Throughout the seasons, we’ve seen several hairstyles come into fashion that reflect the retro trends of yesteryear. Theundercut,side part, andcomb over hairstyles are all inspired by the dapper, vintage look of men from the 50s. But there’s one hairstyle that defiantly breaks all of these rules and stands on its own –– the man bun.
This man bun trend is either loved or hated with some people going around cutting off man buns). But despite all of the glamor surrounding it, the man bun has stayed around, and it doesn’t show any sign of going away anytime soon.
What Is A Man Bun?
The man bun can be confusing to some. What exactly is a man bun? Is it different from the “top knot” hairstyle that everyone’s talking about? Simply put, a man bun is the gathering of one’s hair into a bun. Seems straightforward, right? Well, not really.
Its simple appearance is deceiving; there are specific techniques for tidying up the hair into different sorts of buns, and that’s where the confusion lay. For example, the phrase “man bun” generally refers to a more rounded knot of hair. By contrast, the phrase “top knot” refers to a small knot of hair that usually rests at the crown of the head. Still with us? Great. Let’s dive into the types of man buns (because of course there are categories).
What Do I Need To Create A Man Bun?
If you’re going after this look, you’ll need two things: hair ties and patience. If you don’t already have long hair, we recommend growing out your locks so they’re at least 6 inches long. That’s the minimum amount needed for a good man bun, otherwise you won’t be able to tie up all your hair.
For medium-sized man buns, you’ll want somewhere between 10 and 16 inches. You can go longer if you wish, but keep in mind that the more hair you have, the more difficult it will be to organize. At 14-16 inches, your hair will be past your shoulders and could be difficult to handle.
How To Get The Man Bun
Got those hair ties? The first step is to identify the spot where you’re going to form the man bun. For most man bun hairstyles, this is the crown of the head. Most guys have a cowlick in this spot. Avoid forming the bun too high on the head. The top area of the back of your head is a good spot for the man bun.
Start by gathering all of your hair up into one ponytail-like fistful. Make sure to get any stray hairs that may be sticking out the sides or bottom. While holding this hair together, pass the hair through the hair tie once with your free hand. On the second pass, stop halfway through to get a bun. This is because the hair doubles up inside the tie or band, creating the man bun. (Alternatively, you can pass the hair through the band twice and make the bun on the third pass if the hair tie is extra stretchy.)
You might have to experiment with the bun formation, especially if you’re new to tying up your hair. This is a technique where watching someone else do it will help, and YouTube is clutch here.
How To Style & Maintain The Man Bun
The man bun is a simple hairstyle to get, but it requires regular maintenance to make sure it doesn’t get too greasy or unhealthy. Most hair experts recommend washing your hair a maximum of two or three times a week because shampoos strip your hair of its natural oils. To have the healthiest hair possible, only shampoo your hair every few days.
So what do you do on the other days, you ask? Two words: dry shampoo. This stuff will be your new best friend…literally. For those of you new to hair product, dry shampoo is a powder – usually in the form of a spray – that works as a “shampoo” but preserves your hair’s oils. Basically, the powder sucks the grease from your roots leaving the natural oils in the rest of your locks while simultaneously giving you volume and making you look like you just washed your hair. Mind blowing, we know.
Types of Man Buns
There are 7 major – and most popular – types of man bun.
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Infinity Man Bun
Looking for a style out of the ordinary to make your man bun pop? Search no further, we at Haircuts Inspiration like to call this an Infinity Man Bun because of its shape but you can experiment as much as your hair allows you to. Add in a couple of extra twists for an eye-catching bun and you’re good to go!
All hair is tied into one single man bun that is situated at the crown of the head, but to get the messy feeling of this look instead of locking all strands of hair neatly, let a few overflow outwards and you’ll have a different and wittier look for yourself.
This is what we call equilibrium, the top has thin hair but has dense volume with undercut taper on sides. That being said the bun sitting on top has so much panache. Don’t forget the sideburns blending into beard, making all of this very balanced and organized.
This is a long-stranded frizzy man bun with an open-ended bun. These types of bun usually don’t require much maintenance, all it needs good enough length and boom there ya go. This one, in particular, has golden dyed highlights with a silky texture, usually, that’s for thick hair.
