Doing away with under-updo poof?

[almostfey]

Hello all,

A few months ago I saw somewhere a tip for preventing the hair beneath a ponytail or bun from poofing out away from the scalp. But I can't find it again for the life of me!

If anyone has any advice for this problem I would love to have it. The poof is ruining what would otherwise be some lovely updos!

TIA! :)

[Riot Crrl]

Sounds to me like it may just not be tight enough of a mean lady bun. :)

Is it like this from the get go? If so, more thought is needed in the original gathering of the hair for the bun. A lot of people look in the mirror when they put their hair up, so they may not be putting any thought into the gathering of the back.

Or, is it OK to start out with and then it gets that bulge as the day goes on? If that's the case, I think that the bun is slipping down. More tight (not TOO tight of course), more mean lady, and investigate accessories that hold better.

[ReadingRenee]

I have this trouble too and what has been helping me is to take my boar bristle brush and smooth my hair at the nape under the ponytail or the bun or whatever it is Im about to make.

[NurseMama]

If you lay on the bed with your head hanging off and make the pony that way, it will keep any hairs from being out of place.

[almostfey]

Thanks for the replies!

Hmmm, with buns it usually sags as the day goes on but seems to be worse than it used to be - maybe because my hair is getting longer/heavier? I just use a wooden hair fork (60th st) to secure it.

With ponytails, if they're at all high up on my head they poof underneath from the get go. If I put the ponytail on tighter, it pulls too hard on the hair from the top of my head. Maybe my head is just too sensitive, I dunno.

[eadwine]

With a ponytail it is normal to get that poof, and the heavier your hair is, the more likely you will get it. The tail's weight will pull itself down, letting top part hair escape a little resulting in the band to hang a little lower, which "compresses" the bottom hair, creating that poof. I doubt there is much you can do about it unless you put the tie super tight. I doubt that is good for the hair.

With a bun I never have the problem, but then I place the bun very low at the base, so there is no hair there that CAN poof.

[WavyGirl]

I saw a video online and the person recommended tipping your head backwards so that you're looking at the ceiling as you do the ponytail. Seems to work okay when I remember.

I actually like the poofy bit underneath buns though.

[anna1850]

You could switch to peacock/waterfall twists with a clip to make a high ponytail. They won't poof obviously but they do eat up a lot of the length and it's a different look really.

I can't think of any other way to get rid of the poof which I always get if my hair's in a ponytail (which is rare nowadays).

[Gumball]

With a ponytail it is normal to get that poof, and the heavier your hair is, the more likely you will get it. The tail's weight will pull itself down, letting top part hair escape a little resulting in the band to hang a little lower, which "compresses" the bottom hair, creating that poof. I doubt there is much you can do about it unless you put the tie super tight. I doubt that is good for the hair.

That's pretty true. Some can get that non-poof ponytail going on, but even with them sometimes they have to redo it or re-tighten it because it begins to appear. I'd have to agree that the heavier hair you have the chances can increase especially if your hair is slippery. That really ups the chances since slippery hair likes to slide out of ties and all.


I saw a video online and the person recommended tipping your head backwards so that you're looking at the ceiling as you do the ponytail. Seems to work okay when I remember.

I actually like the poofy bit underneath buns though.

I heard the same tidbit. I think it's because if you tie your hair up normally then when you stand (or slouch) the lowest portion of your scalp with hair that's in the ponytail moves around, thus sometimes stays where it's tight or sometimes moves around to where it gives some slack to the hair (i.e. poof). If you tip your head back it already has that slack there and then you just tie it up, but I would also assume tying it that way could sometimes cause it to get a little tight when you tilted your head up again.

[Wavelength]

My only suggestion (if you have enough hair) is to do a Pony Knot. (http://www.dressytresses.com/hair/gallery/instruct/hair-knot/) You'll need to secure the knot with a hairstick or fork, but once it's secured you don't generally get that poofy part underneath. The knot eats up a lot of length and keeps the hair from sliding.