Why I Don't Bun for a Protective Style

Ask someone on a hair journey "How did you grow your hair out?" and you'll get a lot of "Oh, I wear it mainly in buns." "I'm big on protective styles." and "My hair is always up." Protective styling--specifically "bunning"--has been praised as the best way to retain length in African American hair. I too used to look at this style as some sort of magical hair growth aid. I even have several YouTube videos dedicated to buns.

Shortly after I went natural I wanted to really see what my hair could do so I ditched the bun in favor of loose set styles. I retained length with these styles but wanted to get even more serious about my retention game so I joined a bun challenge. The bun challenge went well but the results were less than impressive. Also, wearing buns for 6 months made me realize that when not stretched into a set style, my natural texture gets really tangled on itself at my crown. I would spend a lot of time detangling my hair between buns and I dreaded the process.

Now, if I ever want to wear a protective style, I put my hair into jumbo twists and style those. They're quick to put in and just as quick to take out on wash day. They also keep my hair from getting tangled. I have two jumbo twist styles on my YouTube channel. However, I just don't bun that often at all now. I know that I can retain length by keeping my hair moisturized with a deep conditioner and leave in and sealing that moisture in.

Buns = Tangles :(


                               




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