Starter buns

[MandyBeth]

I know this thread already exists, but I am search deficient....

What are good starter buns, and how long does the hair need to be to start? Just so I can start looking around.

Thanks!

[GoddesJourney]

I think most people have success with around shoulder length. They will be minibuns at first, but it's only a matter of time before you get those big MONSTER BUNS that some of our seasoned members have.

[marikamt]

I found a great starter bun to be the sock bun..... i was between APL and BSL, but heavily layered ... I would think APL would work great for a nice sock bun. Cinn-a-bun was my next one (where I am now) from BSL to almost at waist... I think at waist, when my layers catch up I will have a larger repertoire........

[twilight_faerie]

I think my hair was pretty short when I was first able to do a cinnamon bun. Maybe as short as shoulder length...definitely by APL.

[MandyBeth]

Ok, I get the cinnamon bun, which I can do on my top. But what's a sock bun?

[Sabayon]

The sock bun is described here: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=36 (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=36)
and you can find a number of updos for shorter hair here: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=76 (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=76)

[MissManda]

I haven't tried a sock bun simply because I don't have the sock to do it with, but I have lost a lot of socks because I basically moved three times within one year (so I have some without mates. . . Hee hee. . .). My basic bun is a cinnabun. I've tried the figure-8/infinity but, buy my hair isn't long enough and I can only do them with mini/half-up buns. I have also tried the nautilus bun, but I can't seem to do that one yet, either. My hair is between BSL and waist.

Oh, and I am also a big fan of various types of braids!

[CrisDee]

:confused:Is there a thread or article that shows photos of basic buns? I'm still trying to figure out what a basic cinnabun is! I'm one of those people who needs to see a picture rather than a description in order to "get it" - I'm bookmarking some photos and tutorials to give myself encouragement while I grow my hair back out. Thanks in advance! :)

[Mannaz]

I've been doing a very simple thing with my almost APL hair, this needs just the one hair stick. I braid my hair in a basic english braid, bring the braid up, fold it against my head and then secure it horizontally with the stick. Actually I think I got the idea to it from here somewhere, so credits to the inventor! It helds well and takes only seconds to do. Not sure it would work on hair longer than APL.

[jasper]

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=138
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=132

These are a couple more articles from the LHC hairstyle article section.

[Speckla]

Two buns are easier to do with shorter hair than just one.

[klcqtee]

Cinnabun (held with hair tie): Shoulder length
cinnabun (held with sticks): collarbone length
sock bun: shoulder length
twin buns: shoulder length
modified braided bun (braid hair, then fold braid in half and bun with stick): APL-BSL
Cheater's hairstick bun: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=138 shoulder length
and the Easy Hairtsick bun: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=48 APL+

You should also check out: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=129 Lots of great buns!
This also has many hairstyles for growing out http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=76

Gibson tucks aren't really buns, but they keep your ends protected just as a bun would. Plus they're cute!

[Michou]

The first few updos I could do were twists (french, peacock) and then I could do a sort of messy flipped cinnabun. Those were all at apl mostly. I'm at bsl now and can almost do a lazy wrap bun. Keep in mind that a half-up is a great way to learn a bun because it's the shorter nape hairs that can limit your options sometimes.

[redneckprincess]

i could do my first sock bun at just a bit more then shoulder leingth but not APL (but Im HEAVLY LAYERED)...probally even earlier if I had tried...some do and leave the small short whispy nape hairs down like a half u[p...
I have pics in my albums of sock buns

[bumblebums]

I think length in inches is a more helpful predictor than anatomical landmarks for whether you can do certain buns or not. If you are relatively petite, your hair at shoulder length might not be long enough to do certain buns. Hair thickness is probably a big deal--I understand that the thicker your hair, the harder it is to bun at shorter lengths, but it's probably less of a problem to leave it down since it's less vulnerable to damage than fine hair.

I have been able to do a cinnamon bun for ages, since about 19.5" or so. It holds with two hair sticks. I can also do a baby Nautilus now at 20-some inches (haven't measured my hair in a while, but I know it's longer because of bun success :) ) This "Nautilus-ling" holds with a single hair stick.

Another easy not-really-a-bun updo that I can do at my current length is an upfolded braid, and it holds either with a Flexi-8 or with a pair of hair sticks.

[Michou]

I think length in inches is a more helpful predictor than anatomical landmarks for whether you can do certain buns or not. If you are relatively petite, your hair at shoulder length might not be long enough to do certain buns. Hair thickness is probably a big deal--I understand that the thicker your hair, the harder it is to bun at shorter lengths, but it's probably less of a problem to leave it down since it's less vulnerable to damage than fine hair.


Yes, I think you're right, my bsl is not nearly as long as it would be on a taller person.

[Sabayon]

I-I understand that the thicker your hair, the harder it is to bun at shorter lengths, but it's probably less of a problem to leave it down since it's less vulnerable to damage than fine hair.


Yes, my hair is very thick (in terms of volume of hair) and it has to be longer to do any given style. So while my hair is nearly APL and I am very tall (I don't know how long my hair is in inches) I can only just start to do styles that others can do at shoulder length. It's kind of frustrating.

[MandyBeth]

I can do an almost cinnamon bun with my half-up, but that's about it. I can braid my hair, but I'm not good at it and they will fall out.

My problem is the fine hair that would be much happier if it's ends were tucked up - but way too much of it to do anything.

Oh well. Grow little hairs, grow.