S-I-C-K of bunning!!! I'm calling it quits!

R

Researching

New Member
Okay ladies. I will admit, hands down, bunning a fast way to retain length. My one year HHJ anniversary past last month and I haven't needed a trim until now. When I started I was APL and now I am one inch from MBL. I never thought I would have hair this long. Thanks to you ladies it has become a reality and I love my length, but I just cannot continue the bunning. I'm sick of it. So, I've decided to risk all my hard work and go back to wearing my hair down. In two weeks I'm going to relax after an 11 week stretch, trim my hair to MBL (2 inches) for a nice blunt cut and roller set and braid out from now on. I will only use blowdryers and flatirons every 10-12 weeks on relaxer day. I will wear my hair up when I feel like it, but not every single day like I have been. Bunning to me, has become like eating the same dinner day after day. I've gotten to the point where I don't even want to look at another bun. Well, what do you ladies think? Am I crazy? Will I end up back at APL. Before my HHJ I could never get past APL, but I also used direct heat biweekly, wore my hair down 90% of the time and never DC or protein conditioned my hair. Will this decision dash my hopes for waist length? I wish I could just have my cake and eat it too.
 
I think you should go ahead and wear your hair down if it will make you happy. You should be able to enjoy your hair. Just make sure you pay attention to your ends. Keep them oiled/moisturized and you should be okay.

Women wear twists and braidouts/twists outs all the time. Their ends are not tucked away. They keep it moisturized/oiled.

Do you mind posting pics of this beautiful MBL hair.
 
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There are a lot of ladies on this board who don't protective style and retain their length. If you want to wear your hair down go ahead, you should be able to enjoy all your hard work. As long as you don't over-do the heat styling I don't think your hair will suffer from wearing it down. Just baby your ends :yep:

By the way bunning is great but there are so many other protective styles out there so maybe you could switch it up before giving up on PSing all together
 
If you're sick of the bun, do it!

I just think, what's the point of having lovely long hair if you're gonna be hiding it in a bun all the time to protect it? When exactly are you gonna enjoy it?

If you're taking care of your hair I don't see why you shouldn't retain length. Plus, your hair is past the shoulder length stage where the ends constantly brush against your clothes so it shouldn't be too bad.

Enjoy your hair girl!
 
You'll be fine--enjoy your hair. Bunning is great, but I feel like it's A LOT easier maintaining a certain length as opposed to try to reach one. Sometimes you have to go extreme, i.e. extreme bunning, to reach a length quickly--but once you get there, you can ease up with the PSing with no problems.
 
I'm terrified of posting pics, info, anything about myself on the net. I don't even have a face book. I had to talk my self into joining the forum. Just my paranoid personality I guess. But yeah, the buns have been depressing. When I relax I wear my hair down for three days and when I put it up everyone at work is like, what you put your hair up again for and they are all white folks, so I can't be like....it's my protective style. LOL. I've had several people including my family wondering what's up with me and the buns and I keep making up lame excuses like I just don't feel like doing all this hair on my head. Over night I went from wearing my hair down everyday to wearing it up every day. I'm surprised no one has made the connection between my bun wearing and my suddenly long hair. Well, one white guy at work in the lounge was like so...do you wear weave. I think they all think my hair is a weave and that's why it's only straight and long when it's down. Every other time it's in a puffy looking bun. I have even dissappointed folks when I come to work a day after wearing my hair down and it's up again. I never thought white folks paid that much attention to blacks folks hair.
 
Bunning is not the only way to retain length. It may be one of the fastest ways, but I am now grazing BSL and I did that in a year by wearing twistouts for 5 weeks after getting a relaxer and then flat ironing and wearing my hair straight until I reached 13 weeks. Then I would relax again and do it all over. So for about 8 weeks straight, I wore my hair straight using HEAT at that.

I think the key for me was flat ironing once a week, alternating between moisture and protein treatments, being super gentle with my hair, and using a heat protectant.
 
NikStar said:
You'll be fine--enjoy your hair. Bunning is great, but I feel like it's A LOT easier maintaining a certain length as opposed to try to reach one. Sometimes you have to go extreme, i.e. extreme bunning, to reach a length quickly--but once you get there, you can ease up with the PSing with no problems.
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What a relief. Now I'm excited about wearing my hair down again!
 
you can post pics with your face blocked out, or pics showing only your hair from the back. There is no need to post a pic with your face showing.

