HELP ME with the BUN!!!

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Her hair is almost down to her waist, it's very fine and curly.
She doesn't like it right behind her head because she says it gets in her way when she does her backwards roll? Not sure what it's called..they pretty much roll back to a push up position (level 4 floor).

So I try to do it way up high and after the WARM UP..it's dangling down!! Everyone's hair is rock solid!

I make a pony tail...spray...more like fumigate her head..then take the ponytail and twist it so I can start wrapping it around the base of the ponytail. Then I pin it and put another band around it and pin some more. Then the scrunchy.

It does not last longer than 10 min into the meet warm up. She had to go the whole meet with a dangling pony tail this last time bc I couldn't get her attention and the coaches never pinned it back up (well, I don't blame them).

Is there a secret to the bun with long hair??? We talked about cutting it to just make it easier...and she bursts into tears...aaaah!!!

I've tried pigtails but to be quite honest...well, her hair is so long that when I wrap it around each pigtail they start to look like cones! LOL

Is there a site, a book...SOMETHING to help me figure this out?!?!

TIA!
 
DD's hair used to be down to her bottom. Her HC suggested that I make several braids out of the pony tail and individually wrap & pin each braid around the base. Can't say it worked great forms as I SUCK at buns ! HC was always handing me handfuls of hair pins !

Have you used lots of gel and tried twisting the ponytail so it curls around itself then tucking the end back through the original pony tail holder ? DD's hair is shorter now so not sure if it would work for you or not.
 
Is a bun required or just preferred?

If required:

Step one go get a net. Don't worry if it's big. You're going to wrap it.

Now the pins, they probably won't work so well for so much hair. But there's another technique that sounds a little weird, it's basically sewing with yarn. Get some neutral color yarn that won't show too much in her hair, and a blunt needle. I tried to find the USAG link to the instructions, but couldn't, so I'll just try to describe what I remember of the idea. Put the hair in a ponytail with elastic. Braid it, and secure it with a smaller elastic. Wrap around. Wrap the net around tightly - you'll probably have to do it a couple times. I guess you should put an elastic on at this point. Now from here, you're going to sew it to the head, with yarn. I would try it on a non meet day and see what works. I'd secure through the hair and to the elastic. I saw some instructions where they were also starting from wrapped around the elastic, then going in through the middle, back out under the elastic through the other side, then back in through the middle, clockwise around the bun. I don't have anything good to recommend, but if you must do a bun, i'd give this technique a try and experiment. The you can put the scrunchie on.

If buns aren't required, I would do braided loops. Ponytail or pigtails, separate the hair into more manageable sections, braid them, tuck them securely under the elastic (pull through a good couple inches so it doesn't fall out - you'll be able to hide the scragglers with the scrunchie and another elastic). Once all the braids are looped through, wrap another elastic tightly around the entire thing. Then do the scrunchie. I don't like a long ponytail either, but this gets the hair off the neck and is a compromise that often works better for longer hair.
 
Here is a pic of my dd's hair last year for meets (her hair was to the middle of her back). It isn't a bun but close. See if this is something you can do for your dd:

StyleGymnasticsMDLMeetJan42009017.jpg


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What I did was put it into a ponytail, then I split it into two sections and braided each and secured with elastics very tightly. Then I tucked each braid under and through the pony tail holder. Then I secured the base with another ponytail holder then the scrunchie. It lasted all meet and was very "neat and pretty". It is a good option for long hair.

PM me if you have more questions. Good luck!!!
 
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You can sew the bun to her head. I learned this trick from Ingymmom and it is awesome. I take DDs hair and put it into a pony. Divide it into 2 pieces and either braid or rope braid each, secure the ends with a rubber band. Get some embroidery floss at Joann's or Michaels, you can find some that match her hair probably. Get a childs/large sewing needle, too. Start wrapping one of the braids around the base of the pony tail and then start sewing it to her other hair. After it is done, take the other one and do the same going the opposite direction. I use lots of the Ion Spray gel in her hair before I start, too.

I do this the night before. In the AM, I use the spray gel and get any wispies glued down, add a hair net wrapped around. Then I take 4 of the bigger, U-shaped bobby pins (got these, hairnet and Ion Spray gel at Sally's Beauty) and use them to fasten the scrunchy. I put one at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock. Works like a charm.

I plan on making a video the next time I do this, but her next meet isn't for 2 weeks. I figured it out though and did it for practice once.
 
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My daughter's hair is long, too, and very, very fine. My first attempt at a bun was completely abysmal. My second attempt was much better and we've stuck with that ever since. Now what I do is make the ponytail up high on her head, using lots of gel. After the gel comes the competition hair spray (Pump It Up- I call it hair cement!). Then I braid the ponytail, spray it down and wrap it around into the bun, holding it in place with bobby pins all the way around. Then I spray the whole thing again and let it dry. Finally, I put the scrunchie on and hold it with a couple more bobby pins. Boo's teammates kept touching it and saying "it feels like a rock!" LOL... guess all that spray worked. LOL
 
I used to used tons and tons and tons of hair spray and clips. My hair wasn't thick or thin nor very long but for some reason it just didn't want to stay up at all! I would not wash my hair the night before or the morning of the meet so it would get kind of oily; it would stay in a pony tail better. Then I would put my hair in a pony then used hairspray, a lot of it. Then I would separate my hair into two parts. Wrap on section and pin it and hairspray it then wrap the next section the same directions, pin it, then hair spray it. Then use another ponytail holder to secure that, then a net, then another ponytail holder and of course more hairspray. When all that was done I would use pins to make sure everything was secure as it could be. And then put the scrunchie in and of course some more hairspray!

