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Amber_Maiden
January 17th, 2012, 03:48 PM
I can't seem to get them! I've been practicing for weeks, and tonight I've practiced for 2 hours (so far) trying to get one to stay in with a hair stick! I've been following videos on YouTube, and all I want is to do a basic bun, simple bun, and easy bun... But I can't even get the bun to stay in my hair, even following these videos:

This one came out within seconds, even with repeated attempts:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6Uo6zuRnb8

This one I managed to break hairs doing, and I kept trying to do it because it seemed easy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roL-8kqQXOw

This I don't think I have enough hair for, because I can't wrap it around enough:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5gTy1gCyqE

This one I really tried to keep doing, but my ends keep coming out and unwinding the whole thing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ja2lSa-4V0

HELP?! I really want to get how to do a simple easy bun... I love hair sticks and want to use them!:(

spidermom
January 17th, 2012, 03:53 PM
One thing you have to be aware of is that the ends of your hair need to be firmly held in place between the bun and the scalp hair. So you are sliding your stick or fork through the bun, underneath the ends down to the scalp, the back up through the bun. This was one of my difficulties in the beginning; I wasn't paying attention to where my ends were. Hmmmmm; now let me take a look at the buns you were attempting.

Amber_Maiden
January 17th, 2012, 04:01 PM
One thing you have to be aware of is that the ends of your hair need to be firmly held in place between the bun and the scalp hair. So you are sliding your stick or fork through the bun, underneath the ends down to the scalp, the back up through the bun. This was one of my difficulties in the beginning; I wasn't paying attention to where my ends were. Hmmmmm; now let me take a look at the buns you were attempting.

I figure that's where the ends should be, in the videos the just loop the ends around... Not sure how they stay in place!

spidermom
January 17th, 2012, 04:07 PM
The ends should be as close to your scalp as possible and as compact around the base of your bun as possible.

PrairieRose
January 17th, 2012, 04:07 PM
I think your hair is long enough, I'm sure with more practice you will get the hang of it. I am also trying to get the hang of hair sticks. Would spin pins work better for you? (Just a thought) Keep at it, your hair will look stunning in a bun!

Amber_Maiden
January 17th, 2012, 04:12 PM
I think your hair is long enough, I'm sure with more practice you will get the hang of it. I am also trying to get the hang of hair sticks. Would spin pins work better for you? (Just a thought) Keep at it, your hair will look stunning in a bun!

Hate spins pins, sadly. I find they pull out my hair...
My husband just came home and watched me attempt all the above videos. He says that in most cases my hair is too thick, not like the women in the videos hair... :( That's why my hair is coming out.

Amber_Maiden
January 17th, 2012, 04:13 PM
I managed to do this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roL-8kqQXOw
But my ends look weird... I can't tuck them under...

spidermom
January 17th, 2012, 04:16 PM
Yeh, that's my quick go-to when I want to get my hair off my back without thinking about it too much. If you want the ends to tuck, you can wind them around one more time after the bun is stabilized and hold them with a bobby pin.

spidermom
January 17th, 2012, 04:17 PM
Also, when I do the nautilus, I wind my hair around and around like I'm going to make a cinnamon bun, but then I take 2 fingers at the inner loop and pull it out and around the outer loops. That makes a much better-holding result than the way the above video shows. This variation is called the Gibralter bun, I believe (because it holds like the rock of ...). Then I put the stick or fork in as described above for pinning the ends between the bun and the scalp.

PrairieRose
January 17th, 2012, 04:18 PM
Maybe a tutorial with someone with really thick or extra long hair would work better.

skyblue
January 17th, 2012, 04:19 PM
I noticed that just washed hair almost never stays up, I have better luck with 2 or 3 days after a wash, and the first twist at the base of your bun should be kind of tight so that there is a solid place for the stick to come out of, also aiming the stick in the opposite direction and catching some scalp hair flipping it down and back in the direction you want it to sit, it does take practice, you'll get it, just step back and relax, breath, stay calm, it will come ;)

PrairieRose
January 17th, 2012, 04:24 PM
Torrinpiage has really long and thick hair, maybe her tutorials will help.

jeanniet
January 17th, 2012, 04:28 PM
You might try a pencil bun. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0k3dD4qX34 I think your hair is about my length and thickness, and this bun holds like a rock for me. It takes some practice (and it helps if you practice the wrist movement before trying the bun)--when I'm done with the twisting motion, I bring the tail of my hair up and hold it with the fingers protruding from the wrapped part, then sort of pull the wrapped part over the tail and insert the stick. I hope that makes sense!