I'd love to see your hair too :) i find great inspiration in those who have achieved their personal hair goals:yep:
 
ljbee said:
Bunning is not the only way to retain length. It may be one of the fastest ways, but I am now grazing BSL and I did that in a year by wearing twistouts for 5 weeks after getting a relaxer and then flat ironing and wearing my hair straight until I reached 13 weeks. Then I would relax again and do it all over. So for about 8 weeks straight, I wore my hair straight using HEAT at that.

I think the key for me was flat ironing once a week, alternating between moisture and protein treatments, being super gentle with my hair, and using a heat protectant.
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Wow! I'm taking notes right now. What length hair did you start out with?
 
Researching said:
Wow! I'm taking notes right now. What length hair did you start out with?
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Hmm...I think I was shoulder length maybe? The growth just came out of nowhere! I kinda didn't have a goal in mind and then next thing I knew, everyone was complimenting me on how long my hair had gotten. Stop focusing on length and focus on health. The length will come.
 
I wonder should I start bunning now to get to full SL and beyond? I don't want to start brushing my hair on the sides and front to smooth it down. I think that's one of the reasons why my hair on the sides and front start growing out so quickly.

As for Researching, I think that you should wear your hair down but not as much as some people may be saying. I mean if you really want to get to beyond MBL, only you will be able to tell if that is possible without protective styles because you know how long it takes you to grow your hair and you know if you have trouble retaining it or not. You know your hair so just keep in mind what you did post SL and how long or hard it took you to get to APL and then that should help you answer your question.
 
AvaSpeaks said:
As for Researching, I think that you should wear your hair down but not as much as some people may be saying. I mean if you really want to get to beyond MBL, only you will be able to tell if that is possible without protective styles because you know how long it takes you to grow your hair and you know if you have trouble retaining it or not. You know your hair so just keep in mind what you did post SL and how long or hard it took you to get to APL and then that should help you answer your question.
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I just want to clarify this point as well. I used to protective style by wearing twistouts for about 5 weeks after getting a relaxer. THEN, after that I would started flat ironing and using heat on my hair once a week for 8 weeks. Then for the rest of the time, I would bun until time for me to get a relaxer and do it all over again. So I kinda alternated my styles. The point I am trying to make is that I did take time to enjoy my hair. I didn't just bun all the time, and my hair is growing quite nicely. Good luck to you!
 
Great post!!! My opinion is just what you stated....bunning (any hardcore protective style) is a way to retain and gain length FAST! You don't need trims as often and you don't get breakage as easily. However, I also am a fervant believer in this is a journey and you should be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor as you grow, not just after you reach your final goal. So IMO it is worth it for you to wear your hair out more, continue with your regimen, and trim more frequently if necessary. It may take 10 months instead of 6 to reach WL (just a random example) but you'll be able to enjoy it along the way, and the extra time it takes to reach your final goal is worth it to be able to enjoy then length along the way.

I don't think it will cause you to have a setback, as everyone says just continue to do as you are doing, low-direct heat, keep your moisture-protein balance in check, and pay attention to your ends...enjoy girl!
 
This so much so sounds like my hairstory, but I stopped bunning after hitting BSL. Then I got lazy and had a lot of breakage at the crown. I'm back on my HHJ and now work from home. I hope to be at MBL or grazing WL by the end of the year. Bunning thinned my nape a bit so I'm wearing two french braids. Since I work from home, this style doesn't bother me like it would if I had to go into a office.
 
the only bun i do is when i put my twists or braids into one during the day, which i do for two reasons. i cant take my hair in my face and if my hair is in a bun less people will try to tug on my hair.

with that being said i have no problems retaining length. as long as im washing, deep conditioning and moisturizing on a consistent basis i never get any breakage.
 
I feel this way too. But to combat the repetition I bun during the day, and I wear my hair down for a few hours each day. My hair NEVER comes down at work. I learned that lesson the hard way. But when I get home I enjoy my hair. Also Im a big fan of hair accessories, the can brighten up any bun IMO.
 
:congrats: on retaining length from APL to MBL!

I hate bunning my hair too, but I also think bunning caused stress on my hair.
 
I'm weird - I love wearing buns! At most the only thing that changes is how high or low I place mine. Still, I understand how you can get sick of them, so do enjoy your hair. If you're looking to keep growing, maybe alternate by wearing protective styles every other week rather than every day. Congratulations on your progress so far and good luck!
 
