Do you ever feel like your man bun just feels a bit, flat? Like it doesn’t have as much life and springiness as it should? It’s probably because you don’t have enough volume in your hair in general.
That’s okay though! We’ll show you how to add volume to a man bun.
Note: this guide contains multiple steps that require consistent application. You should be applying these routines regularly.
Here is our comprehensive guide on how to add volume to a man bun.
1. Diet and Supplements
Don’t assume we weren’t going to mention this one! That’s right grandma: it’s time to put the darn dumpling down and take care of our diet!
This also means being wise about what supplements will stimulate hair density. Hair density is simply the number of strands per square inch of scalp you have on your head. The more strands there are, the denser it gets. Reasonably, higher hair density means more volume.
As for vitamins, avoid supplements that you’d be unlikely to have a deficiency of. For instance, Biotin is good for hair health but most people don’t actually have a deficiency in it. The possibilities of overdosing wouldn’t be worth it.
Your best bet would be to take more simple and straightforward supplements like this one.
This one is Amazon’s most popular one and you’ll about half off if you use Prime.
2. Wash Your Hair Correctly
Going no poo? Then this might not apply for you. Using shampoo? Remember that “head and shoulders” will burn your scalp off.
Whichever shampoo you use, as long as its not too harsh like “head and shoulders”, just make sure that it’s gentle enough on your hair and scalp. Personally, I alternate between this one and some of the fruity stuff my girlfriend uses.
The main thing you should be concerned about when washing your hair though is if you’re using the right technique. If you don’t have a scalp scrub, then do this.
Rub the tip of your fingers gently but firmly across your scalp to remove all the excess oils that make your hair dirty. You want to get rid of the grease, but also leave it healthy and shiny with conditioner. Remember: you’re massaging the scalp, not scraping at it with your nails. If your hair tends to get dry and flaky, it’s probably because you use your nails too much. Washing it properly will also ensure your hair gets the volume that it needs.
Still feel like your hair is not voluminous enough?
You might need a hair scrub, then. There’s also those fancy electric ones, but you don’t really need those. Just something that massages thoroughly without being too harsh will do the job just fine.
If you wash your hair with these things, there’s no real technique to it. You just put shampoo in your hair and scratch your hair with the scalp massager. The soft rubber spikes get through every inch anyway.
3. Blow Dry Completely.
No need for fancy products for this one. Just make sure you blow dry your hair after a shower the whole way.
Some people, including a lot of high end barbers, use those plastic attachments on their blow dryers that narrow the wind, but that’s just to dry every follicle so that you retain volume. You don’t have to have those because drying it for a long time does that anyway.
What happens when it’s wet though? Well, the obvious thing is that it gets your hair clumped together. It also weighs your hair down and gets it used to being that way. Your hair will learn to stay and and eventually always look like its falling flat.
Avoid this by drying everything properly.
Oh, and don’t forget: you should stick to mostly cold hair dryers. Hot ones tend to leave too much damage on the follicles.
4. Run Your Fingers Through Your Hair Regularly
This one kind of sounds strange but hear us out.
Scalp requires stimulation. If you don’t touch it for too long, circulation and hair density become less important and you end up losing more of your follicles. This is called thinning.
When your hair is thinning, it’s hard to maintain a good man bun because all the hair density disappears. The volume you once had goes away and the main bun just becomes flat; or worse, your bald spot reveals itself through your bun.
So, how often do you have to run your fingers through your hair to add volume to your hair and maintain a thick man bun? About a few times a day.
There’s no official recommendation, but I can tell you how much I do it as a guy with thick hair. I’ve always just tended to run my fingers through my hair at least 5 times a day for intervals of about 5 minutes.
I never did this out of doctor recommendations, nor did I know that this was good for hair stimulation and growth. I just did it out of habit every day because It became an involuntary reaction to when I was doing homework. Whenever I was thinking about how to solve problems in school or at home, I’d just run my fingers through my scalp out of habit.
I started when I was in elementary school and I still continue today as a college graduate.
5. Don’t Make Your Man Bun Too Tight
Okay, so I’ve never tied my hair too tight. I’ve seen other people do it though, and boy oh boy does it kill the volume of the man bun.
Seriously guys. Make your man buns a little gentler on your scalp. That’s not to say you should have a loose knot or hair band that just falls off. It should be secure.
Just to be safe, don’t tie your hair this tight.
Tie your hair this tight.
So, how tight is too tight?
Too tight is when you can feel the scalp and the roots of your hair slightly being tugged from just the force of the hair knot alone. If you’re leaving it alone and you feel tightness, make it looser.
If you don’t have enough hair to tie it looser, then don’t tie your hair yet!
Yeah, we know: tying it makes it look much nicer than the awkward stage, but trust us. Tying it too tight just to skip the awkward phase is not worth it.
So what happens when it’s too tight?
Well, you lose hair density. The most noticeable difference in hair loss is in the hairline, but the tension can also make you lose hair in your top scalp as well.
This loss of hair from tension is called traction alopecia. It’s pretty brutal for ballerinas and dancers, since they’re usually victims of tight knotting.
If you already have thinning hair from traction alopecia due to improper hair tying, don’t freak out just yet. The damage can be reversible if you treat it early.
If you’re not sure if you received hair loss from tying your bun too tight, just check up with a dermatologist regardless. Your doctor will see if you need to take certain medicines like Biotin or Rogaine.
Not sure if your man bun looks “right”? Not sure if it matches with your face or makes you look weird? Maybe we can help! Contact us and we’ll analyze a few photos you provide us to help you looksmax!
