Buns/Ponys breakage???

Cayenne0622

New Member
Has anyone gotten breakage from wearing their hair pulled back into the buns and/or phony ponys? I moisturize my hair twice daily and in the morning I pull it back and use a ponytail holder that is covered with fabric. I then moisturize the ends again really well and put on my phony pony. I don't use the baggy method but I did decide to do it today. Anyway, I've been noticing small amounts of breakage every day when I take my hair down to moisturize at night. The pieces are typically really short...like not even an inch long. I can't figure it out. I never had breakage when I was flat ironing my hair 2-3 times a week but then again I was trimming my hair regularly when I was wearing my hair down. Can anyone offer help/suggestions? I haven't worn my hair down in about a month and a keep it more moisturized than I ever have in my life. Its definitely not over moisturized and the strands look thicker and stronger. I don't know.
 
I know what you mean. When wearing my sock bun, my ends come out all crazy lookin too. I don't know if it's gone as far as breakage, but I do wonder if my sock buns will cause breakage long-term. No matter what hairtie or scrunchie I use or how well I moisturize, my ends come frizzed out and scraggly. If I were to use hairpins to secure my sock bun, my ends do come out somewhat better. I love being able to slick my hair back into a bun; it's just about the only style that'll get me through these hot and humid days. I can't wait till my hair gets long enough so that I can use my own hair in a bun. I've noticed that I am making progress with it, my bun is getting bigger as the months go by...maybe in a few months, I won't need a sock anymore.

I wouldn't mind using a phony bun or a phony pony to put into a bun, but I can never find one in the right hair color.
 
TSUprincess04 said:
I know what you mean. When wearing my sock bun, my ends come out all crazy lookin too. I don't know if it's gone as far as breakage, but I do wonder if my sock buns will cause breakage long-term. No matter what hairtie or scrunchie I use or how well I moisturize, my ends come frizzed out and scraggly. If I were to use hairpins to secure my sock bun, my ends do come out somewhat better. I love being able to slick my hair back into a bun; it's just about the only style that'll get me through these hot and humid days. I can't wait till my hair gets long enough so that I can use my own hair in a bun. I've noticed that I am making progress with it, my bun is getting bigger as the months go by...maybe in a few months, I won't need a sock anymore.

I wouldn't mind using a phony bun or a phony pony to put into a bun, but I can never find one in the right hair color.

I don't how you guys make those sock buns work. Maybe my own hair isn't long enough yet to spread out and cover the sock. I guess I'll have to wait on that. : - )
Anyway, its a small amount of breakage but I don't want ANY. It weird because the strands are so short so it can't be the ponytail holder that is causing the breakage otherwise you would think the strands would be longer and breaking right where I wear the ponytail holder. hmmmm Just have to wait for more responses. Hopefully someone will have the answer for both of us.
 
In regard to the "sock bun" it's very cute but at the same time extremely damaging.

The last time I wore a sock bun was about three years ago. I got in my stylist's chair and he took out the scissors and I looked at him like "ahh, whatchoo finna do with them scissors?"

He tactfully told me that I was NOT going to get out of his chair with a raggedy head and that he needed to cut the split ends that the bun had caused.

Since then I haven't thought about wearing it again. I am also mindful that wearing the hair up in pony tails that are too tight can cause stress around the temple, sides and nape so you have to give the hair a break and wear it down some too.

Hope this helps...
 
Thanks! Any little bit helps. I think I'm pretty careful with my ponytail. It doesn't seem like I'm putting stress on the sides but I pay close attention and be gentle.
 
Buns are a staple for me, I've never experienced any breakage from them. I don't use a scrunchie, I just make a twisted pony and wrap it around itself and secure it with hair pins. The ends are always tucked inside and well moisturized. Sometimes I make a braided bun, the same way as the twisted bun.

I think the trick to wearing a ponytail without breakage is to not make it very tight. I also soak my plain black scrunches in avocado oil before putting my hair up in a ponytail. No breakage!
 