ETA: I always leave the sound off when I'm watching bun videos, so I have no idea what she's saying. You might mute it and just watch her to see if you can get it that way.

If you're right-handed it's easier to use your right hand rather than your left. Practice the wrist movement first, then try it. I also don't do the wrapping that she does at the beginning--I just loop the hair over my hand and twist, and then deal with any tail that's left as I described above.

moxamoll
January 17th, 2012, 04:31 PM
Wow! You have WAY more hair than the girls in most of those videos. Try looking up videos by torrinpaige or Hypnotica (I think she's 4ypn0tica on YouTube.) You have a similar problem to me, which is that you need more length to make up for the volume. But if I can do it, you can!

I agree with Spidermom - you really need to make sure that the ends are tucked in tight and that they are caught between the hair stick and the "body" of the bun. Also, make sure you are doing what I think of as "the hair stick movement." Put the tip through the bun pointing opposite to the direction you want it to stay. Push it through until it touches your scalp, then reverse it pulling the tip along your scalp. Then it either goes under the body of the bun or threaded up and down between the body and the scalp hair until you get to the far end of the bun where the tip comes back up to catch a bit on the far and hold it down.

Does that make any sense? :rolleyes:

I just tried to do that "spinny" one and I think I'd need an 8" stick - there's just too much hair! And you're right, I couldn't go nearly as fast as she did without ripping out a bunch. My first successes were with the cinnabun, nautilus and braided buns. I'd try braided buns - it gives you a chance to play with the stick in a much friendlier way and to practice the motions of wrapping. Maybe try a Chinese Braided Bun?

Amber_Maiden
January 17th, 2012, 04:37 PM
Thank you everyone for your help! I'll take all the suggestions and look up all the videos!

HintOfMint
January 17th, 2012, 04:42 PM
Hate spins pins, sadly. I find they pull out my hair...
My husband just came home and watched me attempt all the above videos. He says that in most cases my hair is too thick, not like the women in the videos hair... :( That's why my hair is coming out.

Hey, silver lining! I agree with the others, find a tutorial with a woman with thick hair like yours.

Catia
January 17th, 2012, 04:47 PM
Hi Amber :)

I posted to your blog before realizing you had a thread here. Sorry.

I have only ever conquered one bun and that is the Lazy Wrap Bun:
http://youtu.be/TTt771qkO24

I can't seem to get the hang of anything that requires twisting, and any form of bobby pin, hair scroo, etc. will lead me to a very unpleasant mood lol.

Hope that helps! :grnbiggri

Amber_Maiden
January 17th, 2012, 04:49 PM
Hi Amber :)

I posted to your blog before realizing you had a thread here. Sorry.

I have only ever conquered one bun and that is the Lazy Wrap Bun:
http://youtu.be/TTt771qkO24

I can't seem to get the hang of anything that requires twisting, and any form of bobby pin, hair scroo, etc. will lead me to a very unpleasant mood lol.

Hope that helps! :grnbiggri

Thank you Catia! I'll check it out!:)

Amber_Maiden
January 17th, 2012, 04:52 PM
Thank you Catia! I'll check it out!:)

IT WORKED!!!!:D

but for some reason not stable... ?

Catia
January 17th, 2012, 04:56 PM
IT WORKED!!!!:D

but for some reason not stable... ?

I'm so glad!

Try sliding the stick out part way and re-weaving it back in tighter to your scalp.

