Wet bunning...

[tropicexotic]

Anyone wet bun their hair after a wash? Are there any cons to doing so? Pros for me is that it stretches out my hair so I can do a "wash and go" style with less shrinkage...I know that pulled back styles create tension on the hairline, but is there anything else I should look out for?

 

[SEMO]

I've been putting my hair up in a bun while wet for a long time now and it works great for me. I find that more moisture stays in my hair, especially when I use an oil like jojoba in my hair, and it lays my hair down well. Sometimes my hair lays down too well, so I "re-bun" my hair after a day or two to get a little more volume in my hair, since the front is the thinnest part of my hair).

The only con I can think of is that my hair takes a LONG time to dry and when I bun my hair while wet it will still be damp for a day or two on the inside (not so pleasant during the winter when going out with wet hair isn't fun).

 

[tropicexotic]

Thanks for responding Mine took a while to dry too...how often do you re-bun on wet hair? I don't think I'll be doing it often, but I don't want any fungus issues if I'm walking around with wet hair for a day or two.

 

[lexi84]

I wet bun. Right after its been towel dried and detangled under the shower water. I just apply my NTM leave in, do a few strokes with the wide tooth comb again and brush it back(with my soft boar bristle brush of course) into a loose pony for the night. I usually apply my Profectiv healthy ends and then a baggy to my ends and wear my phony bun the next day after it's been airdried over night. Great for moisture! I dont have any problems at all with my edges...none! I know that after a few weeks post, my edges arent going to be perfect and straight so I just let them do their own thing. A couple of strokes with my brush and thats it! No extra gels, potions, and unnecessary effort to make em lay down. Plus my buns are never so tight that I put stress on my edges...thats just rediculous.

 

[Vshanell]

I don't think my hair would ever dry if I wet bunned it. I would love to try it though but I just don't have days to wait until it dries. Yeah, fungus could probably be an issue.

 

[SEMO]

I've been bunning my hair wet, after washing it, for years and I've never had a problem with fungus. I've noticed that since I've been transitioning to natural my bun dries much faster than when I was fully relaxed. I usually re-bun my mostly dry hair after a day or two and have found that this helps most of the dampness dry out (while I comb my hair or oil my scalp).

I always re-comb and re-bun my hair everyday or two. Also, I only wash my hair once a week. So it's not like my hair is perpetually wet or damp. I think this is a major reason why wet bunning has worked for me.

 

[lexi84]

I've been bunning my hair wet, after washing it, for years and I've never had a problem with fungus. I've noticed that since I've been transitioning to natural my bun dries much faster than when I was fully relaxed. I usually re-bun my mostly dry hair after a day or two and have found that this helps most of the dampness dry out (while I comb my hair or oil my scalp).

I always re-comb and re-bun my hair everyday or two. Also, I only wash my hair once a week. So it's not like my hair is perpetually wet or damp. I think this is a major reason why wet bunning has worked for me.

Totally agree, its not like I let my hair sit in that same bun for a week or two. LOL heck no! I usually let the damp parts dry the next day.

 

[tropicexotic]

Thanks ladies! This really helps, I was just worried that doing this every so often might jack up my hairline or mess up my scalp due to staying wet. I used the dryer to speed up my drying time, and it still took forever. I love the results tho, I'm glad to hear that it worked for you two with little to no problems.

 

[blackbarbie]

When I was cw'ing regularly last summer, I would wet bun and just re-wash every other day cause the bun never got dry anyway and I was stretching. I decided to wet bun the other day instead of rollersetting, but I cw'd on Wednesday night, put a scarf on to lay everything down and thought it would be dry and straight enough to take the bun out on Thursday night. Everything was dry except the hair in the bun; it was semi damp. I took it down, sat under my dryer (on cool) for a few minutes and when it was dry, just flat ironed the part that was in the bun.

I like the fact that the whole length of it swings just like all of it was flat ironed. But this is something I won't be doing on a regular cause it wouldn't have turned out right if I had to flat iron from the roots.

