How to Do a Messy Bun (for Curly Hair)

Co-authored by Shun Pittman

Last Updated: January 30, 2023

If your curls are being unruly and you don't have time to style them, put them in a fast, easy and cute messy bun that you can wear anywhere. This article will show you two ways of making a messy bun perfect for curly hair.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Making a Simple Messy Bun

1
Start with dry hair, and have everything you need on hand. Once you start making your bun, it will be difficult to open boxes and drawers. Keep a bunch of bobby pins handy, and your hair tie around your wrist. Try to use a hair tie that matches your hair color. You can find them in black, dark brown, and light brown/beige.
- If you have red hair, use either a dark brown or purple hair tie, depending on how colored/dark your hair is.
2
Flip your hair forward. Lean forward, like you are about to pick something up off the floor, so that your hair hangs straight down. This will make grabbing your hair easier, and ensure that all of those curly locks lay smooth.

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3
Start gathering your hair as though you are going to make a ponytail. The hand that has the hair tie around it should by holding the hair; your other hand should be free.
4
Slide the hair tie onto your hair. Grip the hair tie with your free hand, slide it over your wrist, and onto your hair.
5
Pull your hair half-way through the hair tie. The ends should still caught under the hair tie, and the rest of your hair should be sticking out of it in a loop.
6
Wrap the hair tie around your hair one or two more times. Keep wrapping it until it is snug around your hair, and holding it securely. You'll end up with a fluffy fan on top of your head, and a bunch of loose ends sticking out from under the hair tie.
- If you find that your hair is getting snagged, pull your hair all the way through the hair tie, and wrap the hair tie around it once (like making a pony tail). Then, pull your hair half-way through the hair tie, and let go.
7
Touch the bun up, if necessary. You can leave your bun as is, or you make it messier. To do this, gently pull on each side of the bun until you get the fluffiness you want. You can also move the loose ends around so that they face different directions.
8
Tuck any loose ends in, and pin them in place. You can even leave a few sticking out for a messier look.
9
Consider using the loose ends to hide the hair tie. Take a loose strand, and wrap it around the base of your bun a few times, then pin it in place with a bobby pin. If you can still see the hair tie, repeat this step with another loose strand.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Making a Twisted Messy Bun

1
Start with dry hair. Don't brush your curls because that will create frizz. If your hair is tangled, you can go through it gently with a wide toothed comb. It might also be a good idea to have both of your hair ties on your wrist, ready to go.
2
Gather your hair up into a high ponytail. If you want a smoother look, lean forward first, so that your hair hangs straight down, then gather it into the ponytail. This will ensure that your curly locks lay smooth.
3
Wrap the hair tie around the base of the ponytail. The easiest way to do is this to grab your hair with the hand that has the hair ties around it, then use your free hand to slide the ties off your wrist and onto your hair. Wrap the hair tie enough times so that it holds your hair securely.
4
Wrap your hair around the base of the ponytail. If you have a lot of layers, you might want to twist your hair into a loose rope first. Your bun will still look messy, but it will be easier to work with.
5
Wrap a hair tie around the base of your bun. Start by sliding the hair tie onto your bun, then wrapping it enough times so that it fits snugly. Try to get all of the loose ends of your hair under the hair tie.
6
Secure your bun, if necessary, with bobby pins. Curly hair is great for creating the messy bun look, but it can get heavy. After a while, it will work with gravy and begin to sag. To keep this from happening, use bobby pins to clip the top, bottom, and sides of your bun to your head.
7
Touch your bun up, if needed. With a wide tooth comb pull little strands of hair out of the bun. You can also just play with it until some hair falls out.
8
Grab your hairspray and spray a generous amount of hairspray into your hair. This will keep it together for the day.
9
Finished.

Expert Q&A

Question

What methods do you recommend if I want fluffy and messy-looking hair?

Shun Pittman
Master Cosmetologist
Shun Pittman is a Master Cosmetologist, Author, Owner, and Founder of Corps d’Elite Salon and Corps d’Elite Beauty. With over 25 years of international experience, she is dedicated to and specializes in providing luxury salon services to all hair types and textures and every skin tone and shade. Her services include hair conditioning treatments, cutting, coloring, styling, extensions, and makeup application. Shun has experience working with, coaching, training, and mentoring beauty professionals from multiple companies including L'Oréal, Wella, Matrix, Paul Mitchell, Redken, Big Sexy Hair, and Toni & Guy. She is also a host for national and local media outlets and her work has been featured in The Washingtonian, The Cheddar Network, and WJLA Good Morning Washington's Beauty and Fashion Police segments. Shun is the author of “50 Things Your Hairdresser Wants YOU to Know (and a few things we don’t...)".

Shun Pittman

Master Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

The foundation for any hairstyle is a great haircut. Starting off with a great haircut, no matter the length, is always going to make the hair look its best. What will help keep that messy look intact is a light to medium hold hairspray.
Question

I wanted to do a messy bun but it always seems to give me a headache. Why is that?

Community Answer

In my experience this can happen if you are pulling the hair too tight or placing the bun too high on your head.
Question

My hair is short and wavy, how do I do a messy bun?

Rider K

Community Answer

Try just sticking it into a ponytail, and then grab sections of the hair, wrap them around your finger, and then pin the rolled hair. Then, if it is not messy enough for you, just pull strands of the rolled hair from the ponytail and make them puff out.

Warnings

Be careful with the heat appliances - if you're blow drying your bangs don't put it too close to your hair as it will singe the hair.

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