Wow! Looking at it one can tell there is so much life in this bun. First of all, having dense curly hair is difficult to curl here we are. The bun is dyed with matte blonde dye while the top is tightly braided with sides being taper faded. The lower temple is skin faded which brings all the attention to the top. Intense style alert.
This is what silky hair gets you, long strands with a cool tied bun. That being said, the sides are just long enough to tie it at the back of the head. Moreover, the hair is dyed in the ends to add an extra style flair. Keeping it loosely tied gives it life, try that next time!
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Messy Top Bun and Beard
This hairstyle steals the attention in the room, the straight and thick hair strands stay still tied in the bun. Plus, the loose strands on the side make it look a tad casual, that’s all it is about. Not too strict and letting some loose hair by themselves.
Here is where all the styles and trends fail, braids + undercut + fade, can you possibly ask for any other better combination. The undercut skin fade pulls all the attention to the top while the beard makes all the balance. Cannot beat this panache!
Tied buns have totally another level which is unparalleled. The one here features afro hair or very thin hair with tied braids to make up a bun. That layered with undercut taper fade which is a rare combination. The line up has been craved with a razor to show how vivid each detail matters. This is what the bulls eye is to darts.
This is a very spiritual man bun as it has the famous chant “Om” with a dreaded bun. How can this be any more stylish? The dreads are dyed and taper faded on the sides and around the temple. The Om is made by tapering and shaving slits around. Very interesting, isn’t it?
Thick, rusty and dry textured hair is everyone’s favorite plus if you see that gradual taper fade, it blows any other style in the town. The line ups and sleek mid fade is so clean that eyes land directly on top where the loosely tied bun sits. Remember, shave all the angles nicely so that it looks pitch-perfect.
Is that what women call macho-man? Yes! The receding hairline does look good when it is conditioned properly without any loose ends. The hair is so thin that it turns silky with the dye on the ends of it make it look perfectly loose yet firmly tied. Keep the sides tied for an even look and boom there ya go!
Wow, where do we start with this bowl of amazingness? The top is for sure a curly top with bun while sides are slightly tapered and mostly faded. That being said the line up is skin faded with temple fade and descending taper in the back. The top is actually the bun itself and not in the back.
Afro hair is a tad difficult to bun up but when done right it looks like a charm. Here is a totally different scene, it also has some sleek taper fade but with shaved hairline design. Plus the bun is dyed to rusty iron color which compliments the whole look. How not to like this amazing style?
Is this what classic French style looks like? The turtle neck somehow blends in with the frizzy and loose hair, that being said the thick texture of hair makes it settle perfectly without flying in the wind. The sides are slightly decreased in volume to balance it out.
This one comes from the hood or the military. The classic undercut with tapered sides with side-swept style. Lastly, there is a small bun in the back which tells a lot about the style. The temple and sideburns blend in with a beard to make it more versatile.
VolodymyrHipskyy / Shutterstock.com
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Highlighted Man Bun
This one is a very common man bun you’ll see, don’t get fooled though it needs equally a lot of efforts. The volume has to be kept comparatively equal around the head with strands of highlights to make it pop. The hairline is still done where it looks all equal and no hair is flying here and there.
prometeus / Shutterstock.com
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Thin Long Haired Bun
Thin hair doesn’t mean that you cannot do any style, you sure can just tweak it a bit! Like here, the volume is increased and the length is longer so that bun knot can be several folds. Moreover, thin the hair looks silky, which also feels managed and not too all over the place.
We have seen dreadlocked buns but this triumphs all. The sides are undercut faded with the bun being massively open-ended. The dreads are even dyed to add another layer of panache to it.
This is what a dense thick hair with a perfectly sculpted beard does to a man. The hair is thick and more volume is added for a more dense look, moreover, the sides are blended into a beard which gives a very unified look, can one ever be this perfect?
Make no mistake, this looks casual but a lot of work has gone into it to look this way. For example, the hair products are used to make it stay still with the sides are slightly tapered for better control. The being said the bun is still very casual to keep it look cool,
Can we ever say enough about this macho of a style? The bun on the back sits peacefully with the ease of being loosely tied. Moreover, the beard and mustache have so much life in them, the beard is finely tapered whereas mustache regains volume being all dense. The hairline is also very well kept with hair being tad rusty dyed.