You can experience breakage if you are doing your bun on wet hair alot too. Something happens during the time that the hair is drying and it being pulled tight by a hair band that caues it...
 
camellia said:
Buns are a staple for me, I've never experienced any breakage from them. I don't use a scrunchie, I just make a twisted pony and wrap it around itself and secure it with hair pins. The ends are always tucked inside and well moisturized. Sometimes I make a braided bun, the same way as the twisted bun.

I think the trick to wearing a ponytail without breakage is to not make it very tight. I also soak my plain black scrunches in avocado oil before putting my hair up in a ponytail. No breakage!
I'm sorry. I had to interrupt this very informative discussion to tell Camellia that I'm gonna beat her for having hair that beautiful. lololol I can't even stand her right now! lololol Just kidding, girl. Its gorgeous though. My hair is too short to twist it around itself. At best, I can comb it up into a small curly poofy bun of a ponytail. Otherwise, I usually put a phony ponytail over it and twist the phonypony into a bun.
 
Last summer, I wore buns almost everyday. At the end of the summer, I had to cut my hair from almost BSL to above APL (well, a SHS kind of took it upon herself to do that, but that's beside the point). I didn't use a sock, but my ends came out looking all raggedy, too. And I called myself moisturizing my ends...

This summer, I airdried using the ponytail method with a satin scrunchie, moisturized my ends with ORS Olive Oil moisturizing lotion (in the bottle, not the jar) and bunned or wore a pinned up ponytail and experience a lot of growth.

I never wear a bun unless I'm using a satin scrunchie, but I use those ouchless ponytail holders or those nylon ones kind of loose for a ponytail, but I sometimes get breakage, too, when I'm moisturizing my ends. I'm thinking of using S-Curl so that I don't have to rub a thick moisturizer in my brittle ends.
 
Its so crazy. We put all this extra work and research into keeping our hair healthy and it seems like the struggle intensifies! I don't get it. It just doesn't seem like it should be this hard. I think I'm going to go back to wearing my hair loose and using your idea of satin scrunchies when I decide to put my hair up.
 
I wore my hair in a bun like this for a month straight, and it was bad for my hair. I didn't use heat the whole month and i kept it moisturized so I still haven't figured out why it caused my hair to break so much but I think it was from:

1) occasionally making the bun while my hair was wet
2) using ouchless hair bands instead of hair pins
3) kinda pulling the bun after i'd make it to fluff it up

Still doesn't seem like enough to cause so much damage, but it did...
 

Attachments

  • Resized_Resized_CIMG238811.jpg
    Resized_Resized_CIMG238811.jpg
    89.7 KB · Views: 26
I'm a frequent bunner, but I've had to make adjustments along the way.

*I do not bun wet hair.

*I make sure the area under the holder is well moisturized and oiled. The holder I use is a homemade hoisery hold which is also oiled before going on my hair.

*I alternate the location of my bun regularly. I do high buns, low buns, side buns, middle buns, etc.

*I do not sleep in my buns, pins, and holders. I take down my bun, moisturize, oil, twist back up and tie down quickly. Or simply do moisturize, braid, and tuck under and tie up.

*I alternate bun styles every 2-3 weeks or so with a loose style for a week. Usually a braidout or twistout. Just to give my hair a rest from the tension of being pulled back and confined.

*Once I make the ponytail for my bun, I make sure to tilt my head down to my chest and roll my neck from side to side. If I can feel any tension at any point, I know my holder is too tight. Even if it looks loose.

*Also, since I mainly do twirly/bantu knot type buns *see pic below*-- I always make sure to alternate the direction of the twist.

*I have a cousin that buns her hair and she fluffs her bun as a finishing touch. When I fluff a bun for volume, I do it as I am making the bun-- not after the bun is pinned/secured.

 
Sistaslick said:
*Once I make the ponytail for my bun, I make sure to tilt my head down to my chest and roll my neck from side to side. If I can feel any tension at any point, I know my holder is too tight. Even if it looks loose.