I was the designated hair putter upper on my acro team and I did their hair that same one. No one had issues with their falling down; even the girls with long curly hair and even a girl with super super thick hair; she never had a problem either.
 
What I love about sewing the bun is that you can make a flatter bun when you have a girl with really long hair, it is bigger, but flatter.

I didn't like the buns at first (it is required for meets at DDs gym until after L6, then they can just do high pony), but I like how easy it is now, no worrying what style, etc.
 
Her hair is almost down to her waist, it's very fine and curly.
She doesn't like it right behind her head because she says it gets in her way when she does her backwards roll? Not sure what it's called..they pretty much roll back to a push up position (level 4 floor).

So I try to do it way up high and after the WARM UP..it's dangling down!! Everyone's hair is rock solid!

I make a pony tail...spray...more like fumigate her head..then take the ponytail and twist it so I can start wrapping it around the base of the ponytail. Then I pin it and put another band around it and pin some more. Then the scrunchy.

It does not last longer than 10 min into the meet warm up. She had to go the whole meet with a dangling pony tail this last time bc I couldn't get her attention and the coaches never pinned it back up (well, I don't blame them).

Is there a secret to the bun with long hair??? We talked about cutting it to just make it easier...and she bursts into tears...aaaah!!!

I've tried pigtails but to be quite honest...well, her hair is so long that when I wrap it around each pigtail they start to look like cones! LOL

Is there a site, a book...SOMETHING to help me figure this out?!?!

TIA!


until recently my DD's hair was thick wavy and she could sit on it.

What I did first find the cheapest generic super hold hair spray you can find
Then get the non slip hair ties.
next everything up in a high pony tail.
next divide the poney tail up into 3 - 5 parts and braid each part seperatly so you have 3 - 5 braids hanging from the pony tail. (I do 5 braids).
Next spray all the braids so they are tacky (doesn't take too much of the cheap spray)
Next wrap one of the braids around the base of the pony tail tightly and pin it in. So the same fore each of the braids
next and for long hair like this you need this - get a "bun cover" and put it over the bun you just created and pin it in at the base of the bun cover
spray everything and smooth with a comb and add what ever clips you need to hold the flyaways.
You can put a scrunchy around the bun for show if you want.


When I do this to my DD's hair I can do it the night before she can sleep on it and go to a whole day of school and it still is tight and up not a hair out of place. The cheap spray and braids are the key. the sticky braids sort of hold together like velcro LOL.

It takes a good 2 full washings to get it all out of her hair LOL
 
Braiding is the key, however many you do. When it isn't braided if a small chunk of hair comes out then the whole bun gets looser and then more and more hair falls out.
 
Oh man, The Hair.

When I competed we had to have buns too. Mine was long & thick. I'd do the top in a spider web or french braids, then put it into a ponytail. After that we started coiling the bun, put 2 pins in, put 1 hairnet over the beginning of the bun (with the rest hanging down), then coiled it and pinned every 1/4 inch or so. We then put another 2 nets over THAT, pinning each one to my head.

It didn't MOVE.
 
My daughter had hair down to her waist and buns were required so...I used to braid it in one braid, then wrap around to make the bun but I'd pin it with HAIR PINS (not bobby pins) ...I'd use about 30 of them and her hair would not move. Then I'd take a hair net, put it over the bun and cinch it at the bottom and knot the hair net (I'd have to cut it after the meet with scissors because uit stayed so well) , then of course, the "mandatory scrunchie " around that. Her bun was so secure that we used to joke that you could pick her up by her bun!!
 
i would say get a bun net with the rhinestones on it. they look very good for meets. also, try french braiding both sides of her hair into a ponytail and then put it in a bun, which would give you a little less hair to work with, possibly making it easier to hold. good luck!
 
At one point, I put bun instructions into our parents' manual. Here they are:

  • Wet hair and add gel.
  • Make a pony tail – not too high (remember they have to do a back extension roll) and not too low (they don’t want to have “grannyâ€￾ hair).
  • Divide the hair into two sections and braid each section.
  • Wrap one braid around the base of the pony tail clockwise—secure with hair pins
  • Wrap the other braid around the first braid counter clockwise—secure with hair pins
  • Spray all with heavy duty hair spray
  • Put a hair net over the bun—you’ll have to loop it around two or three times
  • Secure the hair net with bobbie pins
  • Spray the entire head again
  • Put hair clips in a circle all the way around the bun
  • Put the scrunchie at the base of the bun
I've never seen this one fail--regardless of hair length and type. Good luck!
 
Braids are definitely a big thing.
Also inside out buns are cool; do a ponytail and then take the hair and spread it out so it makes a big circle on the back of the head. I recommend braiding some of it for extra stability.
If you do it is best to do fairly small braids and spread them evenly like the face of a clock. Then press the hair to the head and tie it so it makes a doughnut shape around the base of the ponytail.
It creates an interesting "fan" effect around the bun and if you have medium or short hair you can leave it that way but if you have long you will probably want to braid the rest two ways and wrap them around the doughnut. Then spray the heck out of it and add some clips.

By the way, if anyone is having trouble keeping hair out of the way during regular practice I recommend the easy bun (google it it's really cool) or do 1-2 ponies and braid them.
 
I think the braid and a lot of gel works best. Also I find the strongest elastic pony tails to hold the braid in the bun shape. I don't use any bobby pins. The scrunchie is just for looks then.
 

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