HELP! Bunning Daily is thinning out my NAPE!

[baddison]

I could be just paranoid, but I could almost swear that I had more hair in the back of my head. Not just more, but thicker too. Now, after bunning religiously for 7months straight...yes even Saturday and "church"day....it seems that my nape hairs are getting thinner and more sparse. Its thin and wispy. Also, I frequently have serious itching spells in my nape area. For the itching, I have applied tea-tree oil directly to the area. This seems to work almost immediately. I am worried that I might be getting bald in the nape area. I don't want that. Every where else on my head, my hair is thriving quite well. With regular henna treatments the hair is tough, and strong. But the nape...its just not happening. I don't want to give up the bun, since I have gotten such good growth, but what can I do with my nape area????

Can any of you knowledgeable ladies suggest/recommend a good solution?

 

[MAMATO]

Do you sleep with your bun. That may be the problem...

 

[LushLox]

When you lose hair it kind of creeps up you, you may not notice it immediately and then bam, out of nowhere it's gone. Well that's what happened to me anyway... or maybe I was just too ignorant to really pay that much attention back then.

I think bunning consistently for that length of time is going to be a bit much for a lot of people. I do worry about the message given out on here about bunning, because not everyone can cope with it on a daily long term basis.

Were you wearing the hair quite tight and in the same area? When this happened to me I had to stop doing those hairstyles and just loosely pin up my hair with bobby pins so there's no pressure on the hair at all. I still wear my hair like this for the most part, and all my effected areas have picked up now.

You're going to really need to baby that area, regular DC'ing, moisturise often, and perhaps massage as you're doing. Try using castor oil. I do hope you can rectify the problem.

 

[baddison]

Do you sleep with your bun. That may be the problem...

No. Each nite I part/section my hair into for or six parts. Apply either MoeGro growth oil to the scalp only, or apply my MegaTek mix to the scalp only.
Then I bantu knot the sections. In the morning, moisturize and bun again. Maybe the upward pulling of the nape for the buns each day?? I'm getting so worried that I may be balding back there....erplexed

 

[MAMATO]

No. Each nite I part/section my hair into for or six parts. Apply either MoeGro growth oil to the scalp only, or apply my MegaTek mix to the scalp only.
Then I bantu knot the sections. In the morning, moisturize and bun again. Maybe the upward pulling of the nape for the buns each day?? I'm getting so worried that I may be balding back there....erplexed

I really like bantu knots but I cant sleep with them either. The ones in the back make me feel unconfortable because I can feel the tension and the stress on my roots. Be careful, make sure the ones in the back are very loose the next time you do them.

 

[sweetpuff]

Do you change the position of your bun? how much tension do you put on your hair?

When bunning, I like to alternate sides. I also do the following:

1- Loose ponytail ( little to no tension on the nape). then i take one part of the ponytail and loop it outward then pin it with a bobby pin. I do this for every part. ( I don't know if this is clear....)

Southern tease bun
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_-XBalPjVg

HTH

 

[baddison]

When I bun, I simply draw all my hair back as though I am beginning to make a ponytail. Then I twist the hair around itself and I us a clip to pin it up. No scrunchies, no rubberbands, nothing. Just hair twisted and a pin. I am lingering between SL and APL....I soooo want to be APL by my next length check on June 30. I feel like crying....erplexed

What other protective styles can I use to keep my ends tucked away from earth's elements besides bunning?? I really want my ends hidden. *sigh*

 

[tiffers]

Don't pull your nape tight. I always have the back of my hair really loose like this:

You always wanna make sure you can comfortably move your head in all directions. There should be no tugging feeling anywhere, if there is, loosen it up!

 

[DDTexlaxed]

Maybe you should try a different bun method. Don't twist your hair up. Maybe that is causing extra tension. I am able to bun my hair, but I use a phony pony. I pull my hair up in it and bobby pin it together. There is no tension on my hair because it is not tight. I have to get my hubby to snap a pic of it for me. I also alternate which way I put it. I put castor oil on my edges each night to keep them moist. It takes a 5 minute style and I'm done.

 

[baddison]

thanks ladies. I always know where to come for the right advice. I was thinking about bunning the rest of the hair but possibly braiding or twisting the nape area....but I'm afraid to look ridiculous.erplexed

 

[hothair]

How tight is your bun? It may be pulling taut on your nape in which case it may be a matter of loosening and switching up bun styles/updos...

 

[baddison]

I'm wondering if I could switch my PS to a loose french braid or something of the sort. Are my ends still considered protected even though they're exposed down the length of the cornbraid??

 

[mariofmagdal]

I have bunned religously most of my adult life, and I have not had that problem. You have received good advice just the same. A french braid may be a great alternative solution for you. Best wishes to you.

 

[BlondeByDesire]

ORS Carrot oil is good for problem areas too - I had a problem with my nape and used that. I plait my hair and pin up the plait - trying not use bun as much as well.

 

[RadiantBeauty]

Hi Baddison,

You should try a french roll, plastic claw clips, or a banana clip!

 

[newflowers]

The picture doesn't seem like you're pulling too tightly - maybe rubbing on something? Mix up your protective styles a bit, baby the area with extra massage, and see what happens.