My mom has worn buns all her life learning the Lazy Wrap last year was like a Revelation lol. She had the same problem. With practice it is actually possible to get this sucker so tight you end up looking like a Siamese cat lol (not the goal ... just saying') :p

Carissamarie08
January 17th, 2012, 05:02 PM
my thick hair wont allow me to do any kind of updo correctly. It doesnt want to secure good enough no matter how many pins I use. I guess I just need to grow it longer and that will help.

pepperminttea
January 17th, 2012, 05:06 PM
How long's your hair in inches (measuring from the front hairline)? I'm trying to get an idea of what you're working with. Thicker hair needs more length to do the same styles, so if you've got quite a high waist, you might well need a bit more length is all. :) Also, how blunt are your ends? Blunt ends are much, much harder to tuck under buns compared to a U, V, or fairytale hemline. The darn things just pop out! :p

Amber_Maiden
January 17th, 2012, 05:19 PM
How long's your hair in inches (measuring from the front hairline)? I'm trying to get an idea of what you're working with. Thicker hair needs more length to do the same styles, so if you've got quite a high waist, you might well need a bit more length is all. :) Also, how blunt are your ends? Blunt ends are much, much harder to tuck under buns compared to a U, V, or fairytale hemline. The darn things just pop out! :p

I haven't measured my hair since the beginning of December, so I'm guessing I'm around 32.5in. I have a U shaped hemline that are getting pretty blunt, because it seems to be trying to change the U shape it has to a straight hemline.

shikara
January 17th, 2012, 06:29 PM
Hi Amber! I hope you figure these out. I always had problems with sticks, claws, hairpins, you name it. If you like the one below, or any of the many in my album they are all done with the same methid of taking a section, looping it around a couple fingers and pinning with a bobby pin. They are fairly quick, comfortable, stay in, and look a little different each day. If you ever try them, but have questions, please pm me, and good luck - Im rooting for you!

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb328/lmarie29/th_2a283f57.jpg (http://s1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb328/lmarie29/?action=view&current=2a283f57.jpg)

Long_hair_bear
January 17th, 2012, 06:32 PM
I managed to do this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roL-8kqQXOw
But my ends look weird... I can't tuck them under...

I'm with spider mom. I, too, have to bobby pin my ends in a bun. Just how my hair works.

Amber_Maiden
January 17th, 2012, 06:44 PM
Hi Amber! I hope you figure these out. I always had problems with sticks, claws, hairpins, you name it. If you like the one below, or any of the many in my album they are all done with the same methid of taking a section, looping it around a couple fingers and pinning with a bobby pin. They are fairly quick, comfortable, stay in, and look a little different each day. If you ever try them, but have questions, please pm me, and good luck - Im rooting for you!

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb328/lmarie29/th_2a283f57.jpg (http://s1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb328/lmarie29/?action=view&current=2a283f57.jpg)

Thank you shikara! I'd appreciate that!:)

Kelikea
January 17th, 2012, 06:45 PM
The thicker your hair is, the longer it needs to be to twist around onto the correct shape. Your hair is very thick and your ends are, as well. That is the reason you are having difficulty getting the buns to stay with your ends tucked. Have you tried an infinity or figure8 bun? I have a pic in my album and it might work for you. Also, for a simple cinnabun, or other buns in general, I have better luck using bunheads hair pins to secure rather than a stick. Sometimes I also need pins with the stick to help hold defiant ends in and give more support to the style to stay in all day.

Maktub
January 17th, 2012, 06:56 PM
Have you tried securing it with a second stick (not in the same position as the 1st) ?

Vanilla
January 17th, 2012, 07:11 PM
I have a hard time keeping a cinnabun or any of the other buns shown in the video with 1 hair stick, unless I'm also using a spin pin at the same time.

I find that the lazy wrap bun with a fork, and not a stick, seems to have better holding power. Have you tried any forks for your hair yet?

Amber_Maiden
January 17th, 2012, 07:25 PM
I have a two pronged hair fork (but if it has only two prongs, is it really a fork?), and a bunch very pretty hair sticks. I haven't tried the fork yet, or even two hair sticks, since the majority of my sticks are not pairs.

Kristin
January 17th, 2012, 08:03 PM
I couldn't do most buns until a bit past waist. (Still can't do that many, but it's probably a skill issue now, lol.) It helps to use multiple sticks when your hair is shorter or layered. I know you said that spin pins pull your hair, but how much have you played with them? There's a bit of a learning curve, but I've found them to be an invaluable tool. I have straight hair, though, so YMMV. :/

Vanilla
January 17th, 2012, 08:27 PM
I have a two pronged hair fork (but if it has only two prongs, is it really a fork?), and a bunch very pretty hair sticks. I haven't tried the fork yet, or even two hair sticks, since the majority of my sticks are not pairs.

