Damp bunning fail! What did I do wrong?

[Bagginslover]

I have had my hair damp bunned for around 36 hours.

I washed it before bed, and as I hate sleeping on wet hair, I bunned it on top of my head for the night.
It was still soaking the next morning, so I rebunned it for the day. over night last night, it wasn't fixed in its bun, but it stayed where it was when I removed the stick, and was still loosely coiled when I woke up this morning, its still very slightly damp now.

It feels awful! The whole length feels velcro-y, and its frizzy! My hair is NEVER frizzy!

Last time I damp bunned, it was super soft, and had pretty waves in it. Both this time, and last, I used the same washing technique, products and leave-in. Last time it dried faster though...

Tell me what I've done wrong, I don't want my hair to look and feel like this again!!

[PixieKitten]

I'm not sure, but perhaps you bunned it too soon? I usually bun mine when it's only slightly damp, after I've gotten most of the wetness out with a towel. Whenever I've bunned it soaking wet, it's just fallen heavy and doesn't dry and I have to wash it again because I hate the feel of it!

[Buffy]

The only advice i can give-from personal experience- is, don't bun your hair while it's soaking wet! Let it naturally dry (or use a hair drier on cool temperature) until it is around 70% dry and then bun it! Whenever i tried to bun it while it was more wet than that, it always got freezy, flat and took ages to dry!!

[Bagginslover]

Soaking might have been a bit of an exaggeration on my part-it was towel dried, but still probably wetter than last time.... hmm, thats interesting. I'll have to try to wash my hair earlier in the evening then...I just hate having to get dressed again after showering, so much easier to just go to bed!

It is totally dry now, and is less frizzy, but still velcro-y.... it doesn't feel nice at all. I might rewash it tonight.

[torrilin]

Honestly, I put my hair up soaking wet all the time, and I don't get frizz nor weird ends. I don't try for a totally smooth look tho, just scraped back. I'm not the only one who stuffs her hair into an updo dripping wet either. For some hair it works fine.

My hair doesn't dry very quickly no matter what tho, whether I leave it loose or put it up. And I know there are plenty of LHCers who find damp bunning or braiding unhelpful... so I'd guess there's something going on. I don't know what or how to pin it down, because there doesn't seem to be a pattern.

I'd guess it's porosity or damage related tho.

[WaitingSoLong]

I bun and braid my hair wet all the time. Not soaking wet, but not mostly dry either. I frequently go to bed with a damp braid and in fact if it is too dry I will spritz it with my aloe water. It is always damp the next morning. I just never cared? I don't have the frizz issues you speak of.

But try braiding instead, it dries faster than buns.

[Anje]

It might be that your hair was good on moisture and encouraging more made it unhappy. Just curious (working on a new hypothesis here), does it like protein?

[Bagginslover]

Thanks for all the ideas :)

I have no idea if it likes protien or not, I've not tried it yet I don't think.....What has protien in it?
I currently use-
Tesco coconut shampoo and conditioner
coconut oil (though not these 2 times)
Aussie 3MM (again, not when I had problems)
Aussie leave-in spray (used this both times)

Thats is at the moment. I've been trying top stick to a small range of products since my CO fail, as I'd like to go back to it, and I want to see if it is the CO that made my hair bad, or something else I was playing round with at the same time ;)

[lapushka]

Too wet for "damp" bunning, would be my guess. Damp is not the same as soaking wet. I really don't know why it went well before... fluke?

[Vanilla]

It sounds to me like it was too wet for too long. If I put my hair in a damp bun, it's almost never overnight and through the next day.

I'll either damp bun overnight and take it down periodically during the day after to dry a bit more loose or I'll damp bun during the day and take it down overnight to dry.

Also, mineral oiling the length while still damp prior to bunning really helps to cut down on the frizz a lot.

[jeanniet]

I damp bun all the time, but not with wet hair. I start with dry, spray it down with water, put it up, spritz again, and go. That gives me the results you describe. I'd guess your hair was just too wet. If I have to put my hair up soon after washing (because I'm going out or whatever), I take it down to dry as soon as I can.

[mzBANGBANG]

I think my best waves have come from 90% dry hair. Just wet enough to have that "cool" feeling. Also, this is when I've gotten the best foam roller results. I usually use a leave in conditioner if I am going to damp bun, otherwise my ends get a weird velcro feeling to them depending on when the last time I clarified was.

[catamonica]

After I wash my hair, I put it in a bun, when it is lightly damp. It will dry & does not feel horrible.

[julliams]

Clarify and let your hair be almost dry before bunning. I think you will find your hair will go back to it's regular self.

[afu]

I get results like that if i damp bun with a lot of coconut oil - -somebody told me it's a result of over-conditioning/moisturising. I get best results from only slightly damp hair

[GRU]

I don't think my hair would EVER dry if I damp-bunned it. I'm jealous of all of you gals who can get away with it!

[Hollyfire3]

I don't think my hair would EVER dry if I damp-bunned it. I'm jealous of all of you gals who can get away with it!

My hair dries...after forever! I normally take it down in the morning after damp bunning to find it nearly just as damp, I just comb it out carefully and move on with my day with damp hair:)