Damp bunning / braiding questions

[cardamom]

I am sorry,if this has been addressed.I couldn't find exactly what I was looking for.:rolleyes:

My hair is generally dry and I get split ends which I S & D very often.I've learnt that damp/wet bunning locks moisture in the shafts and helps to retain length.I would like to start damp bunning but I've some doubts to be clarified.

1.Does it make hair moldy?
2.Does it create weird whorls and curls?
3.How long should I keep it in the bun?
4.Do I bun after a wash or have some leave - in's like oil,conditioner or something?
5.Are scrunchies safe for damp bunning?

Don't count my posts,I am a newbie!:)

[Melisande]

Damp bunning has been very good for my hair but I must warn you ;-) that there is no way to generalize hair experiences.

Hair doesn't get moldy from a few hours in a damp bun. At least not mine. I bun after I wash and let it dry slowly, slowly in the bun. My hair (very straight) dries with lovely bun waves that don't hold very long - my hair doesn't hold waves at all in general. But if you want to avoid waves completely, make an updo without twisting the hair, like the LWB.

I also mist my hair with distilled water and some drops of oil between washes when the air is dry and robs my hair of moisture. My hair feels stronger and fuller when I dampbun.

When my hair is flat, I add some drops of wheat protein to my mister. That's good for added volume. Sometimes I use different mixtures for roots and lengths - more wheat protein to the roots for added volume and "spring", and more oil to the dry ends.

You will have to experiment what your hair likes. Updos and protecting the ends is good in any case.

Scrunchies are a safe way to bun. I have just now an old scrunchie in my hair ;-) but I don't leave the house with it. There are many options that are more stylish but hold the damp hair well.

I find that slowing down drying makes my hair softer and fuller-looking. In the hot and dry climate that I live in at the moment, that is very important to me.

[Hana]

in my experience...

1.Does it make hair moldy? goodnes, no! unless there are mould spores in the water or in your hair, its extremely unlikely.
2.Does it create weird whorls and curls? only if you twist the hair, or pull it too tightly. but these curls dont last very long.
3.How long should I keep it in the bun? for as long as you like, or until your hair feels dry.
4.Do I bun after a wash or have some leave - in's like oil,conditioner or something? you dont have to add anything extra simply because of the bun, because anything you would have ordinarily lost with loose hair will have been retained. but a little extra moisture goes a long way. :)
5.Are scrunchies safe for damp bunning? i dont see why not. personally, i use pins, but thats always more fiddly.

and i agree with what melisande said - "You will have to experiment what your hair likes. Updos and protecting the ends is good in any case." :D

so have fun experimenting!

[Rhiannon7]

Damp bunning is great! leaves my hair soft and shiny and so full of life. I normally wet/damp bun during the spring, summer and fall. since i wash my hair in the morning before work during these seasons.

The hair does not smell moldy as long as you do not leave it in a wet bun for days. besides the smell goes away as soon as the hair dries. and unless there are mold sphores there is no reason why your hair should get moldy. i always let down the bun after work and let it air dry before bed.

I also braid wet/damp hair, and a braid does make curls that stay for hours, but bun waves do not last much. just don't twist the hair if you do not want bun waves.

Scrunchies are great for damp/wet bunning. I use them alot, since hair sticks and forks rarely stay in place. i have several scrunchies for work, some are of cloth, some are knitted and some of different textures. i have 3 scrunchies that look like hair and are similar to the color of my hair and i use them for home and work.

Also you can do a braided bun, it looks very proffesional and it can be held quite nicely with 1 hairstick or fork.

It depends on what work you do, and if they are relaxed or stiff employers. you can always use hair forks or hair sticks with the wet/damp bun if you cannot use a scrunchie.

I also smooth on a quarter sized glob of shea butter, almond oil and leave in treatment before bunning, it keeps hair even more moisturized (in my opinion, for my hair) and helps make the hair even softer.

HTH.

[cardamom]

Thank you Melisande,Hana and Rhiannon!I'm definitely going to try this out.:)

[Melisande]

And tell us the results - that will help the next member with the same question!

[SpinningCarrie]

I damp bun and braid mostly because I find I get less sticky outies and things of that nature. It's good to know that it is actually helpful! My only problem is that I will put my hair into a bun or braid in the morning, and when I come home from work 8+ hours later, it is still damp.

