of you on this forum... I am so bad with my hands.

After failing to do a disc bun, I re-attempted the lazy wrap bun (I've tried in the past). I can't get it to stay! Once I stick the hairstick in, it stays for about 3 seconds before falling apart.
How can I make sure I'm grabbing enough scalp hair? I'm at my wits' end... I feel like the only one in the world who can't do a simple bun! :(

[desisparkles]

I can't do the lwb yet or pretty much anything fancy myself. You are not alone.

I use scrunchies or fold over elastic (foe) to tie my buns. I have spin pins too and I've yet to master them.

What I do sometimes is I put my hair up top of my head in a pony using a scrunchie. Then I take the ponytail and wrap it around the scrunchie and put another scrunchie around it. It makes the bun a little fuller and more secure for me.

[bunashimeji]

I can't do the lwb yet or pretty much anything fancy myself. You are not alone.

I use scrunchies or fold over elastic (foe) to tie my buns. I have spin pins too and I've yet to master them.

What I do sometimes is I put my hair up top of my head in a pony using a scrunchie. Then I take the ponytail and wrap it around the scrunchie and put another scrunchie around it. It makes the bun a little fuller and more secure for me.

I'm not alone! :) We will be bun masters in the future..

Whenever I use scrunchies, my buns always end up pulling (IF I even manage to make them in the first place)... and since my scalp is so sensitive, I can't bear it. I'm probably doing something wrong (again)! How do you prevent your scrunchies/elastics from making your buns pull?

[desisparkles]

yes we will master those buns!

I loosen the hair a little after tying if I tie it too tight that it pulls and that works for me. Maybe your scrunchies are too small so they pull? I have different sises so i can use the bigger circumference scrunchies for the first pony so I can loop it twice and then a smaller circumference scrunchie over the top and won't have to tie it at all, it will just semi loosely hold.

[Larke]

From everything I've read on this forum, many people need to be around midback length or longer to get buns to stay comfortably. I have very thin, fine hair, so I could get a lwb to stay by BSL, but that isn't as common. And I'm hopeless with cinnabuns - can't get them to stay for the life of me. You should be able to do a disc bun, but it always comes out tight for me, so if you're looking for something looser, then that might not be the best for you. If you do try lwb or nautilus, don't hesitate to try variations made for shorter/thicker hair, like using fewer fingers to get them to stay. But also, it might just be the case that you need more length first?

Have you tried using clips of various sorts to get your hair out of your way? I like to loosely braid my hair (english, rope, or whatever else suits my fancy that day) and then fold it up with a regular plastic claw clip. Hair slides also work for me better with keeping buns secure. I've even taken regular hair sticks and then used a hair elastic over the stick in a sort of rough flexi-eight hair slide, to keep the bun from falling out all the time. Finally, snoods and headscarves are a nice way of keeping hair up and protected without hurting the scalp any, but that might not be a solution outside of the house, depending on how comfortable you are with wearing those.

As for hair elastics, I found that big scrunchies hold hair more comfortably without pulling as much. I use velvety ones and they're somewhat more comfortable than regular elastics. There's also all sorts of hairstyles where you use either a ribbon or strands of your own hair to tie the ponytail instead of elastics, which also lightens up pressure on the scalp.

Hope something here helps!

[Joules]

I don't use sticks or forks, but I do have plenty of experience with spin pins.

They're great! But not when you use them as instructed online. 2 pins is nothing. I need at least 5, and then I use regular U pins to tuck whatever sticks out (if anything sticks out). Spin pins are definitely more gentle on the scalp than making a bun with regular U pins, so give them another chance :)

I have medium thickness slippery hair, and spins work perfectly on me. You could also try claw clips, but they do put a bit more strain on the scalp, and they won't fix the middle part of the bun in place.

