My Protective Style (Bunning) Isn't Protective

MissMeWithThatIsh

MissMeWithThatIsh

New Member
Hey all!

I've been wearing my hair in a bun for over 2 years now. At this point, my edges aren't see through, but they do appear as if they will get weak. I have a widows peak so parting down the middle is NOT the business for me, but the brushing side swoops I'm doing are wearing thin.

In addition, I think this is not helping my growth. I'm classicly stuck at shoulder length.

I almost never straighten my hair, and my regimen is washing 2-5x a week with CON green or co-washing. I set my hair with conditioner and tie it down.

What should I do? I want my hair to grow... and I don't want it down all the time, but the bunning is ridiculous!
 
I had to stop bunning too, it was breaking my hair. My hair is about 2 inches past SL and I wear twistouts. There's a pic. of my hair in my avi. With the twistout my hair stays off my shoulders and it's low maint. cause I wear it for a week before I wash and redo. My hair seems thicker and I'm having much less breakage.
 
I tried to look at your October hair album but the password didn't work.

There are different ways to create a bun. When I was starting out on this journey, if something didn't seem to be working for me (and I could tell after a month or so) then I'd try a different way until I could see progress. For me, regular, donut-looking buns was too much manipulation for my hair and it seemed I had to make a snug ponytail first, tighter than what I felt comfortable with.

I decided to wear loosely braided buns low at the nape and place a scrunchie over the bun so there was no tension at all but it was still in place. This continues to work very well. :yep: I don't wear this style as a protective style but because it looks good and I get compliments.

If whatever style you are wearing is not contributing to your hair's growth or health, I suggest to just change it until you find a style or styles that work for you. :)
 
Yeah I was looking at my edges today and wondering if they were thinning from it being in a bun 22 hours out of the day. HMMM maybe I will start wearing it down just a little, hopefully my ends won't damage. Or maybe the ends just look plastered down because I wear a scarf on it all day and night?
 
I've never understood why bunning was considered a protective style. To me, a protective style places no stress on your ends or your scalp. Bunning has always struck me as having a lot of potential for scalp stress.
 
Funny you say that, I am feeling the same way. Because when my buns are not pulled back tight then my hair looks "thrown together in a bun" and a mess. So its defeating the purpose in regards to my edges.
 
I just had this revelation as well. I had been bunning almost exclusively for about a year and just recently stopped due to excessive breakage. My hair started to get that mushy, over-conditioned feel to it and I had hair all over the shower. I have decided to try roller setting for a while to see if that makes a difference.

I would love to roller set and then pin my hair up loosely, but my edges are so damaged that won't look right. If your edges are in good shape, have you considered roller setting and pinning your hair up with decorative combs or hair pins to give yourself a rest?
 
InJesusName said:
I just had this revelation as well. I had been bunning almost exclusively for about a year and just recently stopped due to excessive breakage. My hair started to get that mushy, over-conditioned feel to it and I had hair all over the shower. I have decided to try roller setting for a while to see if that makes a difference.

I would love to roller set and then pin my hair up loosely, but my edges are so damaged that won't look right. If your edges are in good shape, have you considered roller setting and pinning your hair up with decorative combs or hair pins to give yourself a rest?
Click to expand...


I agree with all of you ladies... thanks for the input.
I think I will start wearing more wash and goes... as well as wearing my hair down more often... to give my hair a change of pace.
 
I haven't tried bunning mostly because I feel my SL hair doesn't give a full bun AND it stresses my edges by pulling. BUT I don't like wearing my hair down either - to be honest, I've noticed a LOT of improvement as far as trims go. I haven't gotten a trim since July.

I mostly just wear ponytails and messy little updos.
 
Naw, bunnning is not for me either!To wear a bun, I have to make sure that it is loose. How about, I hair don't look that cute with a loose bun! I believe protective style is just keeping the ends moisturized and keeping them off the shoulder.

Please don't ruin your chance to go pass SL, drop the bun and find what works for you!
 
Bunning (if I stretch the definition I can call it that) required a bit of trial and error on my part, but now it works great. I comb it back, put a quarter sized amount of castor oil on my hands, rub together, and put all of one hand on the ends, rub again and put the remaining oil through the rest of my hair. I use my hands to smooth and put in whatever clip I am wearing. It's not a glamourous style, but it works for daily wear, and my ends are happy and retaining length.

What about your scarf? Could that be causing the breaking edges?
 
Bunning totally breaks off my hair. It keeps my hair wet and mushy, and puts too much stress on the ends and nape.

The best protective style for me is low manipulation. Wash n go (like in my siggy) or a very lose pony tail if it's already dry(only once around with the band).
 