Carrie

[Joette]

I've been kind of wondering 'how long is too long' myself. I know one day isn't a problem. Heck, I'll still have wet hair at the end of the day even if all I did was a pony! But I damp bunned on Saturday and it was still wet in the middle this morning. I left it Sunday because it still looked good and frankly I could probably have gotten away with it at work today too. (Best bun I ever managed to put in my hair, hope I can repeat it).

So...how long is too long. I'm also concerned about mildew...though since ACV is good for the hair and kills mildew, I probably just shouldn't worry about it and treat with ACV if that should happen?

[misspriss]

I damp bun all the time.

I've never experienced any mold issues!
I get bun waves, but I twist. And my hair has natural curl tendencies.
I never put anything extra on my hair, but sometimes I put some extra conditioner on my ends and don't rinse it out all the way.
I just use a ponytail holder, no scrunchies, but I don't see a problem with using scrunchies.

[naereid]

Huh, I never thought damp bunning could be beneficial. I'll try it next time I wash my hair.

[misspriss]

I just like protecting it while it dries, and it also gives me bun waves instead of my usual waves, which get uneven and funky since I don't wash it often. The bun waves stay the same between washes.

[morecowbell]

When my hair was longer, I damp bunned everytime I washed. I've never had any kind of mold issues, in fact, it always smelled really nice when I took it down.
One thing to be careful of is making the bun too tight, it can damage the hair to pull it when it's wet (as I'm sure you know).
I always had really loose and lovely waves (not too tight or kinky) from bunning, and my hair was VERY strong and shiny.
Like Spinningcarrie, it did take forever for my hair to dry in a bun, most times it was still damp when I braided it for bed! :)

[proo]

what is the LWB?

[Joette]

The Lazy Wrap Bun. Instructions can be found at http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=72

I have to say, though, that I haven't been able to make those instructions make sense. I don't know if that's the same bun as my quickie hairstick bun or not.

[LadyAstolat]

I didn't know it could be beneficial either! I just started putting my hair in braids for sleep. Put them up wet yesterday and really liked the result. :) The Lazy Wrap Bun instructions were confusing for me too, but I'm a visual person so the video link at the bottom of the instructions was a HUGE help for me!

[Gumball]

*examines and sniffs his braid* Nope. No mold here! I washed yesterday and had it in a damp bun which morphed into a damp braid when I went to bed.

Nothing extra needs to be used in it, although sometimes I may feel the urge to use coconut oil. The wash was removing a heavy oiling, so I figured I had enough in there recently enough. :D

When it becomes the sleep braid I do use a scrunchie to no ill effect.

As for waves well I can't truly attest because I'm a curly naturally, so the waves/curls are already there. It may just make their form look a little different since my hair loves to take to shapes.

[Kaijah]

I damp bun/braid all the time because it makes my ends super happy. :p I've never experienced any issues with mold or even an off scent, even if I put it up straight out of the shower. I pretty much always have a leave in or oils in my hair, and that's never caused me problems either.

I already have curly-wavy hair, but bunning or braiding does change the shape quite a bit. Not to any ill effect, it's just a different look than I get from air drying. Big soft scrunchies or waterproof hairsticks are generally my tools of choice.

[cardamom]

I damp bunned yesterday after wash at night with a drop of almond oil as leave in.

Being a person who exercises more during sleep, the bun was probably a bit annoying.(I am used to sleep braids).

I don't exactly remember when I got up and split the bun into two on either sides.:D

The bun on the right which was not secured with the scrunchie (As you know,I had only one scrunchie when I slept) was very loose that I could make a good comparison of the sides.

My left bun is still damp after 8 hours of sleep,but it smells like roses(my conditioner smells divine!) and feels great!And I love the bun waves!

I'm going to do this again today!:cheese:

[princessp]

i braid my hair almost every time i wash it and leave the braids in for as many days as possible (2 is usually the max). no mold, it smells just washed, but i do get a consistent wave in my hair which is actually tamer than my natural craziness!

[Wicked Princess]

I braid my hair after every wash. I leave it wrapped gently in the towel for a little longer than some people might (maybe until 60% damp) before de-tangling it and sticking it a braid. I did make a leave-in conditioner (which is just a little of my regular conditioner diluted in water) that I'll use on the ends and a tiny bit on the length before I put it in the braid. My hair is mostly dry when I take it out a little bit later, usually in 12-16 hours. It's the only thing I can do to make my hair feel as soft as it does afterwards! Also...beautiful braid waves!