Both of my forks are two prong and they work really well for the lazy wrap bun. I have one in my hair in my profile picture. I think you'd be surprised how well they hold the hair as long as the fork is long enough. Even my shorter one holds all my hair really well.

Please post pictures of your buns when you get the hang of it. :). I can't wait to see.

Lilhypsy
January 17th, 2012, 08:28 PM
I can't do buns unless my hair is damp or wet. I think it just stays together and is easier for me to manage and manipulate different ways in that state. =) Much luck!

juliaxena
January 17th, 2012, 11:00 PM
I think it would help if someone did it on you in person while you touch what they do with their hands. I taught my coworker this way, before she just couldn't figure out what it is that needs to be done. I think pretty much every hair type is holdable in a bun with a stick.

UltraBella
January 18th, 2012, 12:17 AM
I think it would help if someone did it on you in person while you touch what they do with their hands. I taught my coworker this way, before she just couldn't figure out what it is that needs to be done. I think pretty much every hair type is holdable in a bun with a stick.

Please please come teach me !!!!! I can't get a stick to hold my bun to save my life, not even when I was tailbone length. I am a hairstick failure.......

Kamir0
January 18th, 2012, 04:32 AM
Have you tried braided buns?

WaitingSoLong
January 18th, 2012, 06:01 AM
I agree with the Lazy Wrap bun. It just seems to hold better. Your hair is very t hick like my dd's and Icould never get a stick to stay in her hair. EVER.

Damp hair bunning REALLY does help.

I know you said you don't like spin pins but one or two small ones just for the ends may help. I can't get my ends to stay in my bun ever since I had a nice 3"+ trim back in October. It has been very frustrating.

Otherwise, honestly, I suggest a Ficcare. I really disliked Ficcares (looks) and they are so expensive but I finally got one last month and I just don't know how I would live without it now. It holds buns my sticks would NEVER hold, like cinnabuns and Gibralters. I really had to warm up to them, though, I just didn't like the look of it, mostly because I am horribly symmetrically inclined and Ficcares are NOT symmetrical!

Amber_Maiden
January 18th, 2012, 07:08 AM
I agree with the Lazy Wrap bun. It just seems to hold better. Your hair is very t hick like my dd's and Icould never get a stick to stay in her hair. EVER.

Damp hair bunning REALLY does help.

I know you said you don't like spin pins but one or two small ones just for the ends may help. I can't get my ends to stay in my bun ever since I had a nice 3"+ trim back in October. It has been very frustrating.

Otherwise, honestly, I suggest a Ficcare. I really disliked Ficcares (looks) and they are so expensive but I finally got one last month and I just don't know how I would live without it now. It holds buns my sticks would NEVER hold, like cinnabuns and Gibralters. I really had to warm up to them, though, I just didn't like the look of it, mostly because I am horribly symmetrically inclined and Ficcares are NOT symmetrical!

So far I only have the 2nd video clip down- and it stays in even when I shake my head. My ends poke out pretty funny though...
I'll keep trying with the lazy bun and try my hair fork... It seems to keep falling apart, though. I'll keep practicing!

I really dislike the look of Ficcare's and they are way out of my budget- mostly because I hate spending large amount of money on things I don't find pretty. :rolleyes:

Ms Strangelove
January 18th, 2012, 07:13 AM
Hey,
this is the first bun I tried that worked :D
and I needed nothing except a brush and a sock.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I13J7ArHTkM

I can only manage this when my hair is dry, doesn't work with wet hair for me.

Have a good time practicing!

Catia
January 18th, 2012, 07:57 AM
So far I only have the 2nd video clip down- and it stays in even when I shake my head. My ends poke out pretty funny though...
I'll keep trying with the lazy bun and try my hair fork... It seems to keep falling apart, though. I'll keep practicing!

I really dislike the look of Ficcare's and they are way out of my budget- mostly because I hate spending large amount of money on things I don't find pretty. :rolleyes:

I have my hair heavily layered now too and my ends poke out everywhere. I think it looks cute that way :toofers:

I have also switched from a stick to a two-prong fork and it is more stable, although I have to work the bun loose a bit to get it in. Meh. Some days I have to redo my bun a half dozen times and it still pulls (my scalp has gotten more sensitive over time) and then other days I get it perfect first try and it holds all day. :shrug:

And I wanna give a Holla for the symmetrically inclined!:disco:

Last time DH got a tattoo I commented that I was relieved it was placed in a symmetrical fashion and the tattoo artist snidely added that "symmetry is overrated". Bah. Even Van Gogh believed in balance, if not perfect symmetry. So ... there :p

Ok. Sorry. Back to Buns now ...

