Split Bun Help?

[clichepithet]

Hi, it's me again. :D

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=159

I'm having the worst time with this bun. It's easy, and I can execute the maneuvers, but it won't stay!

It's like I can't get it tight enough, and then it just slips right out. My goal is to be able to do my hair with no elastics (or as few as possible). Is that what I'm doing wrong? Does it need one? Is my hair just not thick and coarse enough? I've tried pulling it as tight as I can, splitting with the stick and not my fingers, twisting this part, twisting that part, skipping my pinky... ...is my stick too thin?!
:justy: Oh, and :flower:

[Fayjoi]

I tried this bun last week, and it doesn't stay either. I did stay when I used an elastic ... but I'd rather not use it.

[little_acorn]

I've got that in at the moment with no elastics and 2 sticks. I'll be posting a pic up later today in the 'Wear all your toys once' thread if you want to see how I did it :D. When I put it in this morning I wrapped the tail around the loop twice/three times before splitting the loop. Pinned the split loops with one stick and then stuck another one in 30 degrees also above it as an extra anchor. HTH :flower:

Oh and its holding like a rock at the moment

[MandyBeth]

I've got fine hair also, and this bun won't stay unless I get at least two loops around the base - which is why it works for a half up for me without too much of a fight, but not even close to it on full length. My hair is also very slippery and snickers at my attempts with a thin stick.

How I do mine... The *'ed sections are different from florenonight's correct version.

Grab hair like in a pony tail.
*Give one/two twists to set a "base"*
Loop up over hand (I do my first two fingers yet)
Wrap tail around the base
*Pin tail ends with a hair pin (I actually use a snap clip, but anything to hold the ends in place)*
Split loop in half and I pull the right side thru the left loop.
Put stick in the right side (was the left loop) in thru the loop, I weave the stick in to catch over the clip, then to my scalp, then out the base and back thru the opening in the left side (what was the right loop).

The first * section is what I so far have to do with ANY bun that I want to stay in for more than a few seconds. My hair is just too fine and too short yet, the twist helps it stay put.

The second * section is mostly because my hair is too short and if I don't hold the ends in place, they will poke out and make a mess, then I sit and poke them in, then I mess up the bun so it falls out....

This is a bun that feels "looser" than a bee-butt type of bun however. It will last up 10 hours if I need it to, it just doesn't feel as secure.

[Alcenaia]

I too have fine hair and it took me a few stabs (ha stabs with hairsticks) at this to get it to stay. This bun is secure without an elastic for me now that I can actually do it. >_<

It seems to help me to push the hairstick through the right loop further than usual and grab a lot of scalp hair. This makes the bun stick out less and pulls the loop a bit tighter, which you can kind of see in the pictures of this style in my Updos album. HTH :flower:

I will second MandyBeth's comment about looping hair around the base. Totally necessary.

little_acorn, I would like to see that two stick variant. *goes to lurk in that thread* :)

[florenonite]

I did that tutorial before I cut my hair in September. I got layers starting at APL, and with thick, fine hair, layers vastly limit your updo capabilities ;) Anyway, I've found that now I've got to slightly alter my methods to get it to stay. I loop my hair around just my index and middle fingers, and then before I twist the remaining hair clockwise around the base, I rotate my left hand 90 degrees clockwise. After I've wrapped all the hair around I twist my left hand 90 degrees counterclockwise again before splitting it and putting the stick in.

Clear as mud?

[clichepithet]

Alright! Thank you all for your replies and suggestions. Essentially I kinda mixed a little of everything there. Looks like I'm not twisting my tail-end when I wrap it around the base. Which come to think of it, this is probably a problem with most of my updos. But not to digress as I am wont to do... ahhh... let's see. I gave the ponytail bit a half-twist, then I wrapped up around my index and middle fingers only, made sure I twisted my ends as I wrapped the base after rotating the loop closer to 190 degrees. Then I made sure to push a little farther out before coming back in to grab as much scalp hair as possible. I failed utterly at swapping the loops. But, ultimately, this is what I've got.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=4563&pictureid=64075

(please excuse my day 2 hair... I, uh, like oils)

Obviously I do need some practice, but y'all gave me something to work with now. I really do appreciate it. I've had this in for at least 2 hours (?) and it is very comfortable. It feels like it's gonna fall out at any second, but it's holding...

Clear as mud!! :cheese:

;) Thx.

[countryhopper]

Looks beautiful! I think you did a great job! And it's easier to do buns with oily hair, so don't worry about it.

[Fayjoi]

It looks fantastic! I have to give it a try again. Thanks so much for all the suggestions!