[spitfire511]

From everything I've read on this forum, many people need to be around midback length or longer to get buns to stay comfortably. I have very thin, fine hair, so I could get a lwb to stay by BSL, but that isn't as common. And I'm hopeless with cinnabuns - can't get them to stay for the life of me. You should be able to do a disc bun, but it always comes out tight for me, so if you're looking for something looser, then that might not be the best for you. If you do try lwb or nautilus, don't hesitate to try variations made for shorter/thicker hair, like using fewer fingers to get them to stay. But also, it might just be the case that you need more length first?

Have you tried using clips of various sorts to get your hair out of your way? I like to loosely braid my hair (english, rope, or whatever else suits my fancy that day) and then fold it up with a regular plastic claw clip. Hair slides also work for me better with keeping buns secure. I've even taken regular hair sticks and then used a hair elastic over the stick in a sort of rough flexi-eight hair slide, to keep the bun from falling out all the time. Finally, snoods and headscarves are a nice way of keeping hair up and protected without hurting the scalp any, but that might not be a solution outside of the house, depending on how comfortable you are with wearing those.

As for hair elastics, I found that big scrunchies hold hair more comfortably without pulling as much. I use velvety ones and they're somewhat more comfortable than regular elastics. There's also all sorts of hairstyles where you use either a ribbon or strands of your own hair to tie the ponytail instead of elastics, which also lightens up pressure on the scalp.

Hope something here helps!


^^^^ These things.

I actually have a fair amount of hair (not a ton by forum standards, but a good bit) and was able to do a LWB at BSL (and slightly shorter if I recall) but I initially did it with only 1-2 fingers in the middle. I'm at waist now and just started using 3 a couple of months ago - and am nowhere near using 4.

It all depends on your hair! Keep trying and practicing - one day they will just happen! For a very long time I was the queen of a cinnamon held with 4 of the small (not tiny, but about the size of a US Quarter) claw clips. I did them in 4 diagonal corners (like 2 o-clock, 4, 7 and 10) and it looked cute and held well. I never did really get good use of spin pins as they wound up getting caught up in my hair (sure that was likely ME not them.)

Good luck! Keep noodling it with and trying different things - you'll get there!

[lapushka]

Yeah; BSL seems a little short, doesn't matter if it's not iii. For ii BSL is quite short as well, to do a pretty basic bun even. I would do say like a peacock twist or log roll until you gain more length. You don't want to be pulling too tightly just to wear a bun.

[TreesOfEternity]

Could it be that you are using too many fingers and making the bun loop too big? My buns have to be quite tight for them to stay, I’m past waist and just now I started using 3 fingers for buns, before I used 1 or 2 fingers and wrapped the length very tightly around the loop. Inserting the stick/pencil it should feel tight, not loose.

[Dung Beetle]

My hair sister! I just wanted to say that I've only recently begun trying to use hairsticks, and I'm learning the lazy wrap bun. By beginner's luck, I got it the first time...and ever since then, it takes me many tries to do it again. I still don't have the secret, but I just practice it whenever I can. It seems that the tighter I wind it up, the better, and it also seems to be important where you insert the stick. We'll get it one of these days...

[spidermom]

All these tight bun recommendations are giving me a headache!

It's impossible to tell you what you're doing wrong without seeing what you're doing. Here's what you need to keep in mind. All the buns I know start with you gathering your hair in the back like you are making a ponytail. After you form your bun, you wrap what is left of the ends around the base of your bun. To get a good hold, your ends need to go around the base of that bun at least 1-1/2 times, and more times is better. When you secure the bun, let's say with sticks, you have to go down through the bun with the stick pointed slightly away from the base, then point the stick toward the base and slide it under the scalp hair at the base of that bun. You can tell you're going down to the scalp by feeling the stick (or fork or whatever) scraping along your scalp (gently please!). Once your stick has gone under the base and all the hair that is wrapped around that base, then you angle the stick to come up from the scalp and through the bun.

To summarize: In order for a bun to hold, the ends have to be wrapped securely around the base of the bun at least 1-1/2 times, then pinned into that position using whatever you are using (sticks, fork, spin pins, whatever). It doesn't have to be tight, but it should be secure. When you remove your hands, it shouldn't slip right out. I can't tolerate a tight bun, so sometimes I have to re-do my bun several times a day because if I don't get it just right, it will sag with time and movement.

