bubba tail & diffuser question; ways to straighten my wavy hair?

[Sissy]

Hi,

I have recently come across the term "bubba tail". It appears it is a way of straightening your hair by putting damp hair into a low pony with a scrunchy and then continuing using scrunchies down the length.

Would this really work to straighten wavy hair? I am really hoping for a method that would enable me to quite it with the darn blow drier!

Also, someone at work told me to get a diffuser and said it's different than a hair dryer and has no damage. Is this true? I have never used a diffuser. Would a diffuser be better than a regular hair dryer on cool setting?

Does anyone any of the above techniques or know of another helpful technique?

Thanks!
Sissy:o

[Elphie]

I know, in the summertime, if I put scrunchies down the length of my hair in a tight pony tail, I wind up with pretty straight hair.

A diffuser just attaches to the end of your dryer and prevents the air from aiming directly at your hair. Even on a cool setting, I think it cuts down on the frizz. It would prevent you from roughing up the cuticle by aiming the dryer in the wrong direction.

[Sissy]

I know, in the summertime, if I put scrunchies down the length of my hair in a tight pony tail, I wind up with pretty straight hair.

A diffuser just attaches to the end of your dryer and prevents the air from aiming directly at your hair. Even on a cool setting, I think it cuts down on the frizz. It would prevent you from roughing up the cuticle by aiming the dryer in the wrong direction.

OK, then it sounds like a diffuser would be good for me... as I would like to cut down on frizz. Does using a diffuser still enable you to get straightish hair? Even if you use cool setting?

Also, I am still interested in bubba tail. I think I'd like to try it. Does anyone else use it?

[Elphie]

I don't think it would help you straighten, sissy, it would just help you dry it without harming it. I can lose the wave easily in my hair with a dryer on a cool setting for about five minutes after it's airdried most of the way. I just aim it downward.

[purplebubba]

PurpleBubba here.
The Bubba tail or PurpleBubba Tail aka Sleep Tail was something I started doing instead of braiding for bed because I have not practised braiding enough and am kinda lazy. Edit: I was trying to prevent tangles or get less.
After doing my first Feye's self trim which involved sliding the bands down the hair I figured I'd try sliding them down to various points and leaving them there.
Here is how it looked when I took a picture back then
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v158/purplebubba/PB1/SleepTail.jpg

I was not doing this on damp hair nor was I trying to get waves or straight hair.
Other people may have discovered a trick involving something like that but I'm not aware of it. If they have I hope they chime in. Or you can experiment and maybe you can be the inventor.

I know it's possible that other people have done this tail before I started it. Its just become known as a Bubba tail etc because its been tried by so many and I've posted a bunch about it. I've been doing mine for 4+ years now.
I also wear mine during the day at home.

Hope that answers it.

[jessie58]

The Bubba sleep tail is great for people like me who hate braids in their hair at bedtime.

I also used the moving the scrunchie down the tail method for getting smooth hair. After my hair is washed, I put it in a tight ponytail in the middle of the back of my head. After an hour. I move the tail down to the nape of my neck. Another hour later I move it down another bit and eventually to the end. Between switching spots, I shake out the hair and smooth it down. It dries smooth and fairly straight. It does hinder drying time though.

[Sissy]

PurpleBubba here.
The Bubba tail or PurpleBubba Tail aka Sleep Tail was something I started doing instead of braiding for bed because I have not practised braiding enough and am kinda lazy. Edit: I was trying to prevent tangles or get less.
After doing my first Feye's self trim which involved sliding the bands down the hair I figured I'd try sliding them down to various points and leaving them there.
Here is how it looked when I took a picture back then
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v158/purplebubba/PB1/SleepTail.jpg

I was not doing this on damp hair nor was I trying to get waves or straight hair.
Other people may have discovered a trick involving something like that but I'm not aware of it. If they have I hope they chime in. Or you can experiment and maybe you can be the inventor.

I know it's possible that other people have done this tail before I started it. Its just become known as a Bubba tail etc because its been tried by so many and I've posted a bunch about it. I've been doing mine for 4+ years now.
I also wear mine during the day at home.

Hope that answers it.

Hi PurpleBubba,
The post where I found it was on the following page. The post was made by a user named Anais Satin:
http://www.longlocks.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1088483219/267

I thought it was worth a try! I'll probably try it out over my Xmas holiday.:o

[plainjanegirl]

When I try a banded tail I always get these weird kinks where the scrunchies are.

[freznow]

When I try a banded tail I always get these weird kinks where the scrunchies are.

Me too

Then again, I'm a straightie in the first place, so it doesn't take much to make it look less straight.

ETA: Oh and the bubba tail was basically invented by Nessthing way back when. Gave him really sleek, straight hair, but he put the scrunchies about an inch apart. So maybe placing the bands closer would make it more straight.

[Heidi_234]

How funny, I was just pondering if I should start new topic here on my crown wrap method I invented myself, which relaxes curly hair. I did it yesterday, and my hair's straight at most parts. The method is not perfect, and I wasn't sure what hair types could find use in it like I did. Should I?