 

[baddison]

These are all great suggestions. Not too sure how to use a claw-clip, really...erplexed

....and I don't know if I even have enough hair???

 

[Supergirl]

I hope you find a solution that works for you. I found that the bun created some problems for me, so now I bun less and I never wet bun anymore--that was definitely a problem. I also try not to sleep in the bun, but on a lazy night I might. I wear my hair down more often as well. The healthier your hair gets, the more you can get away with this even though protective styles definitely do promote length retention more than wearing hair down. I hope you'll find a balance between the bun, other protective styles, and even wearing your hair down once or twice a week.

 

[baddison]

*sigh*......so I've had another 'eureka' moment

It appears that this thinning-spot in my nape area is the same size, and in the same location of where the knot of my silk scarf ends up..when I tie down my head every nite.

Good grief...maybe its not the bun after all. I'm soooo confused. Thought I was doing so well on this HHJ....

Is there any other way to tie my scarf???

 

[LushLox]

Can you not just tie your hair at the front of your head rather than the nape? I regularly switch my knot for this reason.

 

[La Colocha]

*sigh*......so I've had another 'eureka' moment

It appears that this thinning-spot in my nape area is the same size, and in the same location of where the knot of my silk scarf ends up..when I tie down my head every nite.

Good grief...maybe its not the bun after all. I'm soooo confused. Thought I was doing so well on this HHJ....

Is there any other way to tie my scarf???

You can try a satin or silk bonnet. I had the same problem when i tied my scarves. The bonnet helps alot and its looser.

 

[Liege4421]

I wear a bun to work everyday...just make sure you move your bun's position. When your nape starts itching, it's a sign you need to move the bun!!!! I used to have really bad itching when I wore buns in college (I went to a military school), and one day I felt like there was less hair. I went to the mirror, and the hair in my nape area was all gone and the hair two inches up from there was significantly shorter, as well. I was so upset, as I had been trying to take care of my hair for a year prior to that.

I switch my protective style every day. I do a low-bun on Monday, high-bun on Tuesday, a single braid tucked under with a pin on Wednesday, a clipped in barette tucked under on Thursday, and a twist-up with the barette or bobby pins. Bunning is good, but constant tension in the same place every day will lead to breakage. Also, be careful of bunning too tight when the hair is wet, as that will also cause itching and breakage, as well.

Walmart sells a really good satin bonnet that has satin on the inside, too...so you won't have to worry about that issue, either. Even if you think that the scarf is the issue, I still suggest you move your bun around.

 

[baddison]

I wear a bun to work everyday...just make sure you move your bun's position. When your nape starts itching, it's a sign you need to move the bun!!!! I used to have really bad itching when I wore buns in college (I went to a military school), and one day I felt like there was less hair. I went to the mirror, and the hair in my nape area was all gone and the hair two inches up from there was significantly shorter, as well. I was so upset, as I had been trying to take care of my hair for a year prior to that.

I switch my protective style every day. I do a low-bun on Monday, high-bun on Tuesday, a single braid tucked under with a pin on Wednesday, a clipped in barette tucked under on Thursday, and a twist-up with the barette or bobby pins. Bunning is good, but constant tension in the same place every day will lead to breakage. Also, be careful of bunning too tight when the hair is wet, as that will also cause itching and breakage, as well.

Walmart sells a really good satin bonnet that has satin on the inside, too...so you won't have to worry about that issue, either. Even if you think that the scarf is the issue, I still suggest you move your bun around.

OMG!!!! This is EXACTLY my horror!! The itching in the nape area is driving me mad!! And then after looking in the mirror yesterday, I notice this huge bald spot.

Thanks for your story. How's your nape doing now???

Did you nurse it back to health? I would LOVE to have a thick, healthy nape like some of the ladies I see here.erplexed

 

[Je Ne Sais Quoi]

While you figure this out, take weekly pictures for the next 30 days to monitor your progress.

 

[baddison]

that's a good idea, too. will do!

Any ideas on what should I be applying for the excessive itching?

 

[dlewis]

Don't pull your nape tight. I always have the back of my hair really loose like this:

You always wanna make sure you can comfortably move your head in all directions. There should be no tugging feeling anywhere, if there is, loosen it up!

I agree buns should always be loose buns. I love this bun BTW, it's beautiful.

 

[SlantedEyezMiss2003]

Girl we are in the same boat, my nape has been itching it crazy when it's too tight....at first I was crying because you can tell I have hair missing from my nape.....I still messed up and started sleeping in my buns, and etc.....so I have to blame myself, so now I'm really used to it.......I get jealous of those women who have full napes......so I just don't bother my nape much, and when I get some money I'm going to get some OCT and use it on my nape......but the ladies have put out some good advice.......

 

[baddison]

I've decided to switch up my protective styling for now. I am going to mix bunning with twists, and cornbraids during the week. THis will allow for really low daily manipulation. For the cornbraids, I can simply spray moisturizer on the two large cornrows, baggy the head at night, and the next day just go! I will pay special attention to the nape area, keeping it moist and up. I will give this a try for the next few months. My next quarterly length check is around the end of june. Hopefully I will have great news to report by then.

Thanks for all the awesome advice ladies. I this community!!