[TreesOfEternity]

Hey, for some of us with slippery hair a tight bun is the only way to make it work unless hair is oily down to the ends. Maybe she’s lucky and can get away with a lose bun, I really hope so, but we are just giving our two cents. Otherwise just ditch buns and stick to peacock twists and braids.

[spidermom]

I'm not disputing your need for a tight bun, I'm just giving my perspective. If my buns had to be tight, I wouldn't be able to wear them.

[Dung Beetle]

I saw this, it may be helpful because it's for medium length hair: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pb-CDSW1euU

[neko_kawaii]

Have you tried braided buns? Learning how to secure a bun close to the scalp take a lot of practice, and if the length is loose that gives you one more factor to control. If you start with a braid, you eliminate the loose length and can focus on securing the bun close to the scalp.

[Groovy Granny]

Hi ~ welcome to LHC :waving:

I agree with cinnamon buns being the last resort...unless you use claw clips (whatever size works for your bun size).
My buns are smaller and compact, and my hair is also slippery and fine, so I use 4 small claws as was mentioned above me; some use 2 medium claws.
They tend to be on the snugger side so I get them to hold...yet not too snug or :headache:..but can't be real fluffy or they fall apart :shrug:

Pha Buns worked good for me at that length, as I have less hair for the landmarks because I have a short/shrinking torso.

Chinese buns are good, as are sectioned buns (half up buns then wrap the rest of your hair around it).

LWBs were good for me...I started with 1 finger and thumb, and adjusted the number as my hair grew.

Nautilus buns and Cinnamon buns are a staple for me now at TBL with my forks and sticks.
Some people pin their cinnamon buns as they twist them to secure them better....and braiding helps make them secure too.

Disc Buns I had issues with early on; most find that one very secure :hmm:

I also love spin pins and Amish crinkle Upins; forks hold better for me than sticks....and claws are very secure.

Practice makes perfect; start with half ups, add the length as you can and the rest will follow as you grow and become more proficient :cheer:

[rhosyn_du]

Slippery hair can be super frustrating. What worked for me at your length was a LWB, but with the hair twisted before wrapping, and held with a fork or a ficcare, not a stick. It's been a while, but I think my hair was near classic before I could get it to hold more than a couple hours with a single stick, and even then, it only worked with a nautalis or gibraltar.

[Larke]

I saw this, it may be helpful because it's for medium length hair: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pb-CDSW1euU

I am impressed as heck with this video. No way would my hair have stayed put at that length. That's the same technique I use now, but I need to wrap it around the base a few times before it even begins to be secure.

[bunashimeji]

I'm sorry I wasn't able to read replies to my question the past day!


From everything I've read on this forum, many people need to be around midback length or longer to get buns to stay comfortably. I have very thin, fine hair, so I could get a lwb to stay by BSL, but that isn't as common. And I'm hopeless with cinnabuns - can't get them to stay for the life of me. You should be able to do a disc bun, but it always comes out tight for me, so if you're looking for something looser, then that might not be the best for you. If you do try lwb or nautilus, don't hesitate to try variations made for shorter/thicker hair, like using fewer fingers to get them to stay. But also, it might just be the case that you need more length first?

...

Hope something here helps!

I wish my hair would grow faster!


^^^^ These things.

I actually have a fair amount of hair (not a ton by forum standards, but a good bit) and was able to do a LWB at BSL (and slightly shorter if I recall) but I initially did it with only 1-2 fingers in the middle. I'm at waist now and just started using 3 a couple of months ago - and am nowhere near using 4.

It all depends on your hair! Keep trying and practicing - one day they will just happen! For a very long time I was the queen of a cinnamon held with 4 of the small (not tiny, but about the size of a US Quarter) claw clips. I did them in 4 diagonal corners (like 2 o-clock, 4, 7 and 10) and it looked cute and held well. I never did really get good use of spin pins as they wound up getting caught up in my hair (sure that was likely ME not them.)

