What you’ll need:

  • Hair brush with nylon or natural bristles that are close together

  • Large, thick covered hair elastic – (matching hair color)

  • Nylon hair net – (matching hair color)

  • “U” shape hairpins and bobby pins

  • Hair spray

  • Hair gel

 

Instructions

  1. Brush hair smooth and free of tangles. You may also want to wet hair to help avoid stray hairs and bumps.

  2. Apply hair gel to wet or dry hair on the top, sides and underneath of hair. This will help avoid bumps and stray hairs.

  3. Pull hair back neatly into a ponytail at the back of the head or higher, using a brush to avoid “lumps and bumps”. A tidy ponytail with hair drawn snugly back is the key to making a good ballet bun. Placement of your ponytail determines placement of your bun. Ballet buns should be at the middle of the head or higher. For low buns place ponytail at the nape of the neck.

  4. Secure ponytail tightly with hair elastic. For thick hair use two elastics.

  5. Use hairspray to eliminate any “whisps” around the head, smoothing any remaining bumps of hair on the head.

  6. Twist the ponytail as you gradually wrap it around the hair elastic, creating a tight, coiled circle, inserting the U shaped hair pins as you wrap. Be sure that your hair pins contain hair from both the head and the ponytail. This will hold your bun close to your head. Be sure to use plenty of hair pins (12-16 on average). The idea is to have your bun tightly coiled around your elastic and secured to your head.

  7. Once you have created your bun, wrap your hair net around it as many times as it will allow for a snug fit.

  8. Secure the hair net in place with bobby pins.

  9. Spray entire head with hair spray to control stray hairs.