My Boss Tells Me NO MORE BUNS! How Can I Look My Best & Keep Hair Healthy?

[Miss AJ]

i missed the pic but from looking at post pic responses i figured it couldnt have been the bun STYLE that was the problem, just the way it looked. In basic training our buns had to be perfect but we had practically no time to style. Overnight wet bunning with gel and hairspray became my best friend lol. I'm saying al this to say that you can have healthy and polished hairstyles, you just have to figure out the best way to make it work for you.

 

[Eritreladiee]

the answer to this question probably is 'not at all.' i've had a few cute side ones and such and they're okay, but the standard issue bun, i don't know that i could get it to look good on me. need another low maintenance look.

Then my suggestion would be to let the bun go altogether and find a style that SUITS you. Once you find a style, you can always figure out ways to make it lower maintenance/suit your lifestyle. But definitely suitability should be priority--- because the idea is to be low maintenance without actually looking it.

 

[camilla]

I work for a wine/liquor tasting company part time weekends (bread and butter is in the medical field during the week) this is a job FULL of "barbies" they are all blond, they are all tanned AND uppity/borderline racicist in our company policy WE ARE REQUIRED TO WEAR HAIR DOWN with tasteful makeup. we are required to have "the look" i dont mind because thats how i interviewed(with "the look") i know that attractive women will attract sales from men and friendly women will get the females

you are in a field like my day job AND IT SHOULD NOT MATTER BUT... lets keep it 100% we are in the image/sex sells era there are so many people that are talented IE singers who do not do as well as the rihanna's (lord knows that chic can not sing) because they do not fit "the mold what happened to personality AND brains??????? SMDH

SO i half wig for a year (my hair is almost bsl) i can co wash evert two to three days braid up the back and srpay dailt with my elasta h two leave in seal with coconut oil and rebraid in four braids going back daily my hair has gotten thicker, longer and very healthy

check out she has alot of old vids on walf wigs

http://www.youtube.com/user/muffinismylovers

right now i am in the weave challenge i work out four or more days a week so this is great for me

If our appearance has nothing to do with our work performance then it should NOT matter how we wear our hair !!!!!!

ps i am wearing a half wig in my pic and i have curly ones in my album

 

[FeelinIt]

DAMN....Did I miss the friggin pic?!?

 

[almond eyes]

Hey, that's exactly what my buns look like!!!!!!!!!! I have have fine hair and fly aways and I have slicked back with toothbrushes, gels, and several brushes and done the hair scarf thing and it still looks fly away unless I use some heat so I no longer bother trying to slick back except with my hands and a head band. My colleague commented to me last year that she didn't like my bun either. So what has been my solution? Well nothing, I just wear elegant cloth head bands (though big flowers and over the top headbands are sometimes viewed as childish and unprofessional). The only way my hair will be slicked down is with heat (or a relaxer) which I refuse to do on a regular basis because my hair is too fine to withstand the heat. Also, I don't like wearing my hair down much either especially in its natural state I prefer protective styling. And it's my own personal issue that when I wear my hair down in my industry because it is male dominated it attracts too much sexual attention which I don't like. For me, because I know that I wear these protective styles that may or may not be appreciated I compensate by making sure my work is on point and that I dress professionally so that my fly aways don't stand out.

I also realise that I am not under the same pressure as other women so I feel fortunate in that I am in an industry that is a little more forgiving (after all, one of my colleagues from Kenya came to a high level meeting with a brown short spiky tina turner wig and no one dare said a word; though we all held our laughs in and I have also seen a couple of braids literally hanging for its dear life and about to drop after several months of not getting re-done) I don't have to wear my hair down or have it slicked back perfectly, so I do emphathize because I am such a rebel and I don't know what I would do.

Best,
Almond Eyes

 

[Rastafarai]

Check Post #282 for the pic ladies. It was quoted by Esq.2b.

 

[camilla]

i missed the pic but from looking at post pic responses i figured it couldnt have been the bun STYLE that was the problem, just the way it looked. In basic training our buns had to be perfect but we had practically no time to style. Overnight wet bunning with gel and hairspray became my best friend lol. I'm saying al this to say that you can have healthy and polished hairstyles, you just have to figure out the best way to make it work for you.

DAMN....Did I miss the friggin pic?!?

PIC IS ON PAGE 31

 

[Rastafarai]

That's a question as I suppose it kinda straddles both hair and career?

Maybe lets put it to the board and see where people would prefer it?

Yeah. I was thinking Off Topic but I'm certain more members visit the Hair Care forum and it would be great for all to have access to the discussion.

Not many folks visit the Career section. lol.

 

[Love Always]

You have beautiful hair OP. The other ladies have chimed in on your bun and I would just say use the tie down scarf method. I wear buns everyday and my sides are always slicked down by the end of the day. I would suggest this product to smooth down your edges:

It's a pretty thick clear pomade that's not greasy at all and it will definitely have you edges smooth all day long .