I bun and love it, no breakage because I use a light weight clip. The brushing could be causing breakage and so could your scarf. And rule of the game even from when I was a child, NEVER EVER sleep with a pony holder in your hair, scarf or no scarf! I left my hair air dry in a large twist with a childs barrett at the end (that way I dont get the mildew-esque smell after a day in the clip.) I dont baggy moist or wet hair and I dont put any thing in my baggy either, this eliminates the mushy mush. ....I think I need a fotki...
 
velvet said:
Bunning totally breaks off my hair. It keeps my hair wet and mushy, and puts too much stress on the ends and nape.

The best protective style for me is low manipulation. Wash n go (like in my siggy) or a very lose pony tail if it's already dry(only once around with the band).
Click to expand...


Velvet is that you in your siggy? Very pretty!

And yea same for me my hair doesn't dry properly in buns, it stays mushy, my edges were starting to thin, overall my hair was breaking too much.
 
TheLaurynDoll said:
I agree with all of you ladies... thanks for the input.
I think I will start wearing more wash and goes... as well as wearing my hair down more often... to give my hair a change of pace.
Click to expand...

LaurynDoll,

I wore a bun for a very long time and I felt the shorter my hair was the more difficutly it was to do a bun without inadvertently, pulling/breaking my hair :nono:

I think you are at that length were it's very difficult to do a bun without causing some sort of additional problem.

My hair took off, the minute I stopped trying to pull-it all back into a bun...I embraced wash-n-go's and my hair was better for it.

I paid special attention to me ends...and that definitely helped me also :yep:
 
i dont mean to be difficult.....but......
i agree a lose bun is best for less stress on the scalp/edges but doesnt look very presentable in 'real life'. at the same time, i work in a corporate/financial office and cant flaunt braids or cornrolls w/out my boss FREAKING out (he wouldnt appreciate braids even if i was caucasion).
also - i'm transitioning so my wash and goes are HUGE and would also not look neat or 'polished' enough for work.
In the past i've done the loose bun with a thin hair band to hold my hair back, but i wear glasses so the glasses plus the hair band (both behind my ears) makes my ears stick out horribly :lachen:
Any other 'non-heat' suggestions? Like i said, i dont mean to be diffult, i have accepted the fact that there MAY NOT B an alternative, but if you think you may have one, PLEASE SHARE - TIA
 
TheLaurynDoll said:
Hey all!

I've been wearing my hair in a bun for over 2 years now. At this point, my edges aren't see through, but they do appear as if they will get weak. I have a widows peak so parting down the middle is NOT the business for me, but the brushing side swoops I'm doing are wearing thin.

In addition, I think this is not helping my growth. I'm classicly stuck at shoulder length.

I almost never straighten my hair, and my regimen is washing 2-5x a week with CON green or co-washing. I set my hair with conditioner and tie it down.

What should I do? I want my hair to grow... and I don't want it down all the time, but the bunning is ridiculous!
Click to expand...

Sorry that the bunning is not working for you ((hug))! The bolded may be too much manipulation. I like bunning, I do it after conditioning, and I don't take down the bun until the next wash which 4-7 days later. I moisturize daily though and also tuck my ends under to protect them. ITA that you should try other styles like braidouts and bantu knots, it may help, HHG!
 
Interesting thread.

Bunning, has been good to me. Perhaps you are one of thise people who shouldn't wash so frequently. Or maybe you are bunning while your hair is still too wet. What I do is wash in the shower, then while taking care of my other grooming needs, I let my hair hang in the back. After I'm done, my hair has lost some of the excess water. I then brush back with a SOFT boar bristle brush and make a braid. I don't use any ponytail holders either. I just fold and pin (just started folding up and pinning cuz' folding down was beginning to be difficult due to bun "fatness":grin:). Anyhow, try to change it up a bit.

I also recently started doing this as a variation. I let my hair dry in a braid, then make bantu knots (about 6) with moisturizer to hold. I sleep in them, and the next day pull them out and pin up in a cute updo. This has REALLY satisfied my boredom from the bun. Try it and see.

Good luck!
 
velvet said:
Bunning totally breaks off my hair. It keeps my hair wet and mushy, and puts too much stress on the ends and nape.

The best protective style for me is low manipulation. Wash n go (like in my siggy) or a very lose pony tail if it's already dry(only once around with the band).
Click to expand...

LOVE your hair!
 
Radianthealth said:
What about a french roll or french braid or a flexirod set or a hair zing

www.hairzing.com


I feel that baggying and bunning with hair elastics compromised my first year of growth on this board. I no longer baggy, bun, microbraid, or use hair elastics.

This is the style I plan to wear once mine arrives

http://www.hairzing.com/docs/DoubleCoilBun.pdf
Click to expand...

French braid - good idea. that could work. simple, yet effective. thanks so much Radiant! and i will look into that hairzing thing too.
 
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