 

[Cichelle]

I've been "wet bunning" for just about a year now with no problems. However, I cowash daily. I'm careful about how tight the bun is. In fact, I sometimes do twists in the front and put them back very loosely with clips. Anyway, I don't have any mold or fungus in my hair.

 

[Supergirl]

I was a wet-bunner a few years ago. I found that doing this regularly caused some breakage of the hair that is right behind the bottom part of my ears. (hope that was a good explanation of the hair I'm talking about!) I think the key is to take the bun down periodically and not to do it too tightly.

 

[*Frisky*]

I was a wet-bunner a few years ago. I found that doing this regularly caused some breakage of the hair that is right behind the bottom part of my ears. (hope that was a good explanation of the hair I'm talking about!) I think the key is to take the bun down periodically and not to do it too tightly.

This happended to me too so I dont bun anymore...I think Sistaslick said she experienced this as well.

 

[Sistaslick]

I've gone back to buns as my ultimate protective style after a few mishaps , but I had to cut back on wet bunning pretty much altogether. I've found that its better for me to do a ponytail or bun style on hair that is partially dry or close to it. Pulling your hair taut while its sopping wet can be terribly damaging to your tresses. Hair is stretched and the most elastic when wet. As the hair dries, it begins to contract, and this is where you may begin to see breakage. While the stretched hair is trying to return to its normal state, it is still being held taut in its stretched position by your holder. Over time, the area near the holder grows weaker from the stretching and its inability to properly contract during drying. The end result is breakage, especially if you wear your bun in the same place faithfully.

Other things you can do to reduce bunning breakage are making sure you coat your holder with an oil or something to reduce friction on the areas of the hair strand under the holder, and always giving yourself that wiggle room with your holder. I limit myself to two times around for a holder on damp hair (just to keep it contained until dry) and up to three on dry hair. Either way, you should be able to touch your chin to your chest and roll your head from side to side without feeling any tension, tugging, or pulling anywhere.

 

[Catina72]

Thank you for that advice SistaSlick! I usually let mine airdraw 50% before I start manipulating and by then I've added my moisture, THEN my oil( thanks for that too). Should it be bone dry? And I alway switch up where the bun is located and 2 turns of the satin scrunchie is all I do.

 

[secretdiamond]

I've gone back to buns as my ultimate protective style after a few mishaps , but I had to cut back on wet bunning pretty much altogether. I've found that its better for me to do a ponytail or bun style on hair that is partially dry or close to it. Pulling your hair taut while its sopping wet can be terribly damaging to your tresses. Hair is stretched and the most elastic when wet. As the hair dries, it begins to contract, and this is where you may begin to see breakage. While the stretched hair is trying to return to its normal state, it is still being held taut in its stretched position by your holder. Over time, the area near the holder grows weaker from the stretching and its inability to properly contract during drying. The end result is breakage, especially if you wear your bun in the same place faithfully.

Other things you can do to reduce bunning breakage are making sure you coat your holder with an oil or something to reduce friction on the areas of the hair strand under the holder, and always giving yourself that wiggle room with your holder. I limit myself to two times around for a holder on damp hair (just to keep it contained until dry) and up to three on dry hair. Either way, you should be able to touch your chin to your chest and roll your head from side to side without feeling any tension, tugging, or pulling anywhere.

I remember reading your explanation before and completely agreeing and understanding it, but now that I'm thinking about it, isn't this the same thing that's done for a rollerset???--- The hair is pulled taut while wet and then is dried. So this should mean that doing rollersets will result in such breakage as well.??