[Teacherbear]

Are you wanting to straighten your hair for a special occasion? If so, then JUMBO (and I mean humongous-jumbo) curlers will do that. Get the "magnetic" ones from Sally's. Your hair will come out straight, with the tiniest of upturn on the bottom. Very pretty. But it takes a while for your hair to dry.

If you are looking for daily-straightened hair, I have not advice.

I've used a diffuser to make my waves/curles more prounounced. I scrunched while using the diffuser, though I guess if I were to brush/comb while drying my hair it would make it straighter . . . until I hit humidity - then it wouldn't matter what I did to my hair - it would wave/curl back up.

I gave up fighting my hair's natural tendency (to curl/wave). I get many more compliments when I let my hair wave/curl than I ever got when I attempted straightening my hair.

[Sissy]

How funny, I was just pondering if I should start new topic here on my crown wrap method I invented myself, which relaxes curly hair. I did it yesterday, and my hair's straight at most parts. The method is not perfect, and I wasn't sure what hair types could find use in it like I did. Should I?

Yes, please do :) I would love to know your method.

[Sissy]

Are you wanting to straighten your hair for a special occasion? If so, then JUMBO (and I mean humongous-jumbo) curlers will do that. Get the "magnetic" ones from Sally's. Your hair will come out straight, with the tiniest of upturn on the bottom. Very pretty. But it takes a while for your hair to dry.

If you are looking for daily-straightened hair, I have not advice.

I've used a diffuser to make my waves/curles more prounounced. I scrunched while using the diffuser, though I guess if I were to brush/comb while drying my hair it would make it straighter . . . until I hit humidity - then it wouldn't matter what I did to my hair - it would wave/curl back up.

I gave up fighting my hair's natural tendency (to curl/wave). I get many more compliments when I let my hair wave/curl than I ever got when I attempted straightening my hair.

Thanks for the reply. Maybe I should give up fighting my hair too LOL. I have never tried magnetic rollers... about how long would it take to dry that way? My hair doesn't take too long to air dry normally. Also, are magnetic rollers damaging at all to the hair?

Regarding diffusers... what is their purpose? Are they meant to reduce damage or make hair straight? I'm not sure if I understand them.

Also, I was thinking a lot this morning... it would be fantastic if you could buy a blow dryer that only had COOL setting. Is there such a bird? (Perhaps these questions would be better suited in a new post) :o

[lora410]

You know as a wavy I was dying for straight hair. Now with henna and it getting longer my hair is almost and 1a. I have a tiny bit of wave left and to be honest I miss the body the wavy gave me as well as the uniqueness.

[Sissy]

You know as a wavy I was dying for straight hair. Now with henna and it getting longer my hair is almost and 1a. I have a tiny bit of wave left and to be honest I miss the body the wavy gave me as well as the uniqueness.

That is very interesting. I long for darker brown hair... but do not really want red. What does Henna do exactly? Is it drying or damaging at all like other dyes?

Mostly I'm wondering, would Henna help my hair become sleeker/straighter?? :p

[Boots]

This is how I straighten. However, I have big spirally curls and I'm going for waves. So I put the elastics farther apart and loosen them so the segments in between get sort of wavy- like the whole pony sort of waves all the way down, like an S pattern. If I do more elastics close together and make the pony "stiff" I will get straighter hair. HTH!

[Dreamernz]

Loooool ok here's the thing, the problem is that a diffuser is definitely great in not damaging your hair as much.......but it's designed to bring out the natural curl in your hair without too many products or extreme heat...i.e. not for straightening hair...hope that helps :D

[Heidi_234]

Yes, please do :) I would love to know your method.
Here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=17291) you go. :)

[Sissy]

Here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=17291) you go. :)

Thanks, especially for including the illustrations as you're speaking to a girl who's never even attempted a braid in her own hair LOL.

I'm printing it all5 pages of instructions and pictures and am going to have my sis and husband help me attempt it over Christmas Holiday!:o

[Sissy]

Loooool ok here's the thing, the problem is that a diffuser is definitely great in not damaging your hair as much.......but it's designed to bring out the natural curl in your hair without too many products or extreme heat...i.e. not for straightening hair...hope that helps :D

haha, that definitely helps :o Sorry for being so clueless about hair care equipment LOL :)

[Buddaphlyy]

This is how my mom straightened my hair when I was a baby. She just called it banding though. I have a brother, who's name happens to be Bubba, and this is how he wears his hair sometimes too.

[longhairdreams]

I was curious after I saw this.My husbands hair was curly when it was long and bubba tails straightened it a bit but still left it with waves where the ponytails were placed.I wonder if it was because he used small elastics instead of scrunchies?

[Auryn]

Diffusers are generally hair dryer attachments that 'diffuse' the air coming from the dryer. I've never seen one used for straightening hair. They're usually used for enhancing curls. I use mine when I don't let my hair air dry.

I've found that putting slightly damp hair in a bun or a loose topknot before going to sleep will help straighten hair a bit. It won't be stick straight, but have a bit of wave and lots of volume.