I break all of your rules except this one. I hate tight ponytails and buns.
 
Sistaslick said:
I'm a frequent bunner, but I've had to make adjustments along the way.

*I do not bun wet hair.

*I make sure the area under the holder is well moisturized and oiled. The holder I use is a homemade hoisery hold which is also oiled before going on my hair.

*I alternate the location of my bun regularly. I do high buns, low buns, side buns, middle buns, etc.

*I do not sleep in my buns, pins, and holders. I take down my bun, moisturize, oil, twist back up and tie down quickly. Or simply do moisturize, braid, and tuck under and tie up.

*I alternate bun styles every 2-3 weeks or so with a loose style for a week. Usually a braidout or twistout. Just to give my hair a rest from the tension of being pulled back and confined.

*Once I make the ponytail for my bun, I make sure to tilt my head down to my chest and roll my neck from side to side. If I can feel any tension at any point, I know my holder is too tight. Even if it looks loose.

*Also, since I mainly do twirly/bantu knot type buns *see pic below*-- I always make sure to alternate the direction of the twist.

*I have a cousin that buns her hair and she fluffs her bun as a finishing touch. When I fluff a bun for volume, I do it as I am making the bun-- not after the bun is pinned/secured.


Girlll, you are too much for me. That is ALL YOUR HAIR IN THAT BUN!!! Wow! Unfortunately, I do not have enough hair to do a natural bun and pin loosely. If I wear my hair pulled back, I have to use a small amount of tension to gather all the short hairs and I have to use Jam or another non alcohol based gel to smooth the edges and keep the nape hairs from dangly down. My natural ponytail is only about 3 inches long so I usually slap the phony pony on over my own ponytail. I think I'll wear my hair down for the remainder of the week. Thanks Sistaslick. One day I will get to where to DSD, SGirl and so many others here.
 
goldensensation said:
I break all of your rules except this one. I hate tight ponytails and buns.


Girl, You got that strong hurrrrr :lol:



My hair is very into rules for some reason. :lol: and thanks cayenne :kiss:
 
Sistaslick said:
*I do not bun wet hair.

*I alternate the location of my bun regularly. I do high buns, low buns, side buns, middle buns, etc.

*I do not sleep in my buns, pins, and holders.
I take down my bun, moisturize, oil, twist back up and tie down quickly. Or simply do moisturize, braid, and tuck under and tie up.

*Also, since I mainly do twirly/bantu knot type buns *see pic below*-- I always make sure to alternate the direction of the twist.

*I have a cousin that buns her hair and she fluffs her bun as a finishing touch. When I fluff a bun for volume, I do it as I am making the bun-- not after the bun is pinned/secured.

Yea I was breaking all of those rules, but they really do make a difference!
 
Yes I was experiencing breakage from buns. I never wore my hair down so now I'm doing twistouts and rollersets to give my hair a break from being pulled back.
 
I get breakage as well from wearing my hair up. I have to wear it up everyday for work ( military). I am hoping that when I retire in 2 months I will be able to finally get some growth.:) :)
 
I have fine, thin hair and I think wearing buns (even though mine were not tight and were always done on dry hair), caused the hair at the crown and at the nape to break off some over the last year. But I can't wear it down all the time because my ends are fragile right now so my compromise is to put my hair in a loose plait, twist the ends of the plaits loosely around the plait itself and then secure with a claw clip. I figure this way no one area of my hair is stressed. I don't know if this will work, time will tell.
 
Last edited:
Thanks ladies! I think I'm going to go back to my old ways and do a nice steady slow grow out of even hair. I really just want my hair healthy and even right now. This will consist of my bangs growing out and my front hairline strengthening and growing out. I experienced big time breakage around the front (from frickin hairspray) AND I think I had been leaving my relaxers on my frontline and my nape for too long. Both of those areas have fine hair. Thanks to LHCF I now know to handle those areas with special care and maybe not relax them at all.
 
Back
Top