How to bun?

[Pearl Raynefel]

I feel a little silly asking about something so seemingly basic, but I usually wear my hair down so I really don't know a lot about different ways of putting it up. Anyway, I'd like to wear it up more often since it's already somewhere between hip and tailbone, and I want to avoid accidental breakage from getting caught on things. I'm not very good at buns right now and I need some advice on making them neat without them being too tight. I'm 2a/F/M/iii so I have a lot of hair to deal with <3

[spidermom]

You could go to YouTube and search for easy buns. There are hundreds of videos. Find one (or more) that you like, watch the videos, and practice practice practice.

[neko_kawaii]

It may be easier to start with a braid. By having your hair confined you have already addressed “neatness” and can focus on the mechanics of constructing a bun.

YouTube is a fantastic resource. Also check out the LHC Hairstyle Thesaurus (https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=145554) which provides brief descriptions and links tutorials.

[Maiden Fair]

Hi! I didn't start learning buns until my hair was between waist and hip last year, so I feel ya. I don't know exactly how thick your hair is, but mine is a hefty iii (~5in. circumference) and I've found that only a few buns work for me yet, even though I've reached tailbone now. The Lazy Wrap Bun (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvKbxNBHjOI), the Gibraltar Bun (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjDHBMY9PjE), the Disc Bun (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxWrcMoDP_Q), and the Nessa bun (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoLWQr5I1Qc) are all ones I use regularly (although I do find the Disc Bun with the twists as I linked can easily be tight enough to give me a headache, so it's in the rotation much less; be careful to wrap that one loosely).

As for making them neat, I'm afraid I don't have very good tips. My buns are usually a little messy, lol. As spidermom said, your best bet for that is probably just practice. I also found that lightly oiling my hair before bunning helps reduce the wispies and make the coils neater. Personally, I don't like to brush my hair back for buns, because I find it pulls in more places, so I just tilt my head back and gather it back like for a ponytail before making a bun. I still have a part, but I feel like that makes it look less severe. I also think doing buns this way makes it a little more forgiving if it's messy, because it doesn't look like you were trying for the perfect, sleek bun look. :shrug: (Of course, if that is what you prefer, then ignore all that! :laugh: )

[Shug]

Depending on how long your hair is you can just do a super simple messy bun with a scrunchie by making a pony tail but not pulling the hair all the way through the loop

[ETJ CURLS]

I second what everyone else has said. Additionally, if you have a mannequin, a doll with long hair, or a friend or kid who doesn't mind you playing with their hair, it might be easier to practice on a separate head of hair first before attempting the styles on your own.

[lapushka]

How? Loosely, at that. :) Your current length at iii thickness? Way, way too thick for a bun, for a single bun I mean. Be extremely careful.

I am iii and even classic length isn't enough length. I suffered breakage mid-lengths to ends from bunning it 6 days a week. And I thought I wasn't doing the buns too tightly, so there you go... I guess buns 24/7 was a bit much. :shrug: I lost a lot of hair each wash day, and just thought that came with the territory (long hair, more of it) but apparently not.

Cut back to BSL (right now it's between APL & BSL) and I happen to like it, for now. We'll see what the future brings. But the thickness, thank goodness, is playing catch up nicely.

[Fiorentina]

There are no silly questions, there are only silly answers.

There already have been named some very nice examples of easy-to-create buns by other users.
So let's take a closer look to the wonderful world of hair accessories.
You will need something to hold you bun securely in place. The world of hair accessories offers seemingly endless possibilities and lots of different price categories.
It's important for you to find the optimal hair accessories, and it doesn't have to be the same kind of toy for every bun. This is something individually personal and of course also a question of personal taste.
I really love sticks and forks. When it comes to forks, I prefer the 3 prong forks, they hold my bun securely in place all day long. 3 prong forks are working, in my case, with every bun.
Regards
Fiorentina

[SandyBottom]

Not a silly question at all. Here's a video that taught me my first bun when my hair was around tailbone length (34" on me). Her hair is way thicker than mine. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVkg9TJDrL4

[Shug]

How? Loosely, at that. :) Your current length at iii thickness? Way, way too thick for a bun, for a single bun I mean. Be extremely careful.

I am iii and even classic length isn't enough length. I suffered breakage mid-lengths to ends from bunning it 6 days a week. And I thought I wasn't doing the buns too tightly, so there you go... I guess buns 24/7 was a bit much. :shrug: I lost a lot of hair each wash day, and just thought that came with the territory (long hair, more of it) but apparently not.

Cut back to BSL (right now it's between APL & BSL) and I happen to like it, for now. We'll see what the future brings. But the thickness, thank goodness, is playing catch up nicely.

My hair is thick asf and I’ve been bunning it since shoulder length. I think a lot of the buns mentioned on this site aren’t great for my hair because of the thickness, but I wouldn’t say my hair is too thick to bun. Honestly, buns that involve twisting the hair like the nautilus are overrated and I also found that bun in particular to be unbalanced and prone to tugging my head. I also noticed that forks with more than 2 prongs can be very damaging to my thick hair because it is so difficult to slide them into place without snapping hairs mid length, I think single sticks are better for protective styling and the buns that involve wrapping the hair instead of twisting are a much safer bet that put less tension and strain on the hair. I also only wear buns that sit on the very top of my head and I take them down periodically throughout the day to rest my scalp, so I don’t know if that also plays a part in avoiding damage from bunning.

lol saying the nautilus is overrated might be the most unpopular opinion I’ve posted on this site but I stand by it, it’s wack and the LWB is superior!

[cherrymerry]

My hair is around bra strap length these days, so I cannot do many of the pretty buns others have mentioned. I like to collect my hair as if making a ponytail and twisting the length around until it starts making a round shape. I keep twisting until all the hair is in a bun shape and secure it with french pins - these are the only ones that do not feel uncomfortable, they feel like nothing is in my hair. This way I can keep it up all day. If you do it right, there should be no breakage, pulling or a too tight feeling. I use gel to keep the baby hairs and the new growth down and neat.

[AmaryllisRed]

My hair is around APL and I can wear it in a bun. But I don't know what kind of bun you would call it.

[barnet_fair]

I feel a little silly asking about something so seemingly basic, but I usually wear my hair down so I really don't know a lot about different ways of putting it up. Anyway, I'd like to wear it up more often since it's already somewhere between hip and tailbone, and I want to avoid accidental breakage from getting caught on things. I'm not very good at buns right now and I need some advice on making them neat without them being too tight. I'm 2a/F/M/iii so I have a lot of hair to deal with <3

You could try starting with one of the buns popular on LHC and seeing how neat you can make it given lots of practice. The Lazy Wrap Bun (with a single hairstick) is a good choice for this. I find skills from making one bun tend to transfer to making others, but a great thing to do at first is to get so good at one particular bun that you can confidently do it whenever you need to (e.g. without a mirror). Then branch out to making other buns.

If the LWB doesn't work for you and you can't get it to stay neatly without it being too tight, you could try the Disc Bun instead. That's the first one I could do (just before WL I think).

Also I agree with everything Shug said.

[luxurioushair]

I think a lot of the buns mentioned on this site aren’t great for my hair because of the thickness, but I wouldn’t say my hair is too thick to bun.

Honestly, buns that involve twisting the hair like the nautilus are overrated...
YES all of this is true. My hair is quite thick and there is already a huge bun by default when I tie it up. I might twist it to make the bun smaller or to create an effect, but the fancy buns are not really needed...

[reedtra]

this is a good thread - thanks.