Good luck! Keep noodling it with and trying different things - you'll get there!

I was definitely using too many fingers :eek: I'll give fewer fingers a shot, but I think I should get some small claw clips instead! Thank you for the suggestion!


Could it be that you are using too many fingers and making the bun loop too big? My buns have to be quite tight for them to stay, I’m past waist and just now I started using 3 fingers for buns, before I used 1 or 2 fingers and wrapped the length very tightly around the loop. Inserting the stick/pencil it should feel tight, not loose.

Past waist and 3 fingers — I was absolutely making the bun loop too big for my length :laugh:


My hair sister! I just wanted to say that I've only recently begun trying to use hairsticks, and I'm learning the lazy wrap bun. By beginner's luck, I got it the first time...and ever since then, it takes me many tries to do it again. I still don't have the secret, but I just practice it whenever I can. It seems that the tighter I wind it up, the better, and it also seems to be important where you insert the stick. We'll get it one of these days...

Hello hair sister! Yes!! We'll get there one of these days!


All these tight bun recommendations are giving me a headache!

It's impossible to tell you what you're doing wrong without seeing what you're doing. Here's what you need to keep in mind. All the buns I know start with you gathering your hair in the back like you are making a ponytail. After you form your bun, you wrap what is left of the ends around the base of your bun. To get a good hold, your ends need to go around the base of that bun at least 1-1/2 times, and more times is better. When you secure the bun, let's say with sticks, you have to go down through the bun with the stick pointed slightly away from the base, then point the stick toward the base and slide it under the scalp hair at the base of that bun. You can tell you're going down to the scalp by feeling the stick (or fork or whatever) scraping along your scalp (gently please!). Once your stick has gone under the base and all the hair that is wrapped around that base, then you angle the stick to come up from the scalp and through the bun.

To summarize: In order for a bun to hold, the ends have to be wrapped securely around the base of the bun at least 1-1/2 times, then pinned into that position using whatever you are using (sticks, fork, spin pins, whatever). It doesn't have to be tight, but it should be secure. When you remove your hands, it shouldn't slip right out. I can't tolerate a tight bun, so sometimes I have to re-do my bun several times a day because if I don't get it just right, it will sag with time and movement.

Thank you for the detailed advice!
Just thinking about tight buns makes my head ache too :shocked:. As much as I would love to make buns work, I cannot sacrifice comfort! My scalp would scream!


Have you tried braided buns? Learning how to secure a bun close to the scalp take a lot of practice, and if the length is loose that gives you one more factor to control. If you start with a braid, you eliminate the loose length and can focus on securing the bun close to the scalp.

I tried braiding then bunning, but I failed! I think the braid made the bun feel a little more secure, but the braid just started flopping out.


Hi ~ welcome to LHC :waving:

I agree with cinnamon buns being the last resort...unless you use claw clips (whatever size works for your bun size).
My buns are smaller and compact, and my hair is also slippery and fine, so I use 4 small claws as was mentioned above me; some use 2 medium claws.
They tend to be on the snugger side so I get them to hold...yet not too snug or :headache:..but can't be real fluffy or they fall apart :shrug:

Pha Buns worked good for me at that length, as I have less hair for the landmarks because I have a short/shrinking torso.

Chinese buns are good, as are sectioned buns (half up buns then wrap the rest of your hair around it).

LWBs were good for me...I started with 1 finger and thumb, and adjusted the number as my hair grew.

Nautilus buns and Cinnamon buns are a staple for me now at TBL with my forks and sticks.
Some people pin their cinnamon buns as they twist them to secure them better....and braiding helps make them secure too.

Disc Buns I had issues with early on; most find that one very secure :hmm:

I also love spin pins and Amish crinkle Upins; forks hold better for me than sticks....and claws are very secure.

