Wet Bun, Dry Bun, to wash daily, or not to wash daily...still some questions...

[NappyGoddesse]

I am a fairly new subscriber to LHCF.com, although I was a lurker for some time. It was the 2010 Newbie Challenge post that brought me onboard! I have learned so much from all of the ladies on this forum, and I am ready to take my haircare to the next level...

There is a bit of information overload, howeverso I was hoping that some of you could me with the details.

Right now I am bunning it everyday. I have been for about a month now, with one day where I flat ironed for a church service. I generally am doing wet buns, using a bun hair donut that I found at the hair supply a while back. I am shampooing less, using more conditioner - alternating between mositurizing and protein. Sometimes I spray the Placenta leave-in protein, sometimes I just use the infusium repairology. I also baggy most nights, and this past week I have massaged an AMLA Hair oil and Vatika coconut oil mixture into my scalp and hair, and then washed it out in the morning to schlep my hair back up into a bun. I texlaxed three weeks ago, and will try to stretch as long as I can, as well as not use any heat until Thaqnksgiving and/or Christmas (besides the dryer for deep conditioning).

My hair is feeling a lot stronger, I have seen less breakage, and I know its due to the tips and product raves/reviews that I am reading about on this site. I still have a few more questions that need clarifying so that I can keep my hair healthy:

(1) Should I be dry-bunning as opposed to wet-bunning? And if I should be dry-bunning, then how should I be drying my hair?

(2) Should I be wetting my hair every to every other day? I wash generally once a week and then conditioner wash either everyday, or every other day, depending on the condition of my hair from oils the night before, or being able to brush it all up into a bun dry.

(3) Am I missing anything? I know this is a general and vague question...just not sure what else to ask?

Thank you so much for any responses I get to these questions. The ladies on this site are beautiful and I can't wait to share my hair experiences as I become more efficient in my own hair care...

(oh, and I should have hair pics up in my fotki tonight!)

 

[MizzCoco]

If its working for you, then I think your doing the right thing. Wet bunning has always been bad for MY hair, simply because its really fragile. So I air dry hanging down, then once its almost dry, I moisturize and seal, then put it back in the bun. Some ladies have done wet bunning with success, however I am not one of them. I only cowash 2x a week to minimize manipulation

 

[NappyGoddesse]

Thanks, Fullypersuaded7, for your reply!

 

[msa]

I agree, if it's working then stick with it. I can't wet bun (shrinkage leads to single strand knots for me) nor can I wet my hair everyday unless it's in a protective style like braids.

I bun my hair after it's been dried and stretched. Basically, I braid my hair up while it's wet, let it dry, take the braids out and bun. I've also stretched my hair by blowdrying on cool.

 

[lilsparkle825]

I used to cowash daily, but it was too much manipulation...but my hair generally likes being cowashed and airdried in a bun so that the ends stay moist for a while. however, when doing this i would take it down everyday and spray/seal the ends before re-tucking them in the bun. if you are seeing an improvement in your hair based on what you are currently doing, don't change your regimen...that's how setbacks occur!

 

[NappyGoddesse]

msa:
THANKS - I used to plait and dry my natural hair when getting ready to twist, or straighten...I may try this during the winter months so I don't catch pneumonia with my hair being wet and then out in the cool air...

lilsparkle825:
TRUE - I really don't want any setbacks this early in my journey...but I also want to make sure I am starting off with the best thing for my hair so I don't keep trucking along doing my thing and then experience a setback in a year from now. I don't think I could handle that!! ::sniff:sniff::

Thank you both for your responses!

 

[Diva_Esq]

I wet bun and don't have any problems with that. I usually wet bun for a week, then flat iron following a pre poo, poo, con & deep con. I might touch it up in a few places with heat by mid-week b/c of my workouts. I am about to try and incorporate rollersets. I like my buns sleek and tight, therefore dry bunning doesn't really work as well at shoulder length with some layering b/c I don't like any hair sticking out. Unless you notice damage, I think you're fine.