I have never had an issue with mold, but I don't like using cloth (like scrunchies) to secure the style because it can pick up the scent of my conditioner and, after awhile, smell bad. I used to remedy this by just sticking them in the washer with the rest of my laundry and they were fine, but I gave up using scrunchies a little while ago and now use either ribbon, or those goodie plastic transparent elastic things.

[christine1989]

I had no idea that damp bunning could lock in moisture. I do it all the time though. For my hair type it helps to control frizz and waves better although i'm not sure what the effect would be on straight hair. I usually squeeze it with a towel to get some of the water out then put it up and let it dry a little. When it is still slightly damp I take it down and put coconut oil in it then let it air dry ther rest of the way. Thats what seems to work well for me :)

[girloctopus]

I damp bun after washing, and I've never had any mold issues.

I love the waves/curls that I get from it. It seems to calm my natural wave down a lot, and can even get it fairly straightish at times (which I love even more). It's also refreshable with misting, lightly oiling and rebunning, which reduces frizz a lot for me.

[Lize]

*bumpeti-bump*

I am thinking damp bunning might be a solution to my frizz problem.

Also it seems more gentle to put the hair in a bun than in a ponytail when it's wet after washing it when I'm not at home and can not let it hang loose to dry. This might be a very good thing for me. It's in a bun after wash right now. Bun waves usually look really nice in my hair and I think they do eliminate a lot of the frizz I get.

[Carolyn]

Damp bunning is all good for me. I would think you would have to leave your hair up in a bun without letting it completely dry for quite a while for it to mold. My wet swim suits and laundry don't start smelling for a day or more so I don't think hair would. I'm not fond of my 1C waves and a damp bun with smooth them out nicely. I wash my hair in the morning and damp bun for the day and have nice smooth waves if I plan to wear my hair down in the evening. I find the Lazy Wrap Bun gives me too smoothest hair too. My ends love to be kept damp. They love moisture. I often lightly oil the length or use a leave in conditioner before bunning. The same for braiding. I'm not a fan of braid waves so I don't plan to wear my hair down after I take the braid out.

[mariika]

I am thinking damp bunning might be a solution to my frizz problem.
that's what I thought. NOPE. when I have some excessive frizz I just put my hair up and it tends to kinda unfrizz

and guys how do you go out with your hair still damp? don't you catch cold? I mean, okay, now it's summer and it's hot outside but conditioners? they are evil even if my hair is fully dry! I can't even go to the supermarket right now cause my hair is still damp from this damp bunning and it's air friggin conditioned in there! I'm gonna just starve in here!

[misspriss]

that's what I thought. NOPE. when I have some excessive frizz I just put my hair up and it tends to kinda unfrizz

and guys how do you go out with your hair still damp? don't you catch cold? I mean, okay, now it's summer and it's hot outside but conditioners? they are evil even if my hair is fully dry! I can't even go to the supermarket right now cause my hair is still damp from this damp bunning and it's air friggin conditioned in there! I'm gonna just starve in here!

Well I personally have never seen the connection between wet/damp hair and catching a cold, mostly because I have run around with wet or damp hair for long periods of time and NEVER gotten sick from it! When you damp bun, the damp hair is in the bun, not around your head, so you should be fine to go to air conditioned places. I think the idea of wet hair making you sick has to do with the wet hair being up against your head and causing it to become cold (like sweat makes you cold). But when you damp bun, the dampness is in the bun after a little bit of time, and not around your head, so you should be fine.

I go out with my hair dripping wet all the time, in a bun or down. I've never caught a cold from it!

[mariika]

misspriss, when hair is wet or damp it's cold and it does touch one's scalp even if bunned cause, well, cause it does, you have hair pulled back but it's still there and it dries much slower than usual, and it cools quickly if the air is cold. I did get colds from going out with wet hair occasionally. and I believe it's not like you have -20C winters in Arkansas. and when air conditioning is set to +22C and it's +38C outside you can well catch cold walking with wet or damp hair

[misspriss]

misspriss, when hair is wet or damp it's cold and it does touch one's scalp even if bunned cause, well, cause it does, you have hair pulled back but it's still there and it dries much slower than usual, and it cools quickly if the air is cold. I did get colds from going out with wet hair occasionally. and I believe it's not like you have -20C winters in Arkansas. and when air conditioning is set to +22C and it's +38C outside you can well catch cold walking with wet or damp hair

Okay, so the damp part of my hair only stays damp right underneath the bun, but the bun shelters that area from the brunt of the cold air. I don't know how it works for you, but if I damp bun, the hair that is NOT in the bun, that is pulled across my scalp, dries in 10-20 minutes. It is no longer wet.

