How to stop scalp hurting from any 'real' updos.

**Zemeraldite** · January 26th, 2021, 01:53 PM

Background: Around BSL hair, maybe around 22'', 3.5 inchs circumference (quite even all the way through as recently trimmed back). It hurts whenever I put my hair in any style that's not a normal english braid... for even like 3 hours.

I have tried classic simple bun (terrible), ponytail (hurts slightly less than bun), dutch braid/s, milkmaid braids (both hurt after the full day).

Am I just really tender scalped? Is this normal... Is this something that gets better with time or can someone give some pointers?

**lapushka** · January 26th, 2021, 02:45 PM

Even for average thickness BSL is still quite short. IMO. If you have to pull at all to make that updo, your hair is too short, which is what I'm thinking.

Try wearing a peacock twist with a simple claw clip. That's what I did until I could do a decent bun that didn't hurt.

**shelomit** · January 26th, 2021, 02:54 PM

Agree, esp. if your hair is thicker, you might simply need to wait for a little more length. I had trouble with a tender scalp for a long time, though. What I did was to wear an updo just very until it started to feel uncomfortable. At first it would just be ten minutes or so--gradually, my scalp got more and more used to it and I could increase the time. So if your hair gets longer and you are still having trouble, you might try very brief experiments like that.

**Aredhel** · January 26th, 2021, 04:40 PM

It's possible you just need to have your updos done looser. Figuring out the right tension and getting used to doing that consistently is quite a bit of a learning curve, but you'll get there with more practice. As someone with a more sensitive scalp, I've noticed that sometimes my head will hurt after a few hours if a section of my hair is pulled tighter than the rest of my hair. It took me a while to identify what the issue was, but that's usually the culprit for me.

**Chromis** · January 26th, 2021, 05:59 PM

ALso try having the bun lower. My updos are always just above my nape because any time I do a high bun, it hurts.

**spidermom** · January 26th, 2021, 09:30 PM

Try 2 buns instead of 1, either side by side or 1 above the other.

**akurah** · January 26th, 2021, 09:40 PM

Originally Posted by Chromis

ALso try having the bun lower. My updos are always just above my nape because any time I do a high bun, it hurts.

This is a very important point! And if you find lower hurts, try the reverse, have the bun so high its basically on the top of your head. But don't do it tightly, it needs to be loose. I can only wear buns in two spots without it hurting eventually, nape and very top of my head.

**Feral_** · January 27th, 2021, 04:38 AM

Originally Posted by akurah

This is a very important point! And if you find lower hurts, try the reverse, have the bun so high its basically on the top of your head. But don't do it tightly, it needs to be loose. I can only wear buns in two spots without it hurting eventually, nape and very top of my head.

Same for me. If it’s in between those areas it hurts.

**Finda** · January 27th, 2021, 10:32 AM

When my hair was shorter and I tried buns some strands often hurt at certain points because I had to wrap very tightly around the base for them to hold. This pain was definitely a pulling sensation and due to too short hair.

Today my scalp still hurts, when I put the hair up in a direction it is not used to, with me it's the top of my head. That kind of pain only really starts when I take down the hair again to its regular position. It's all over the place. I'm cautiously optimistic Shelomit's solution will help me as well. For the last week I have been 'practicing' by putting my hair up for only a coupls of minutes and the duration I can keep it up without pain is getting a bit longer.

**shelomit** · January 27th, 2021, 11:19 AM

Originally Posted by Finda

When my hair was shorter and I tried buns some strands often hurt at certain points because I had to wrap very tightly around the base for them to hold. This pain was definitely a pulling sensation and due to too short hair.

Today my scalp still hurts, when I put the hair up in a direction it is not used to, with me it's the top of my head. That kind of pain only really starts when I take down the hair again to its regular position. It's all over the place. I'm cautiously optimistic Shelomit's solution will help me as well. For the last week I have been 'practicing' by putting my hair up for only a coupls of minutes and the duration I can keep it up without pain is getting a bit longer.

I hope it helps! The "find the comfy spot" advice that Chromis, akurah, etc. gave is definitely relevant, too--I should have thought to mention it, since until I started deliberately experimenting with different bun positions last year, the nape was the only "comfy" place for me.