Low-maintenance everyday updos?

[angelmuffin]

What I'm looking for is some simple, low-maintenance (won't fall down), quick, age-appropriate updos for someone with long hair.

I am 24 but am pretty much uninterested in what the girls are doing with their hair these days. I thought I liked the look of the topknot messy buns that I've seen around, but after watching some YouTube videos it's become quite obvious that these girls do not have long hair at all, plus it hurts me to watch them spray and tease their hair!

I am due to have my first baby in December and have pretty much been living in braids (simple 3-strand or french) because I just don't know what to do with my pretty-much-waist-length hair. It's got a decent wave to it and looks good if I tame it a little, but freshly air-dried it's just a frizzy mess. If smoothed out it tolerates a BBB very nicely, but frizz is something I've had to deal with my whole life, long or short. I guess I just don't have "polished" hair.

If anyone could suggest some half-decent updos, I'd be forever grateful. At this point I'm considering cutting my hair just to have a manageable-length ponytail. :(

[LadyKate]

My lazy style is a french or dutch braid pinned up into a bun (can't stand having it down at work). Sometimes I'll do double french or dutch and pin them up, either in a bun or around my head in a faux-crown. Sometimes I'll switch it up by having the french braid start up and to one side and end low on the other side with it pinned into a bun. Those are my easy styles. For some more creative ideas, check out Torrin Paige, Loepsie, and LaDollyVita33 on youtube. They have great ideas, some quick, some a little more involved. Good luck with your hair, and congrats on the baby!

[Cassie 123]

My youngest son is still a baby, and I pretty much live in a cinnabun (the most basic twist-around-in-a-spiral bun) held with two Goody Spin Pins. Simple. A Ficcare clip might also be a good investment, for dressing up a simple bun while holding it firmly. I don't use hairsticks because it's too easy to turn my head and accidentally poke or scratch baby's face. :(

[kidari]

Watch Loepsie's sock bun tutorial on youtube... it gives the look of a neater topknot if you place it high on top of your head but you can place it in the middle of your head or down low. It's not the easiest fastest updo, but pretty quick and no teasing or hairspray necessary. The good thing is all you need is a hairtie and a cut and rolled up sock. It keeps your hair neat and secure all day long.

[MissManda]

I also recommend the sock bun. It's easy once you get the hang of it and it is very comfortable.

My go-to bun of choice for waist length hair is the lazy wrap bun (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvKbxNBHjOI). It's easy to learn and can be done in less than a minute, plus stays all day. :)

[gthlvrmx]

There's a difference between the girls on youtube and their top knots
and LHC topknots!!

:D

no elastics! no teasing, not sure if its a topknot, but its a safe style that protects the hair with just some spin pins :)

Well, what i do to not touch my hair a lot is i either braid my hair at the top of my head (or more at that in between part the back and the top) and then bun it, or i just bun it normally at the top the same way and spin pin it. Those spin pins will surely hold that hair safely without damaging the hair much like an elastic would, and don't worry, you'll look fine. Braided buns look so fancy too, especially nice and high on the head :D

Best part, it doesnt get in the way when you sleep and you can keep it on as long as you want (you know, assuming your hair doesn't fall out too much like with layers, but you can fix that with a little misting and conditioner to make hairs stick, or some pins)

Madora on here helped me on this, it really works, she wrote down some steps on how to do this, dont know where it went though.

Basically you bend at the waist, detangle, braid or jsut bun it, and then secure with spin pins and voila. You're good for a while. I think the awkward part of hairsticks is that you cant sleep in them and you have to change your hairstyle every night and morning, which get's tiring for those lazy folk. (me)

[caiti42]

I'm also 24 and I'm big on cinnabuns half with a beak clip, on top of the head top knot buns held with a fork or bobby pins. I don't use hairspray or tease to get the look either. I also like diagonal braids (start on right side and wrap it around so it ends on the left shoulder) and big sock buns. I dont have enough hair for a fully rolled one though.

[Libbylou]

You might want to try watching torrinpaige on youtube. She does very intricate and some very simple hair styles for long hair. She is also a member here. Also spidermom has a great bun on there also.

[Panth]

If you like the topknot style, you might like Pinkbunny's gaijin odango bun (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-y9fkJiQ3U). A big poofy topknot style but hairfriendly and totally doable with extralong hair too.

As for everyday styles - myself, I like a nautilus/plaited nautilus with a fork or a flexi-8; a plaited cinnabun with spinpins or my faux-Amish pins; a coronet braid with bobby pins; or an orchid bun with spinpins.

As others have said, Torrinpaige has a great youtube account full of awesome styles - it's just I'm too lazy to learn how to do them... *ahem*

[Eirene]

Hi,
Thanks a lot for this thread !
I was looking for some quick, simple updos for my BSL hair and I just fell in love with the lazy wrap bun :) So easy and so nice ! :crush:
I'll be on the watch for more great ideas !

[dulce]

I love a lazy wrap bun with a ficcare,a topsy tail ponytail or a topsytail braid, a braid down back held with a flexi,a half up in a bun held with a flexi,a figure 8 bun,a french twist.

[Madora]

Braided bun on top of your head:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=6554&pictureid=104112

Bend at waist, bring all hair in front of you.
Detangle gently with wide tooth comb.
Separate hair into 3 sections to braid
Braid loosely until you're 3/4ths of the way down
Stand erect, coil the braid in a circle on top of your head,
pinning with 3 inch crimped hairpins (I use 9 total)
Tuck the remaining unbraided portion under the braids.

Congrats on your new baby!

[TrudieCat]

Spin pins!! I have to use 4-5 though, 2 won't cut it. But they Do. Not. Fall. Out. I love em!

[wooliswonderful]

I have waist length hair and a low infinity bun is what I've worn every day for probably 2 weeks.
It goes up in less than 15 seconds and only needs one hairstick. It holds all day. :)

[angelmuffin]

Wow! Thank you for all the fantastic ideas! I suppose I'll need to go out and get myself some pretty accessories because all I have are smallish claw clips (from shorter days, still okay for pulling sides back when I want to wear hair down) and elastics. You guys always come through! :)

(and thanks for the congratulations... we are getting pretty excited now!)

[nobeltonya]

If you have hair sticks [smooth pens work too], you can do a french slide [motograph666 on youtube], or various buns from hypnotica: I like the artemis, but I do it like the hypno swirl [I call it the hypno-artemis?]... lazy wrap buns [there are several variations].