HOW TO DO A BALLERINA BUN

With Balletcore still having a major moment, learning how to do a ballerina bun is an essential skill you need to live out your childhood fantasy. From learning exactly where to place your hair and what products are must-haves, to understanding how to tweak the look depending on your hair type, this is the ultimate guide to achieving a ballerina bun you can confidently pirouette in.

In This Article:

• How To Do A Ballerina Bun With A Donut
• How To Do A Ballerina Bun With Short Hair
• How To Do A Ballerina Bun With Thin Hair
• How To Do A Ballerina Bun With Long Hair
• Ballerina Bun FAQs

HOW TO DO A BALLERINA BUN WITH A DONUT

The best and easiest way to learn how to do a ballerina bun is to use a donut. Giving the illusion of volume, it makes your hair bun look bigger and bolder.

1. Start by brushing your strands and removing any tangles.
2. Use a gel or smoothing cream and disperse from root to tip.
3. Gently gather your locks into a high ponytail for a classic ballerina bun (or wherever you want your bun to be placed).
4. Using a donut, pull your ponytail through the centre of the donut so it sits at the base.
5. Leaning forward, spread your ponytail evenly over the donut covering it completely.
6. Once you’re happy with your hair placement and the donut is covered, place another hair tie around the donut to lock it in place and start forming the bun shape.
7. Take any lose strands sticking out from under the bun and wrap them smoothly around the base.
8. Complete the look by pinning everything in place and lightly spraying your finish piece with hairspray.

HOW TO DO A BALLERINA BUN WITH SHORT HAIR

If you’re working with short hair, how to do a ballerina bun comes down to placement and using the right products. You’ll rely more heavily on hairspray, gel and bobby pins.

1. Prep your strands using a smoothing cream or gel from root to tip.
2. Follow the instructions for how to create a slicked back bun which you can find here. But, instead of a bun, create a high ponytail.
3. Carefully twist your ponytail and use bobby pins to pin everything as you wrap the pony around its base.
4. As you have short hair, little pieces of hair will likely stick out so, either pin them down or use a gel to smooth them over.

If you’re rocking a bob, you may consider creating two mini ponytails and twisting them around each other to create a larger ‘fake’ bun.

HOW TO DO A BALLERINA BUN WITH THIN HAIR

With thinner, finer hair, learning how to do a ballerina bun may seem like an impossible feat, but fear not! This method is all about creating volume... from hair wash to the final spritz of hairspray.

1. Start with a volumising shampoo and conditioner. This is imperative as this will determine how your hair ultimately looks.
2. Apply a volume boosting mist or mouse throughout your locks and blow dry your hair concentrating on lifting at the roots.
3. Create your ponytail where you’d like the ballerina bun to sit and gently tease out any wispy bits of hair you'd like to fall by your face (this is a simple way to create the impression that you have more hair).
4. Gently twist your ponytail around your hair tie – but be careful to not pull too tightly and secure. A messier, more lived in ballerina bun is the look we’re after here.

HOW TO DO A BALLERINA BUN WITH LONG HAIR

Long hair can make how to do a ballerina bun a bit trickier, however, because of the length of your locks you’ll need to reconsider the way you wrap your lengths for the ultimate ballerina bun.

1. Start by applying hair gel from root to tip and create a traditional slick back look. To learn how to do this, we have an ultimate guide which you can find here.
2. Instead of a bun, create a ponytail where you want your ballerina bun to sit.
3. Because of the extra length of hair, split your tresses in two layers. The first layer should sit flat around the base of your pony, and the second should tuck neatly on top.
4. Secure each section of hair with bobby pins as you go around the base of the ponytail. Smooth away any flyaway with gel or hairspray.

If you have very long hair – divide your ponytail into two sections, twisting each one individually, then wrap them in opposite directions around your ponytail base for a flatter, more secure bun.

BALLERINA BUN FAQs

Should a ballet bun be high or low?

Whether a ballerina bun sits high or low on your head is down to personal preference. For working ballerinas, the placement is dictated by whether they’re performing, practicing and what their costumes are like. Traditional ballerina buns should always be high (around the crown of the head) when performing or taking exams and a low bun is acceptable only during practice or if they’re wearing a headpiece.

Do ballet buns damage hair?

Ballerina buns don’t damage your hair, but they can if they’re too tight or not done correctly. If you create a ponytail that’s too tight or wear a ballerina bun everyday you can cause breakage or thinning of the hair around the hairline. The best way to mitigate this is to alternate when you wear a ballet bun and to not use tight elastics but snag-free, softer hair ties like Slip’s Pure Silk Scrunchies or SILKE’s Hair Ties instead.

Can you do a ballet bun with wet hair?

Yes, you can do a ballerina bun on wet hair but there are some cons to doing it this way. Because your tresses are weakest when wet, the likelihood of you causing breakage is higher than if your hair is dry. We always recommend at least drying your roots before you create a ballerina bun.

And there you have it – with a few hair ties, some bobby pins and the all-important hair gel later, you’ve now mastered exactly how to do a ballerina bun so you can plié, jeté and pirouette like a pro.