I'm so confused about this bun, please help me understand!

[ceebee3]

Okay, so I keep reading the benefits of wearing your hair in a bun and it makes absolute sense when it comes to protecting your ends. My problem is that I have worn my hair in a bun/ponytail for years and my everyone including my stylist has told me that's the reason for my hair not growing and thinining out in the area that's held with the ponytail holder. I thought that made sense also. If you all wear your hair in a bun, do you experience this thinning in that area? Could that be what happened to me?

I happen to know now that my hair was also not growing because I didn't care for it properly and I always just slapped some gel in and kept it moving.

Please provide me some insight.

Thanks ladies.

 

[LivingDoll]

What are you using to put your hair in a ponytail? Try using a Goody Ouchless band or the top of a knee hi (the reinforced top part)...

Are you making the ponytail too tight? If so, it will cause tension leading to breakage and possible damage to edges. It will also damage the hair at the banding point.

What are you doing with your ends when you have the bun in? Are you moisturizing/sealing them?

How long are you leaving the bun in?

What products are you using?

 

[HoneyA]

As long as you are taking care of your hair properly and loose bunning (tight buns cause breakage) then you will retain length. Your hair is growing anyway but for whatever reason, it's not retaining length. So you need to find a regimen or proper techniques to help you do that.

 

[*Frisky*]

When you bun all of time it can not be pulled tight in a ponytail holder especially when your hair is wet and switching the position of the bun from time to time helps decrease breakage. Along with having your hair moisturized properly.

 

[LaidBak]

Ponytails kept me from getting past SL my whole life. Even with ouchless bands, even with soft scrunchies. So I thought bunning was out for me. But then I discovered Scunci Concorde clips. I use them to make the Southern Tease bun. They are awesome and I don't have that same stress on my hair. (photo attached)
ETA: Rite Aid has these

 

[crazydaze911]

this was my problem for many years - lived in buns but never saw growth. it was b/c i pulled my hair too tight and twisted the hair into the bun too tight as well - so two strikes - i just wanted to look NEAT . Now i use only satin elastins (not even the goody ouchless cuz those just break apart and have bad stretch and arent gentle enough for me). Seems to be working ok so far. And im pinning more than twisting now. I want growth so i gotta compromise on look sometimes unfortunately - but other ladies here have great buns and always look stylish

 

[baddison]

Yup....I was gonna suggest this to. I am in the BunForGrowth challenge and have been "bunning" 24/7 since Dec. 2008. To date I have not put any kind of scrunchie, or ponytail holder or, 'ouchless'-anything in my hair for bunning. I simply lightly draw all my hair back as if I am going to make a ponytail, then I lightly start twisting the hair and lightly wrap it around itself. (notice the emphasis on the word lightly....I never put too much pressure on my delicate tresses...) To be bluntly honest......my hair is not even really long enough to even make a bun (full SL)...if y'all saw it, you'd laugh me right off this board.!!

But my ends are up, secure and tucked away, I secure my little bun-knot with one of those clamp-holder-pinup-thingys that LaidBack shows in the two previous posts....and away I go. I am not ashamed of my short hair and my 'bun-bump'....'cause I know in a year or two, I'll have a lot more to show off.

I have gained two inches already, by simply bunning, and following the Boot Camp rules.

 

[Whimsy]

Try making loose buns or just wrapping hair around itself and pinning instead of using bands to hold it. Also, the haircare still matters when bunning. There are TONS of good threads you can check out for the various techniques people are using for their buns. My personal fave is just wrapping the hair around itself and using a few pins or an ouchless band to hold it loosely.

 

[LaidBak]

......my hair is not even really long enough to even make a bun (full SL)...if y'all saw it, you'd laugh me right off this board.!!

Girl they'd be laughing at me too. My little Bun-bump isn't even the size of a golf ball. But Like you said, my hair is protected and I got my eyez on the prize.

ETA: I always coat my ends with butter (Elasta QP mango butter to be exact) before I do my little twist bun.

 

[ceebee3]

What are you using to put your hair in a ponytail? Try using a Goody Ouchless band or the top of a knee hi (the reinforced top part)...