 

[wadadligyal]

I've gone back to buns as my ultimate protective style after a few mishaps , but I had to cut back on wet bunning pretty much altogether. I've found that its better for me to do a ponytail or bun style on hair that is partially dry or close to it. Pulling your hair taut while its sopping wet can be terribly damaging to your tresses. Hair is stretched and the most elastic when wet. As the hair dries, it begins to contract, and this is where you may begin to see breakage. While the stretched hair is trying to return to its normal state, it is still being held taut in its stretched position by your holder. Over time, the area near the holder grows weaker from the stretching and its inability to properly contract during drying. The end result is breakage, especially if you wear your bun in the same place faithfully.

Other things you can do to reduce bunning breakage are making sure you coat your holder with an oil or something to reduce friction on the areas of the hair strand under the holder, and always giving yourself that wiggle room with your holder. I limit myself to two times around for a holder on damp hair (just to keep it contained until dry) and up to three on dry hair. Either way, you should be able to touch your chin to your chest and roll your head from side to side without feeling any tension, tugging, or pulling anywhere.

Great advice as usual!!!!! I'll be sure to implement this!!!!

 

[Sistaslick]

hmmm, that does make sense too SD. :scratchch Here's what I think . . .Though the hair is contracting as it dries in both cases, to me it would seem like the hair under the holder of a wet pony would experience more problems with pulling tension/damage than the hair in a rolled section would. I don't think one wet bunning episode will cause problems, but repeated back to back wet bunnings can. I really wouldn't worry about rollersetting too much because the rollers are only temporary-- but buns/ponies become a problem because they are often worn as the style itself too and so the tension and can pulling persist for days.


Then in a wet bun/pony the stress is directed to one area of the hair strand repeatedly(ie, the ponytail dent), if the wearer doesn't make adjustments over time. With a rollerset, the "pulling tension" is more even along the shaft and only temporary. On a wet pony, wrapping the holder itself on the wet hair is hard enough on the cuticles in that area. In a rollerset, there isn't much cuticle roughing b/c the hair is always evenly smoothed into the circle around the roller-- it doesn't have to deal with being "cinched" into place as one unit.

I'd definitely think rollersetting would be less damaging than a wet ponytail held and allowed to dry in the same spot over and over. I don't think its necessarily the drying and contracting alone that causes damage, but that process happening over and over again in one concentrated area. Or if the area under the pony is never really given the chance to dry.

 

[Tee]

i wet bun often and never had any problems.

 

[Supergirl]

hmmm, that does make sense too SD. :scratchch Here's what I think . . .Though the hair is contracting as it dries in both cases, to me it would seem like the hair under the holder of a wet pony would experience more problems with pulling tension/damage than the hair in a rolled section would. I don't think one wet bunning episode will cause problems, but repeated back to back wet bunnings can. I really wouldn't worry about rollersetting too much because the rollers are only temporary-- but buns/ponies become a problem because they are often worn as the style itself too and so the tension and can pulling persist for days.


Then in a wet bun/pony the stress is directed to one area of the hair strand repeatedly(ie, the ponytail dent), if the wearer doesn't make adjustments over time. With a rollerset, the "pulling tension" is more even along the shaft and only temporary. On a wet pony, wrapping the holder itself on the wet hair is hard enough on the cuticles in that area. In a rollerset, there isn't much cuticle roughing b/c the hair is always evenly smoothed into the circle around the roller-- it doesn't have to deal with being "cinched" into place as one unit.

I'd definitely think rollersetting would be less damaging than a wet ponytail held and allowed to dry in the same spot over and over. I don't think its necessarily the drying and contracting alone that causes damage, but that process happening over and over again in one concentrated area. Or if the area under the pony is never really given the chance to dry.

Yeah, what she said.

 

[tropicexotic]

These are all great responses, thanks! I hope this helps someone else as well. I'm only going to do them when I want a stretched wash and go, so I think I'll be ok. I used to wear dry ponytails alot when I was relaxed and I used to always get breakage in the same spot...I didn't really treat my hair well until my last year or two being relaxed so that was part of it, but I agree that constant wear and tear to the same spot can have pretty bad results!

 

[Allandra]

I've been doing this for years, and I haven't had any problems.