It's hard to go back to a braid after bunning.......

[shikara]

So I put my hair in a braid the other day and it bothered me to no end - imagining it rubbing against my shirt all day - especially where it might first rest on a collar!! Wonder if this is how some of my short nape hairs got to be!!! (Smilies still not working - arrggghhhh!!) I believe my hair is much happier all cuddled up in an updo. Anybody else feel this way??

[IcarusBride]

I feel that way too! I love the look of braids, but when I wear them I always feel a bit uncomfortable worrying about it almost as much as if it were down/loose! So, french/dutch/lace braids into updos have been the extent of my braiding these days.

[pinkbunny]

Sometimes I worry - like you said when the braid rubs against something. I went through a phase where I only wore buns for a couple months to protect my ends, but after a while I worried I would get breakage from pulling it back the same way all the time and especially sleeping on it. Maybe it's good to change things up now and then...

[misstwist]

Braids just get in the way.

[jojo]

me too, I much prefer my hair in a bun and out of the way, though I do like a braided bun. I always worry that the hair in the braid length will get damaged and then the tassel drives me mad by keep smacking me in the face when I turn my head!

[elbow chic]

yeah, I obsess about it too. Dang you LHC, dang you to heck.

[Madora]

I've worn all kinds of braids for decades and never had any trouble.

The type of bun I favor (non braided) takes more time to create but is a nice change once in a while.

The thing to remember when bunning is to not bun in the same place time after time. If you do, those hairs near the top will weaken and break..and before you know it, the hair will start to thin. Think of a farmer taking the same path thru his field day after day. In a month's time, the path where he walked begins to show signs of wear..and in time, the earth will be bare. You don't want that to happen to your hair!

[spidermom]

I hate it when braids swing around, so I wear them when I'm going to be relatively still. I love a braided bun; the best of both worlds!

I have received more real-life compliments when I'm wearing a single braid down the back than for any other style.

[Rennire]

I feel that way too! Especially when it comes to sleeping! I used to always braid my hair at night but now I can't stand them wrapping around my neck and getting caught under my body. I have no idea how that could have not bothered me before! Now I always bun for bed!

[caiti42]

I like to braid front sections of my hair back INTO a bun. Sometimes I'll do three small on each side or 1 big on one side and stuff like that.

I think it looks really cute and fun but it's still protective!

[Spring]

Yeah, I like for my braid to be bunned up and not hanging down my back. I do not like the thought of my braid rubbing against my clothes.

[Bene]

My hair is like a fussy baby. I take it out of its swaddling to play with or give it a good washing, then bundle it back up when it starts getting cranky.

In the spirit of that metaphor, braiding is like when your baby starts crawling. It's not completely out of control, but it is a little bit more work. And loose hair, man that's like when they figure out how to run, and you have to safety proof EVERYTHING, even things you couldn't imagine as dangerous.

[Quahatundightu]

It also depends on what you are wearing I think! Braid + wool = bad idea!!!

[RocketDog]

I absolutely adore the look of a long, neat braid hanging down the back... but my hair does not stay neat in a braid after flopping around on my back all day, so I very, very rarely wear it down like that. I do braided buns a lot since I think it is more interesting than a twisted bun, and I can get the bun flatter on my head (if that makes sense) with it bunned after braiding.

Still, though, when I have classic-length hair I *will* wear it down in a simple braid once in a while, simply because I think it looks so pretty :)

[darklion]

I do like to wear a braid every now and then.
Yet, a bun is so neat.
It's out of the way.
It's tidy.

A bun is my fav, however a random braid helps me appreciate my bun more

[EmiliaF]

I definitely have the same problem. For years I used to wear my hair in a messy bun secured with an elastic or just down. Since I've discovered hair sticks in December and then also found LHC, I can not wear my hair this way without getting worried about the damage this might be doing.
When I braid it, I make a french braid and then tuck it, so it's not brushing against anything. I also like how soft my hair feels after damp bunning or tucked-french-braiding and read somewhere here, that this is because the hair absorbs moisture from that. So now I feel guilty about air-drying it completely and wearing it down... even if it's just a braid that's not tucked.
It's crazy shudder:

So, right now I am on a quest to find the best leave-in conditioner to prevent damage and ease my guilt. I am trying Aloe vera gel and ordered a kilo of shea butter. I hope that'll help :D

[Gladtobemom]

Most of the time, I end up twigging the braid up into a bun with whatever is at hand. I've used a crochet hook, a pen, a spoon (work surprisingly well), and even a skinny screwdriver.

If I do a Dianyla braid from higher up on my head, it behaves better, but It still sags. The only way I keep the braid is to double it up and button it together with cufflinks so that it is stiffer and less swingy.

[MeganE]

My hair is like a fussy baby. I take it out of its swaddling to play with or give it a good washing, then bundle it back up when it starts getting cranky.

In the spirit of that metaphor, braiding is like when your baby starts crawling. It's not completely out of control, but it is a little bit more work. And loose hair, man that's like when they figure out how to run, and you have to safety proof EVERYTHING, even things you couldn't imagine as dangerous.

BEST. HAIR COMPARISON. EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:cheese: :cheese: :cheese: :cheese: :cheese: :cheese: :cheese: :cheese: :cheese:

[Pixna]

Pre Hair Massacre (2007), I wore my hair in a braid every day. After the Hair Massacre, once my hair got long enough, I started bunning it. Now when I put my hair in a braid, I'm not comfortable and my hair doesn't look good. I don't think I'd ever go back to braiding again (unless it was for a braided bun). I'm into daily bunning now, and that's what I and my hair enjoy most.