Are you making the ponytail too tight? If so, it will cause tension leading to breakage and possible damage to edges. It will also damage the hair at the banding point.

What are you doing with your ends when you have the bun in? Are you moisturizing/sealing them?

How long are you leaving the bun in?

What products are you using?

Girl no, I wasn't doing anything. All I did was comb,brush, and gel it up-for years!!!! It was horrible. I just stopped in January and I've been so afraid to put my hair in a ponytail.

All I do now is DC once a week, apply all my leave ins and oil and rollerset. I just moisturize and wrap at night and repeat each week.

Thank you all so much. I have a better understanding and I feel a lot better.

 

[MummysGirl]

Try to avoid ponytails if you feel you can't do them loosely. I hold my hair up (with bobby pins, hair clips, combs, sooo many options), I only put my hair in a ponytail for 30 minutes while I'm air drying.

 

[ceebee3]

Thanks MummysGirl, I was definetly pulling too tight. I like the options in your picture. I'll try it.

 

[DMJ's Mom]

I agree with the other ladies. The ouchless bands are best and you can't pull them too tight. Also if you are pulling the hair once its in the ponytail to get it tighter to the head that can cause wear on the hair and possibly get it tangled in the holder. I personally don't really believe moving the bun will make a difference because I've worn a bun more on than off for the past 5 years and 8 out of 10 times it was in the same spot and I've never had a problem with thinning hair in the area but like I said that is just my opinion

 

[SCarolinaGirl]

I've been using ouchless bands too but I think that I'm bunning too tight. I will try some of the techniques listed here.

 

[cutiepiebabygirl]

I can't use any type of pony-tail holder....so I do loose bun / pinups with magic hair pins..they can be bought at ulta or sally's...they are the best!!!

 

[marla]

I wear the Southern Tease Bun

 

[supermodelsonya]

Yup....I was gonna suggest this to. I am in the BunForGrowth challenge and have been "bunning" 24/7 since Dec. 2008. To date I have not put any kind of scrunchie, or ponytail holder or, 'ouchless'-anything in my hair for bunning. I simply lightly draw all my hair back as if I am going to make a ponytail, then I lightly start twisting the hair and lightly wrap it around itself. (notice the emphasis on the word lightly....I never put too much pressure on my delicate tresses...) To be bluntly honest......my hair is not even really long enough to even make a bun (full SL)...if y'all saw it, you'd laugh me right off this board.!!

But my ends are up, secure and tucked away, I secure my little bun-knot with one of those clamp-holder-pinup-thingys that LaidBack shows in the two previous posts....and away I go. I am not ashamed of my short hair and my 'bun-bump'....'cause I know in a year or two, I'll have a lot more to show off.

I have gained two inches already, by simply bunning, and following the Boot Camp rules.

You've just made my day with this post. I'm pretty much in the same predicament!

 

[LivingDoll]

Try to avoid ponytails if you feel you can't do them loosely. I hold my hair up (with bobby pins, hair clips, combs, sooo many options), I only put my hair in a ponytail for 30 minutes while I'm air drying.

Hey twin! I do something similar to this at night when I take my bun out.

 

[MummysGirl]

Hey! Lol! Another thing we have in common!

Hey twin! I do something similar to this at night when I take my bun out.

 

[glamazon386]

You have to ponytail holders without the metal things on them. I like the thick ouchless ones. Also, if you're relaxed, be careful with bunning wet hair. Don't pull it back too tight and change the position of your bun every so often. If you keep bunning in the same spot, and it's too tight it can cause breakage.

 

[Determined22]

I can't use any type of pony-tail holder....so I do loose bun / pinups with magic hair pins..they can be bought at ulta or sally's...they are the best!!!

I love those pins, I use them all the time for my buns/updos. They work really well in my version of the SouthernTease bun.

I used to also have a problem with breakage due to ponytails, and that's because I was doing them WAY TOO TIGHT on wet hair, and putting them in the same place everytime. Now I do my buns/twists very loose, and I vary the position. I saw good progress once I started doing that.