 

[JJamiah]

I definitely think you should get something to make it a little more neatened, if you still want to wear your bun either learn to make neater buns or, what I do is I use some Eco Styler Gel, Jam or DT gel run a little in my hand put it around the edges of my hair and take a brush and brush all hair into a nice firm pony, comb pony and bun, then POP a PHONY PONY to die for on your hair Self Styled had an awesome phony pony thread a while back, toss on some pearl studs or diamond either are classy. Don't cut your nose to spite your face. You want this promotion and yes IT SUCKS what she said, but try to view her sayings as something she meant well.


I want to see an update pic if you don't mind on what you did at the end of all of this

 

[wyldcurlz]

i've tried the scarf tie down, using my brothers do rag and it produced the same results. maybe i didn't leave it on long enough?? i've tried to slick down my edges with heavy cream, conditioner, oil or a combination of the three, i dampen it and brush it back with a boar bristle brush and it still get the same result. so i'm not sure what to do. i do have all these little fine short hairs at my hairline and i really don't know how to get them to look sleek (when my hair is curly.) when my hair is straight, its not really a problem...i don't think.

once i figure it out JJamiah, i will post a pic....maybe.

thanks for all the helpful comments everyone. i really just don't know what else to do with my hair.

 

[wyldcurlz]

The bun looks unkempt, I'm sure you can do better than that.

i can't do better than that yet because i don't know what to do with my hair. i'm (obviously) not good at styling it. i don't know how to plait, i can't french braid very well. styling my hair has never been my strong point. i can flat iron it really well, but i'm trying to minimize heat use right now. that's why i posted, i need to figure out other styles or ways i can get my edges to lay down better and i've gotten some good suggestions - like leaving a scarf on longer so i plan to give that a try.

 

[dlewis]

I'm going to try to do a tutorial on how I get a sleek looking bun. My buns on the weekend looks kinda like yours, esp around the edges. You might find it helpful. I send it to you by pm, if you would like?

 

[Dak]

i dampen it and brush it back with a boar

Just damp won't work, I know for me, my hair has to be wet, not dripping wet, but wet enough for curls to kick in.

Try doing it this weekend when you have more time to mess with your hair, maybe after you've washed it.

 

[la mosca]

the answer to this question probably is 'not at all.' i've had a few cute side ones and such and they're okay, but the standard issue bun, i don't know that i could get it to look good on me. need another low maintenance look.

I'd ditch the bun altogether for now, given that your boss specifically advised you to stop wearing them. You've received lots of great advice regarding other low maintenance styles that won't compromise your healthy hair journey. Please let us know what you decide!

 

[LadyRaider]

i can't do better than that yet because i don't know what to do with my hair. i'm (obviously) not good at styling it. i don't know how to plait, i can't french braid very well. styling my hair has never been my strong point. i can flat iron it really well, but i'm trying to minimize heat use right now. that's why i posted, i need to figure out other styles or ways i can get my edges to lay down better and i've gotten some good suggestions - like leaving a scarf on longer so i plan to give that a try.

Your hair is so pretty. It's time you learned how to show it off. Your hair should be your greatest asset, not something that might keep you back!

Okay.. like I said, I'm the queen of hot mess... but if I had your hair, I would be CUTE EVERYDAY. Practice some neater buns! Practice French Braiding. Seriously. I'm almost mad at you for having all that pretty hair and you not being able to show it off correctly.

 

[wyldcurlz]

wyldcurlz, tell us how to get this look? Maybe we can edit your hair styling process to get the look you need.

Hi DLewis - yes an edit would be great!!! Especially since you know how to make a great bun. in the mornings, i dampen my hairline slightly and apply some conditioner (herbal essences or V05 Tea Therapy) to "smooth it down" (umm, that's apparently NOT working.) then i brush it back with a boar bristle brush into a ponytail and secure with an nylon band. then i either twist it - as i've seen on different vids or blogs or i make a few twists/braids and wrap them around the base of the ponytail. PLEEEASE if you have any ideas on what i can do to make this look better, let me know! thanks!

 

[LadyRaider]

Guys... at her length... can't she wear a pony tail? Her hair wouldn't be brushing her shoulders because it's so long. I guess you'd still have the slicked back edges though. I just wear a headband as I can't slick back my edges either.

ETA: here's my hair pulled back with a braid (tony tail that Ateyaaa uses.) Now remember, I'm the queen of hot mess. I still don't have flat edges, but the headband helps a bit.

 

[wyldcurlz]

I'm going to try to do a tutorial on how I get a sleek looking bun. My buns on the weekend looks kinda like yours, esp around the edges. You might find it helpful. I send it to you by pm, if you would like?

PLEASE DO!!!!!!! of course i want to see it. I really want to know how to do my hair...you'd think in allll these years an as LHCFer i'd have it figured out. please do a tutorial and send it to me!!!! thanks DLewis!