Practice makes perfect; start with half ups, add the length as you can and the rest will follow as you grow and become more proficient :cheer:

Thank you for the warm welcome and the list of bun recommendations!!
The next time I attempt the LWB, I absolutely need to try using 1-2 fingers... :bluebiggr

[Joules]

Yeah; BSL seems a little short, doesn't matter if it's not iii. For ii BSL is quite short as well, to do a pretty basic bun even. I would do say like a peacock twist or log roll until you gain more length. You don't want to be pulling too tightly just to wear a bun.

If you're talking fancy LHC buns with sticks or forks, then yes. If you mean regular "boring librarian" cinnamon buns, then BSL should be fine. I'm ii - borderline iii, and bra strap length is more than enough for a cinnamon bun, I can make it even with slightly shorter hair (I would need a ton of bobby pins to secure ends that would inevitably stick out and make the bun look messy, but still, it's doable).

[Suortuva]

Yeah; BSL seems a little short, doesn't matter if it's not iii. For ii BSL is quite short as well, to do a pretty basic bun even. I would do say like a peacock twist or log roll until you gain more length. You don't want to be pulling too tightly just to wear a bun.

Well, there's really a huge difference between the both ends of ii. I have been able to do lots of things before (or at least at) APL. For example Disc bun, LWB, cinnabun and secure these with sticks and forks.... The joys of thin hair...:shrug:

[bunashimeji]

If you're talking fancy LHC buns with sticks or forks, then yes. If you mean regular "boring librarian" cinnamon buns, then BSL should be fine. I'm ii - borderline iii, and bra strap length is more than enough for a cinnamon bun, I can make it even with slightly shorter hair (I would need a ton of bobby pins to secure ends that would inevitably stick out and make the bun look messy, but still, it's doable).


Well, there's really a huge difference between the both ends of ii. I have been able to do lots of things before (or at least at) APL. For example Disc bun, LWB, cinnabun and secure these with sticks and forks.... The joys of thin hair...:shrug:

Hm... Either my hair is not nearly as thin as I think it is or I'm that bad at doing hair. I'm assuming it's a combination of both (with an emphasis on the latter)



For a very long time I was the queen of a cinnamon held with 4 of the small (not tiny, but about the size of a US Quarter) claw clips. I did them in 4 diagonal corners (like 2 o-clock, 4, 7 and 10) and it looked cute and held well.

I bought some small clips this morning and tried securing my bun with them. It's working! I have had a bun on my head for about 15 minutes now—the longest I've ever had a bun! It's relatively comfortable, too. Hurray! :cheese::cheese:

[lapushka]

If you're talking fancy LHC buns with sticks or forks, then yes. If you mean regular "boring librarian" cinnamon buns, then BSL should be fine. I'm ii - borderline iii, and bra strap length is more than enough for a cinnamon bun, I can make it even with slightly shorter hair (I would need a ton of bobby pins to secure ends that would inevitably stick out and make the bun look messy, but still, it's doable).

I think that is quite a strong statement!

I still can't do a cinnamon bun that stays the whole day, even after a Nautilus. My hair is classic+ right now. So I think it is one of those buns that slips out easily and that needs its length quite a bit!

[MusicalSpoons]

I think that is quite a strong statement!

I still can't do a cinnamon bun that stays the whole day, even after a Nautilus. My hair is classic+ right now. So I think it is one of those buns that slips out easily and that needs its length quite a bit!

I completely disagree - length is a disadvantage, especially if your hair compresses easily. Once mine gets past 2 or 3 coils it just all slips underneath each other, bee-butting, and destabilising the whole thing. I can only wear a cinnabun secured with spin pins or a flexi (bun cage-style) and only if I've held it all flat against my scalp so everything's pinned in place. Otherwise it will just fall out :shrug: How people hold them in place with a fork or stick is beyond me!

[lapushka]

I completely disagree - length is a disadvantage, especially if your hair compresses easily. Once mine gets past 2 or 3 coils it just all slips underneath each other, bee-butting, and destabilising the whole thing. I can only wear a cinnabun secured with spin pins or a flexi (bun cage-style) and only if I've held it all flat against my scalp so everything's pinned in place. Otherwise it will just fall out :shrug: How people hold them in place with a fork or stick is beyond me!