I know the feeling.. Bunning got me from sl to nearly bsl, although I bun 95% of the time I did enjoy wearing my hair down. You have to do what works for you, if you want to take a break then do that...hhg
 
First off take a break. I get that way sometimes. I came up with a Regimen for myself. 3 weeks in my cornrows, and 7-14 days out, sometimes it is 7 and sometimes I take 14 days. It allows me to not be bored so much, protect my ends, limit manipulation, and the time out allows me to enjoy my hair, not be dependant on PSing all the time, BABY and deep condition my hair, and not be bored so much with not seeing my own hair.

YOu'll be okay with proper care.
 
Poohbear said:
:congrats: on retaining length from APL to MBL!

I hate bunning my hair too, but I also think bunning caused stress on my hair.
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Now see THIS is what I am worried about as well. I mean I understand the bunning part probably works in getting your hair past SL, much like Twists can help get your hair past NL to SL. BUT...

I too am worried about the stress it may cause my hair as well. Especially on the sides where I might have to brush it down for smoothness. I don't know. I think I might try it for a couple of weeks or maybe in May. I got some events coming up and I really want to have my twists in them for that.

I guess as long as you are doing the other stuff like keeping it moisturized and conditioned, then maybe you will be fine. I do keep hearing that stuff you do to get to one length might not be the same stuff you do when you get to another length.
 
If your hair is APL or shorter, bunning may not the best protective style. This is especially true for ladies who like their hair to look sleek and tend to over-brush and/or stretch shorter lengths to get it all into a tidy bun. One way around this would be to twist or braid the front so that only the remaining length needs to be gathered in the bun.
 
Miss*Tress said:
If your hair is APL or shorter, bunning may not the best protective style. This is especially true for ladies who like their hair to look sleek and tend to over-brush and/or stretch shorter lengths to get it all into a tidy bun. One way around this would be to twist or braid the front so that only the remaining length needs to be gathered in the bun.
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I agree! My hair is APL and even though it can fit into a bun, it's still causing stress on the hair strands that are smooth back on the sides and on top.
 
AvaSpeaks said:
Now see THIS is what I am worried about as well. I mean I understand the bunning part probably works in getting your hair past SL, much like Twists can help get your hair past NL to SL. BUT...

I too am worried about the stress it may cause my hair as well. Especially on the sides where I might have to brush it down for smoothness. I don't know. I think I might try it for a couple of weeks or maybe in May. I got some events coming up and I really want to have my twists in them for that.

I guess as long as you are doing the other stuff like keeping it moisturized and conditioned, then maybe you will be fine. I do keep hearing that stuff you do to get to one length might not be the same stuff you do when you get to another length.
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AvaSpeaks - If your hair strands are coarse/thick, you may be able to get away with it. But my hair strands are fine/thin. Plus when I would bun my hair, I would have to re-do it everyday (sometimes more than once a day if I didn't like how it looked), and that was just too much manipulation for my hair as well.
 
Hi Ladies,

I am also a notorious bunner who is getting tired of it, but I find I don't have a lot of success pulling off the other protective styles. I am a lawyer, and being that it is a conservative industry I feel like I am very limited in the styles I can wear to work. Does anyone have links to good tutorials on some protective styles. I can never seem to get my braidouts or twistouts to look really nice.

Right now my hair is a little above APL since I got a trim 2 weeks ago, and I would love to get to BSL by the end of this year.
 
EbonyMajesty said:
Hi Ladies,

I am also a notorious bunner who is getting tired of it, but I find I don't have a lot of success pulling off the other protective styles. I am a lawyer, and being that it is a conservative industry I feel like I am very limited in the styles I can wear to work. Does anyone have links to good tutorials on some protective styles. I can never seem to get my braidouts or twistouts to look really nice.

Right now my hair is a little above APL since I got a trim 2 weeks ago, and I would love to get to BSL by the end of this year.
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EbonyMajesty -
This woman is a lawyer from Illinois, and she wears all types of natural hair styles: http://public.fotki.com/LawDiva/
 
I feel your pain. I bunned nearly every single day of my transition and I credit it with helping me to retain my length. Since my BC last month, I haven't bunned at all! I was/am just sick of it.
Now, I mainly wash and go...but I'm branching out into braid outs and other styles for PSing.

I think you should enjoy your hair! MBL!?!?!?!! Congrats!!!!!! You're at my goal length. You can wear so many incredible styles that still will still keep your hair protected.
 
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