WaitingSoLong
January 18th, 2012, 08:05 AM
And I wanna give a Holla for the symmetrically inclined!

Woot!
I can't wear any do's where the stick is at an angle. Balance doesn't mean symmetry but sometimes that is all I have.

Amber_Maiden
January 18th, 2012, 08:24 AM
Hey,
this is the first bun I tried that worked :D
and I needed nothing except a brush and a sock.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I13J7ArHTkM

I can only manage this when my hair is dry, doesn't work with wet hair for me.

Have a good time practicing!

Oh, I know how to do those, but usually they don't work out that well- I have a lot of hair, and they don't seem to stay in without bobby pins.



I have my hair heavily layered now too and my ends poke out everywhere. I think it looks cute that way :toofers:

I have also switched from a stick to a two-prong fork and it is more stable, although I have to work the bun loose a bit to get it in. Meh. Some days I have to redo my bun a half dozen times and it still pulls (my scalp has gotten more sensitive over time) and then other days I get it perfect first try and it holds all day. :shrug:

And I wanna give a Holla for the symmetrically inclined!:disco:

Last time DH got a tattoo I commented that I was relieved it was placed in a symmetrical fashion and the tattoo artist snidely added that "symmetry is overrated". Bah. Even Van Gogh believed in balance, if not perfect symmetry. So ... there :p

Ok. Sorry. Back to Buns now ...

:) Thank you for making me feel better.

moxamoll
January 18th, 2012, 09:45 AM
Seriously, c'mon over - you can get more jelly and we'll nail the buns!

Amber_Maiden
January 18th, 2012, 12:01 PM
Seriously, c'mon over - you can get more jelly and we'll nail the buns!

haha.... If I had the money... :p

Trish in SC
January 18th, 2012, 12:26 PM
Wow! You have WAY more hair than the girls in most of those videos. Try looking up videos by torrinpaige or Hypnotica (I think she's 4ypn0tica on YouTube.) You have a similar problem to me, which is that you need more length to make up for the volume. But if I can do it, you can!

I agree with Spidermom - you really need to make sure that the ends are tucked in tight and that they are caught between the hair stick and the "body" of the bun. Also, make sure you are doing what I think of as "the hair stick movement." Put the tip through the bun pointing opposite to the direction you want it to stay. Push it through until it touches your scalp, then reverse it pulling the tip along your scalp. Then it either goes under the body of the bun or threaded up and down between the body and the scalp hair until you get to the far end of the bun where the tip comes back up to catch a bit on the far and hold it down.

Does that make any sense? :rolleyes:

I just tried to do that "spinny" one and I think I'd need an 8" stick - there's just too much hair! And you're right, I couldn't go nearly as fast as she did without ripping out a bunch. My first successes were with the cinnabun, nautilus and braided buns. I'd try braided buns - it gives you a chance to play with the stick in a much friendlier way and to practice the motions of wrapping. Maybe try a Chinese Braided Bun?
Thanks to you & Spidermom, I did my first bun with a stick last night after reading this thread! Yipppeee! I didn't know the detail about tucking the ends under the bun, and making sure that the stick anchors them. So, I tried a half-up bun with a knitting needle, and it held like a rock!!! I was so pleased, because previously my hair would just unwind when I tried this before. Now I feel enlightened....I know the secret! hee, hee

So....thanks again, and I hope that this helps others who are bun-challenged as I am! Now, it's on to the Lazy Bun, which hopefully I can acheive as well.

Have a great day! :-}

patienceneeded
January 18th, 2012, 12:31 PM
I have a similar problem with buns, it's entirely based on the thickness of my hair. Most of the really cute and stylish buns I want to wear just don't work at my current length. My hair is just BSL, and I think I'm going to need to be at least waist length for most buns. I can do a Lazy Wrap with my 3-prong fork, but it falls out as the ends don't wrap all the way (too thick/blunt) and I have to re-do it several times a day. I usually just do a modified infinity/figure8 bun and my hairsticks and forks hold it really well.