My daughter just started doing serious ballet for which the classes require a bun and she will be doing multiple shows for the Nutcracker and also a recital. In the past, once a year I would have my hair salon do a bun for a show. But now it's all on me a couple times per week. HELP!!
Any advice for teaching me or her? Any links or good you tube videos?
She is 8 and has long hair, luckily, I think. I was planning to just make a ponytail or braid and twist it up with pins and a net. But I don't want the other ballet moms to make fun of my hairstyling skills :)
THANK YOU so much for all the detail. I actually didn't think I would get any responses. Dance Moms are cool!
Hi, S.M.:
They have regular bun shapes.
website:
vermontcountrystore.com
Good luck.
D.
search her site and watch the videos, learn to love spray bottles of water, leave-in conditioner and hairspray along with hairpins and bobbypins.
Hi! My Sarah (17 on Wednesday) has never had her hair cut and has been using this:
http://www.amazon.com/Scunci-Hair-Accessory-Magic-Bun/dp/...
for more years than I can remember. Her school has always required buns. It is really easy to do and your daughter will eventually figure it out for herself too. Put her hair in a pony tail and all you need is a couple of bobby pins for where it joins and some hair spray or gel for the whispies. Enjoy the Nutcracker!
Lots of ways you can do this, but my go-to buns when I was dancing were...
Always start with a very tight pony tail that sits slightly below the ear line.
1. Braid or twist her hair and start coiling it around the elastic. Pin "as you go"... don't wait until the last "loop" or it will not be secure. Cover it with a hair net.
2. Braid her pony tail and fold the braid "under" and in half. (so it looks like the shape of an eclair) and either pin it all the way around or secure it right in the middle with a large barrette.
I used to do both depending on my mood. My mother used to do this amazing "air bun" that involved really elaborate "rolling and pinning", but I could never do that one on myself!
You have some very good tops listed here! From a dancer, I have been doing my own buns since I was about 10...when I started doing shows and needed to do them on a regular basis. My mom told me that if I was going to do the shows, I needed to learn how to do my own hair/makeup. My hair is very THICK so my way of doing it is a bit different (and more complicated to explain) than others that are listed. I would recommend the ponytail, then braiding it, and then using hairpins to pin as you wrap the braid into a bun, and then hairnet over the top to clean up loose pieces that stick out. Play with different heights of buns - higher on head, back of head, low (just above neck), to see where your daughter likes them best. Mine were always a bit higher, but a lot of girls I danced with liked the low bun. The studio may have requirements on bun placement for shows - if so, find that out and learn it so your daughter is used to dancing with it.
If you do the bun without the braid - just twisting it, still pin as you go - more secure. I like hairpins better than bobby pins. Bobby pins always pulled my hair too much and gave me migraines.
Don't be afraid to ask other moms at the studio too! They might have good tips! :-) Not every dance mom is like those on TV!!
Practice a lot. But they make a bundini thingy that helps put hair in the perfect bun. Then hairnet, bobby pins and hairspray are your best friends. But get a doll and practice.
No, she is not going to be able to do this herself. Go to Walmart and buy some thin hair nets. They are by the hair brushes and stuff. In a small plastic bag.
If these are not strong enough for the weight of her hair then you need to go to Sally's or BeautyCo and buy the regular hair nets they have. They are more expensive but if you don't allow her to take the buns out you can make sure when you take them out that you don't rip them.
I find that when I do a bun it works better if the hair is wet or pretty damp. I comb all the tangles out and use a good strong mousse or gel. Then I use a natural bristle brush, I'll add a link to one if I remember...lol. Then I get the hair band as tight as I can. Sometimes I need a really really strong stretchy one, not a cheapy that will break and slid around.
Then I take the hair and wrap it around a bit. I use bobby pins to sort of secure it so that it won't fall down while I try to put the hair net on/over it.
The best way I can describe what I do with the hair net is to double it or triple it. I use my hands to hold both ends then I twist it in the middle and put on half inside the other one. This makes the hairnet stronger and thicker. I put this over the bun part and if there is excess I pull it around a bit and wrap another bit of it over the bun.
So, I have a very precarious bun in place right now. It's time to stick the bobby pins in. I use both the long U shape and the regular bobby pins.
Walmart has the most expensive bobby pins around. I get my at Dollar Tree or the Dollar Shop. Someplace that has all the items in the store for a dollar. You know which ones I mean.
The hair being wet allows for the mousse or gel to stick it together better. If her hair creeps out of the bun you need to spray it down with unscented hair spray, so if anyone is allergic to the scent she won't make them start sneezing when she walks by...lol. Anyway, plastering it down about this time is a good thing. If her costume goes over her head you'll want to consider putting the over the head stuff on before or after the hair. You don't want to risk it coming down.
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Some of the hair styles can be done dry, but I find that they fall out and look very very very very sloppy and messy.
If you choose to do her hair dry then be prepared. Put the hair in the position to brush it into a pony tail. You know, with the hair in one hand and the brush in the other where the hair is up in back and back in the front. Saturate the natural bristle hair brush with super duper strong hair spray, the most hold possible, and brush the hair from front to the back the saturate it again and do it from the bottom up to the pony tail.
This "glues" the wispy hairs that will fall out to the others around it and will make the hair style look much better and tidier.
The key to this is practice, practice, practice. Do it on a Saturday where you have all day, do it in the evening before her bath time so that you can wash the hair spray out, do it every week until you have it down.
It is very easy to do in a couple of minutes if you have time. Once you get used to how your hands are going to feel doing it.
In my bag I take to the store to do her hair for dance. I work the evening shift that day and she has hip hop first so we do her hair/bun in the in-between time.
My list to make sure I have:
Spray bottle with fresh water in it, it can sour and start to smell moldy
Bobby pins
Strong, stretchy pony tail holders
2 kinds of hair brushes; 1 strong pokey sort with pointed bristles with balls on the end, to get out strong tangles, and 1 natural bristle brush
Mousse or gel
At least 2 hair nets in fair to good condition. I use ones with holes and just make sure the holes are not showing.
There are also tons of hair styling videos on youtube.com. just search for how to do a ballet bun.
Natural bristle brushes. Mine is the tan one by Avon, I've had it about 20 years.
http://www.google.com/search?q=picture+natural+bristle+br...
This is what mine looks like but it's a different shade
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Avon-Vintage-Half-Round-Brush-Whi...
You have another super easy option for a perfect 'ballerina' bun!
It's also known as a 'sock roll', and we used to do it when I was in the military and wanted a prettier hairdo that still met the requirements.
You just take a regular (CLEAN!!!) sock, and cut off the toe. Roll it up into a doughnut shape, and pull the hair through the middle like it's a scrunchy. Have her lean forward enough so that the middle of the sock (with the hair through it) is pointing straight up, and smooth the rest of the hair over it to hide the bun. Then put an elastic over the whole thing, and loop it as many times as needed to hold it. Then you can either braid the hair that is left sticking out, or just wrap it around and pin it.
This hairdo holds up VERY well, and I have NEVER had it come loose on me. You can even pretty it up by braiding a couple of strands of hair while you are smoothing the hair over the sock.
Hey! I found a link with a picture of what I was talking about... But this girl uses a hairnet over the top... :)
http://www.princesshairstyles.com/2011/03/perfect-ballet-...