Yes, but granted, your hair is knee and that might change the perspective again. I was talking on average hip to classic, just past BSL in any case.

[neko_kawaii]

I completely disagree - length is a disadvantage, especially if your hair compresses easily. Once mine gets past 2 or 3 coils it just all slips underneath each other, bee-butting, and destabilising the whole thing. I can only wear a cinnabun secured with spin pins or a flexi (bun cage-style) and only if I've held it all flat against my scalp so everything's pinned in place. Otherwise it will just fall out :shrug: How people hold them in place with a fork or stick is beyond me!

That is my experience as well. My cinnamon buns were already prone to bee-butt at waist length. I've even had difficulty not having coils of things like vortex buns slide under each other.


Yes, but granted, your hair is knee and that might change the perspective again. I was talking on average hip to classic, just past BSL in any case.

I suspect this is a difference of thickness. I'm smack dab middle ii thickness. You are a iii and need much more length than I for the same bun and will have different results.



I tried braiding then bunning, but I failed! I think the braid made the bun feel a little more secure, but the braid just started flopping out.


This sounds like you need more experience using pins and making sure they hit both scalp and the strand you are trying to secure. Keep trying!

[MusicalSpoons]

Yes, but granted, your hair is knee and that might change the perspective again. I was talking on average hip to classic, just past BSL in any case.

True, but what I meant was when actually coiling it, after the first couple it all starts to go wrong :) [It was the same before LHC, but I didn't know any better so just secured the beebutts every day with hair elastics and completely shredded my ends :bigeyes:] I would estimate the first two coils take me to ... wait, let me try. Waist. That's where it starts beebutting.

[Just for fun I put a small scrunchie at ~BSL and tried a cinnabun up to that length - it's staying put with a 4-prong Jeterfork. This is the only time I'm ever going to bemoan this: my hair is way too long :wail:]

[lapushka]

I suspect this is a difference of thickness. I'm smack dab middle ii thickness. You are a iii and need much more length than I for the same bun and will have different results.

Hmm. :hmm: Yeah, could be it.


True, but what I meant was when actually coiling it, after the first couple it all starts to go wrong :) [It was the same before LHC, but I didn't know any better so just secured the beebutts every day with hair elastics and completely shredded my ends :bigeyes:] I would estimate the first two coils take me to ... wait, let me try. Waist. That's where it starts beebutting.

[Just for fun I put a small scrunchie at ~BSL and tried a cinnabun up to that length - it's staying put with a 4-prong Jeterfork. This is the only time I'm ever going to bemoan this: my hair is way too long :wail:]

I can't even coil around a good one time+ at this length, if I twist it right. :justy:

[rhosyn_du]

Cinnabuns are a mystery to me. I've never been able to get one to hold. Like MusicalSpoons, they just slide apart and either make themselves into beebutts or fall apart completely. I kind of think people who can make them work are hair sorcerers. :magic:

[MusicalSpoons]

Hmm. :hmm: Yeah, could be it.



I can't even coil around a good one time+ at this length, if I twist it right. :justy:

I'm really surprised, especially after seeing how much your hair compacted into a nautilus; I sort of assumed that as twisting is much more compacting for my hair, it would be the same for you and pretty much everyone else too. Evidently not! You learn something every day :D

[AmaryllisRed]

I got a cinnabun to hold with a stick once.

Once.

[LadyCelestina]

Personally I can do a cinnamon bun just fine at my length - which is MBL curly and waist+ stretched. My pony circumference is 10, almost 11cm, so ii/iii :shrug:


The differences I can think of is that my hair is curly and thus less slippery, and that I coil my hair to the very ends, tucking quite a large section underneat the bun base.

[pailin]

You mentioned your hair is fairly coarse and straight-ish.
Several of my friends with very coarse straight hair have complained that it's very difficult to do buns. I don't believe any of them really learned more than basic hair tie buns, but I do think they have more difficulty with their hair being resistant - ie, it wants to return to straight so it fights being bent into a bun. And it certainly behaves very differently from mine when they've let me braid it. It's not compliant like mine, it's sort of springy. I'm not sure what is best in that situation but you may have quite a different fundamental problem from what finer/wavier haired folks have. You might need more length to do more wraps for a lwb to stay, and I'd also think plastic claw clips are a good bet.