 

[NappyGoddesse]

That's a good way to put it, Diva - I also have right-at-shoulder-length hair with many layers that I hope will grow out soon. Dry buns are harder to control!

 

[ilah]

OOOoooooo - I think I need to learn something! Ladies, please edgucate the ignorant.

What is a wet bun? I've never heard this before! What's a dry bun? (I might have a clue on this one but who knows - I just might be wrong!)erplexed

I love this forum (get more knowledge by the day!)

 

[sheba1]

I cowashed daily and wet bun all summer and experienced a nice growth spurt (pics in my fotki). Now that it's getting cooler and I got tired of my hair always being pulled back, I'm wearing individual plaits (no hair added) under a wig. Super duper easy to oil scalp cowash and seal with less manipulation. But when the summer comes back around, I suspect I'll be right back to cowashing wet bunning.

Be careful with that donut that you have there. Have you wrapped it with some satin ribbon or anything? Don't want it robbing your hair of moisture. Also, I feel the donut causes a little stress when bunning wet (for my hair). I'd rather ease my hair into a bun with my hands and just tuck my hair under itself for most buns. I only donut bun when I'm feeling fancy shmancy.

Hey Ila, a wet bun is when you cowash or shampoo/condition and then put your hair into a bun while wet. There's a famous thread around these parts where a young lady would wet bun and then leave her hair completely alone for a week at a time while she grew her hair to nearly waist length in a year. I'll see if I can find it and post it. Inspired a lot of ladies. But many have found that wet bunning causes them more harm than good. Me, I like having access to my scalp for now so leaving it be for a week at a time doesn't work out for me. But the protective styling is the key for many to retain the maximum amount of growth. Moist, sealed ends, really saves plenty from having to trim away progress.

ETA: Here's the link: http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=5635&highlight=found

Also check out Waist length in a year by way of bunning...

 

[RosesBlack]

I wash weekly and bun most days. I do take my bun down daily especially if my hair was wet to begin with because my hair will mat up in a hot second if I don't. For me low manipulation bunning didn't work so well. And constant wet bunning left my hair mushy and really tangled. My hair pretty much grows at the same rate no matter what I do. The big difference is in retention for me. Bunning=more retention.

 

[ebonimama]

Definitely a wet bun covered by a baggy for me. I pull my hair back in a pony and twist the bun around itself, I twist a sandwich bag around it and apply the band on top of the baggy. I tie my hair down at night. I moisturize and seal in the morning put the baggy and bun on and go to work.

 

[Poohbear]

NappyGoddesse, I used to have the same questions as you when it came to bunning my hair. Right now, I am also trying to keep my hair in a bun to retain hair growth and to leave my hair alone. I plan on washing my hair once every 1-2 weeks, keeping it in a flat twisted bun, and moisturizing everyday. If you don't want to wet your hair everyday, just moisturize it everyday or as often as you need to. And I don't think it matters whether you wear a dry bun or wet bun, as long as you take good gentle care of your hair. The regimen you posted sounds good to me. I hope it continues to work for you.

 

[IMFOCSD]

I wet bun and don't have any problems with that. I usually wet bun for a week, then flat iron following a pre poo, poo, con & deep con. I might touch it up in a few places with heat by mid-week b/c of my workouts. I am about to try and incorporate rollersets. I like my buns sleek and tight, therefore dry bunning doesn't really work as well at shoulder length with some layering b/c I don't like any hair sticking out. Unless you notice damage, I think you're fine.

Diva_Esq so u were SL in this thread huh...wow....tis all

 

[Diva_Esq]

Diva_Esq so u were SL in this thread huh...wow....tis all

IMFOCSD

Dang, guhl! You went way back to 3 years ago! Yes ma'am...and that was pre-BC!!!! My last relaxer was 5/2/09 and I big chopped on 4/5/10 down to 4" of hair. I couldn't get past grazing APL while relaxed and that was mostly when pregnant. Thanks to this forum and youtube, I am better off with my hair now!!