On average, winters get down to -12c at the coldest. But 22 is not cold? I don't feel like my head gets cold in 22 air conditioning, maybe cold in 18, which is what my office sets it do, but I go to work with my hair wet all the time.

Since colds and flu are caused by viruses and bacteria, I don't see how wet or dry hair makes a difference. The only way wet hair will make you more likely to get sick is if you are cold to the point of shivering, your immune system can be slightly impaired. If you get sick from going outside with your hair wet and you are not shivering, it must be caused by something else.

But, just because it cannot be explained doesn't mean it doesn't happen! So if it doesn't work for you, it doesn't work. If you can't go out with damp hair, then you can't damp bun unless you can stay home.

[tinti]

1.Does it make hair moldy? No, I've not noticed moldiness in my hair after damp bunning :)
2.Does it create weird whorls and curls? Weird I don't know, but yeah, in my hair it does, it curls and waves very easily and when it does, it stays. but not every hair is like mine, thank goodness :)
3.How long should I keep it in the bun? As long as you want, I guess. I usually put some leave in and thickening foam in my hair right after I've come out of the shower, and then I wet braid/bun it and go to bed, and taking it out the next morning. If I shower earlier in the day I just take it out after a few hours.
4.Do I bun after a wash or have some leave - in's like oil,conditioner or something? Anything you want. I usually put some leave in and thickening foam in because 1. I like protecting my hair with the leave in, and 2: I like how my hair feels with the foam :) I have'nt gotten that far with oils so I'm not the right one to answer that question.
5.Are scrunchies safe for damp bunning? Of course! But I try to choose one that is somooth, because my hair tends to attatch itself to the others, and then we get ripping and tearing and split ends and whatnot :p

[eiwonob]

I'm discovering the wonders of damp bunning/braiding :)
I have one question: how to avoid the straight tassel when braiding?
I love my hair full of braid waves, but I don't like the straight ends caused by the tassel.

[mariika]

Since colds and flu are caused by viruses and bacteria, I don't see how wet or dry hair makes a difference.
well, actually when body cools down it's more prone to bacteria and viruses so there is an actual connection, it must be your personal resistance to cooler temperatures - better self regulation than mine:) I once knew a guy who wanted to prove wet hair has nothing to do with catching cold. let me just say he should've been less uptight about proving his point
lucky you, my hair around the bun DOES NOT dry in 20 minutes, it stays quite wet everywhere. my hair takes a long time to dry

btw how damaging it is to put your hair up in a bun when it's wet or damp? what do you guys do to avoid the damage?

I actually formed by today's bun while rinsing it, just wrapped a towel around it when it was dipping wet. not sure it really helped as I (for some reason) felt the need to undo the bun and wrap it again a couple times...

[missfortune9335]

Does anyone have problems with damage from putting their hair up while wet? I'd love to braid and bun my hair while it's still damp, it's much easier to work with then. I always avoid it though because I thought that was when hair is most fragile....

[Giggy2]

I usually let my hair dry about 60% then I'll french braid or bun it. Later in the evening when I take it down it smells fantastic and is soft and shiny. My ends love the prolonged moisture.

I once saw a girl on TV that never fussed with her hair. When she got out of the shower she bunned it sopping wet and left it in for days. She ended up getting mold/mildew growth. She also had very curly/kinky hair and didn't even realize it was moldy until a friend pointed it out. I think it was a "how do I look episode" or something.

[Lianna]

Damp ponytails leave my hair soft, can't do a proper bun yet, but I think it would too. However damp braids leave my hair hard and frizzy.

[julliams]

I find I get pretty much the same results if I partly airdry or even mostly airdry before I put my bun up. If I go from wet, then 12 hours later it's still wet and really, that's not comfortable to sleep in. I don't think your hair can go mouldy thank goodness.

Perhaps just try each scenario (from wet, from partly dry, from almost or totally dry) and see what your results are and which you like the best.