[Joules]

I think some LHCers forget that regular U pins and spin pins even exist :lol: you don't have to secure buns with sticks. I don't own a single hair stick or fork, I use only pins and claw clips. Yes, the longer your hair gets the trickier bunning becomes, but a basic cinnamon bun is quite universal (unless you have very thick knee+ length). You might need a ton of pins to secure it, but it's doable.

If the middle part of your bun slips out, you can try to secure every coil with u-pins. There are shorter u-pins on the market that are very useful for that.

[LadyCelestina]

^ Agreed. There are other ways to put your hair up than LHC buns secured with sticks or forks, they are not the pinnacle of all hairtoys. My daily go to bun is a sort of a messy claw clip held wrap and it works great for me. Sticks tend to slide out of my hair, I've unfortunately lost several this way.

[Dung Beetle]

So...I'm still having trouble with the lazy wrap bun, but I'm able to make a disc bun! I thought it would be harder, but the hardest part for me is just separating the ponytail into two pieces. After that, it's cake! And I don't have to wrap it all that tightly.
Pieces do stick out, but I'm just bunning to get my hair up OFF of me. It doesn't have to look nice.

[neko_kawaii]

I put some thought into what I do that does result in a successful Cinnamon Bun at my length/thickness and made a video. (My first time with in-video text.)

https://youtu.be/ky0IbpVA_ZQ

To not end up with a Bee Butt Bun, after two coils I have to place each new coil next to the last, instead of wrapping it against the last coil. If I pull them close, that is when they slip under the last coil and Bee Butt. I also insert my spin pins horizontally. I'm not sure if this creates a stronger bun than vertical pins, if I learned this through trial and error or if I just stuck with what worked for me the first time, but thinking about it, I do consistently use spin pins horizontally. I'm also using three LONG pins. I'd have to use more if I were using my short pins and would have to insert a pin part way through wrapping the coils in order to reach and secure the center coils.

I don't do Cinnamon Buns all that often, mostly because they take longer than my 20 second favorites. All that twisting and holding!

Hopefully that helps some of the other long hairs who struggle not to Bee Butt.

[Joules]

To everyone who thinks that a cinnamon bun requires length.

I was wearing a cinnamon bun with U-pins the day this picture was taken, those waves are "bun waves":

https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=36994&d=1558636474

My ponytail circumference is 9.7cm/3.8in. I'm just milimeters away from iii.

If I ever knew I'd need to make such an argument, I would have taken an actual picture of my cinnamon bun when I had APL+ hair :lol:

[Groovy Granny]

I forgot to mention earlier that I also used large alligator clips (and still do) to hold cinnamon buns.
Ficcares were too heavy to use at a shorter length, and some days they still are with my slip/fine hair.

Very pretty Joules :heart:

[CopperButterfly]

To everyone who thinks that a cinnamon bun requires length.

I was wearing a cinnamon bun with U-pins the day this picture was taken, those waves are "bun waves":

https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=36994&d=1558636474

My ponytail circumference is 9.7cm/3.8in. I'm just milimeters away from iii.

If I ever knew I'd need to make such an argument, I would have taken an actual picture of my cinnamon bun when I had APL+ hair :lol:

I'm with you with about the same hair thickness. I could do cinnabuns before any others, and before reaching apl, just held with a couple of spin pins, or some little claw clips. I also think it is a bun that gets harder with more length.

Dung Beetle, I'm glad you figured out the disc bun, it's my favorite from apl and still at mbl. I personally don't have quite enough length to thickness to be able to get a stable lwb without it being overly tight at bsl. And I'll bet the more you practice the disc bun, you'll be able to get the ends to tuck. I just keep waiting for the day to have enough length to do a comfy lwb or nautilus.