 

[dlewis]

Hi DLewis - yes an edit would be great!!! Especially since you know how to make a great bun. in the mornings, i dampen my hairline slightly and apply some conditioner (herbal essences or V05 Tea Therapy) to "smooth it down" (umm, that's apparently NOT working.) then i brush it back with a boar bristle brush into a ponytail and secure with an nylon band. then i either twist it - as i've seen on different vids or blogs or i make a few twists/braids and wrap them around the base of the ponytail. PLEEEASE if you have any ideas on what i can do to make this look better, let me know! thanks!

I see what could be an issue. I'll send you a pm on Sunday. And list everything. So you can see how my hair looks like yours (I'll bun tom so you can see that) and I'll do my regular out of the house bun on Sunday.

 

[NessaNessa]

Sorry if this is blunt.

The bun definitely looks unprofessional and messy for the type of office that you work in. It just looks like you rolled out of bed and didn't really brush it. I know this was end of the day, but in the corporate world there's no excuse for your hair to look like that at the end of the day. I think your boss was looking out for your best interested by letting you know what's up. You may need to take a day or a night after work and play with different hairstyles in order to figure out how to try something different. I took me some time before I mastered different styles, but practice makes perfect! I wish you the best.

**My hair is in the 3cish range and what helps laying my hair down is braiding my hair into tight plaits after I wash and letting it air dry. This week after I let my hair air dry and unraveled the plaits, I combed my hair with a wide tooth comb and then I put a healthy glop of conditioner on my hair and brushed, made a bun and put a scarf over my head. I havent brushed my hair since this morning, so I hope it works View attachment 56958 ***

I agree with your post BUT your bun isnt corporate appropriate either. It very similar to hers except yours is a bit more flat.

Not trying to be rude, but I thought the intent was to give her ideas to improve her bunning technique. Your bun look VERY similar to hers.

ETA: YOU BOTH HAVE BEAUTIFUL HAIR

 

[soulfusion]

d that is so sweet of you. Wyldcurlz, you do have a pretty head of hair and I do see where your parents are coming from (although I'm erplexed at your boss although she probably means well). I don't think it's the bun, but rather the kinda messiness of it. You've gotten a bunch of good tips, so I'm sure you'll work it out. I don't blame you about the heat. I definitely wouldn't start doing a lot of flatironing as a solution. Good luck!

I'm going to try to do a tutorial on how I get a sleek looking bun. My buns on the weekend looks kinda like yours, esp around the edges. You might find it helpful. I send it to you by pm, if you would like?

 

[BlackMasterPiece]

wyldcurls have you tried gel on your edges?

Either way I think it might be time to retire the buns for a while since your boss was so specific and start exploring other sleek professional natural styles, start stalking some fotkis and watching some youtube vids on curly natural hair

 

[LushLox]

The manager has told the OP to wear her hair down and get rid of the buns altogether so this all seems rather moot to me. Unless the manager can be pacified with some slick and more professional looking buns.

Hope you're not feeling too badly by this all OP.

 

[JayAnn0513]

Have you tried the curly girl method? Maybe consider wearing wash and go's.

 

[FeelinIt]

Your bun could be more polished. Your hair would be fine in my department but then I work for the police and it's not that big a deal. I would wait for D-Lewis' tutorial on how to do your bun. Your hair looks nice BTW....

Don't forget to post pics of your "new" bun or whatever hairdo you choose.

 

[♥Lamaravilla♥]

I don't think conditioner is going to cut it for slicking your edges back. Do you not want to use gel? If you want to stay natural use aloe vera gel, if not eco styler from the BSS will make your edges smooth.

Also instead of just twisting the hair around I think you should use one of those bun formers things, like a foam donut, to get a nice round bun.

 

[LisaLisa1908]

OP, I wanted SO badly not to say this, but the simple truth is, your bun IS unprofessional. It's not neat, it's not tidy, and it doesn't look like you took more than two minutes on it. One thing that would help if you want to stay committed to your buns is to put it higher on your head and eliminate that poofiness. And just water and conditioner are not going to work; you are going to have to use a fixative (gel or pomade) to get it smooth). Dlewis and others have given some great suggestions; I hope you find something that works.

One of the things I noticed is that you say you don't put a lot of effort into your hair for work. Well, why not? Is it because you don't feel confident about your skills? I don't think any of us just woke up one day and magically could work wonders on our heads; it takes practice. Give yourself some time to watch videos and get some tips on how to do different things; this IS your career we're talking about and what a bonus it would be to find hair styles that work for you personally AND professionally!

In the meantime, since you want to PS, I think a half wig is your best option for now. Good luck and God bless. GET THAT MONEY!

 

[sunnydaze]

The manager has told the OP to wear her hair down and get rid of the buns altogether so this all seems rather moot to me. Unless the manager can be pacified with some slick and more professional looking buns.

Hope you're not feeling too badly by this all OP.

Quoting for emphasis.

If boss wants her hair in other styles, a neatly styled bun will come across same as a messy one would..still a BUN.

 

[♥Lamaravilla♥]

Or what about phony ponies? Then your ends will still be protected . . .