Most hairstyles concerning men are generally all short. You’ll find a plethora of short hairstyles that men can carry with ease. However, times are changing. Like in history, when most men of noble stature had long tresses, we are seeing a huge shift in hairstyle preferences in the modern-day too, with a lot of men tilting towards longer hair.
One of the most popular long hairstyles for men is the man bun. Hairstyles come in fashion, some go out of fashion, and some stay for the long haul. A lot of men sporting the man-bun have been heard asking the question: Should I cut off my ban bun? Here’s the answer:
Cutting off your man bun is a personal preference and how comfortable you are with the style. You need to weigh the pros and cons and make a decision accordingly since man buns can sometimes look inappropriate in very formal settings.
That being said, the number one decision making factor must be how much you love the look and if you want to keep it or not. What others think of your look mustn’t bother you too much since everyone has different opinions and is entitled to having one.
Sometimes, the reason you decide to part ways with your man bun is the difficulty maintaining the look. If done right, it’s one of the most effortless looks you can come across. It has cemented itself as an “all-star” look that has been covered and tried on by one of the most influential people in pop culture. Read on to find out more about man buns, what brought them into popularity, and how to rock the perfect one!
Let’s Get Down to the Basics
A man bun is an uber-fashionable hairstyle that involves taking all, or parts of hair and tying it into a bun on the top of the head. It’s exactly like the buns that women make with their hair, just that it’s for men, hence the name man bun.
Man buns started in 2013 and fully came into fashion in 2014 after American and British male celebrities started endorsing it. Hipsters had a huge role in endorsing the look as well.
There are a lot of variations of the man bun and it goes by a lot of different names. Also referred to as the bro bun, dude bun, and mun, to name a few, the man bun can be made as a full bun or half-bun.
A popular variation of the man bun is the top knot. The main difference between the two hairstyles is the amount of hair used. For a man bun or the full bun, all the hair is taken and tied up in a bun on the crown of the head. As for the top knot, only parts of the hair is taken, leaving the rest of it open and lose. Sometimes in a top knot, the sides are shaved or cut very short as an undercut. We’d say the shaved/undercut top knot is a rather bold look and takes a lot of confidence to carry.
How to Get a Man Bun?
Getting a man bun is probably one of the easiest processes. All it requires is long hair. However, the time it requires to grow out hair long enough for a man bun requires a lot of patience. If you’re one of the impatient ones who want quick results, this rather long process isn’t for you.
A basic full man bun requires a minimum of 10 inches of hair. Anything shorter than 10 inches become very difficult to tie up in a full bun. You might still be able to tie a top knot, though.
How long it takes to achieve the desired length depends mostly on how quick your hair growth is. Some people can grow out their hair faster than others. It’s all a matter of care and lucky genes. The time also depends on how long your hair is, to begin with. If you’re sporting a cropped look, it’ll take you longer to grow out your hair as compared to someone with already long hair.
A simple trick to estimate hair growth time to get a man bun is by subtracting your current length of hair from the minimum required length (normally 10 inches), and multiplying the result of the subtraction by 2. For example, if your current length is at 4 inches, subtract it from 10. The result you get is 6. Multiply it by 2 and you get 12. Therefore, if your current hair length is 4 inches, it’ll take you 12 months to get to 10 inches for a perfect full man bun.
The main product required to achieve the perfect man bun is hair length and a sturdy elastic band. It’s as simple as that! Get these no metal Scunci No Damage Elastic Bands (Amazon) and make any kind of man-bun you want without worrying about breaking your precious long hair in the process.
While the man bun itself looks super chic, the time during which you’re growing out your hair can make you look rather messy and unkempt. Just be patient, wait it out, and try to make your hair in a way that doesn’t look like you just got out of bed. Use hair pins or headbands for that purpose. Some men even hide their unruly hair under a cap or beanie during the growing out phase. If your work environment allows it, go for it!
All it Needs is Some Love and Care
Long hair indeed requires more upkeep than shorter hair. Women are used to it since most of them have had long hair at one point in their life or another. For men, it’s a different story altogether. Most men, in recent times, have been seen with short hair and the care that long hair calls for can be quite overwhelming for them, which is also one of the reasons why they decide to not get it or chop off their existing one.
Despite the length of your hair, you must keep it clean and fresh. The inability to do so might result in hair and scalp damage. You’ll be treating hair fall instead of maintaining a man bun then. Use a mild cleansing shampoo that cleans the scalp of impurities and keeps the hair follicles healthy to promote hair growth. Use the Nature’s Spirit Strengthening Argan Oil Shampoo (Amazon) for a mild and deep cleanse.
The main concern with having long hair is keeping it healthy and smooth. If you have naturally smooth and shiny hair, you’re lucky. Even still, long hair is prone to more damage and split ends. Ask any of the ladies in your life and they’ll tell you all about their long hair woes. Using a conditioner is very important if you have long hair. We recommend the Nature’s Spirit Strengthening Argan Oil Conditioner (Amazon), in conjunction with the conditioner mentioned above for the ultimate nourishment for your long tresses.
We wouldn’t recommend putting in too much product in your hair. However, using a styling cream every once in a while wouldn’t harm anyone, right? Hair creams are the perfect styling product for long hair and it helps to get the exact look that you’re looking for, and also helps in keeping your long hair in place. A great, nourishing styling cream would be the One ‘n Only Argan Oil Styling Cream (Amazon) that helps eliminate frizz and revives damaged hear as well.
Famous Man Buns
What if we tell you some of the most prominent celebrities have sported the man bun and loved the experience! Whether it was for a role or out of sheer love for the mun, these celebrities will inspire to get a man bun or keep it if you already have one.
Jared Leto was one of the first celebrities to rock the man bun. We can go as far as saying that he was the one who started the concept of man buns in Hollywood. A lot of men took inspiration from his look and that’s how the trend gained momentum.
How can we talk about man buns and not talk about Jason Momoa? Whether he’s ruling Atlantis as Aquaman or leading the Dothraki in Game of Thrones, Jason Momoa has always kept long tresses and sported the man-bun quite a lot. He carries the look so well and gives everyone some serious inspiration to get a man bun (and hit the gym, of course!)
Another hot celebrity who donned the look is everyone’s favorite, David Beckham. Beckham has tried a lot of different hairstyles including ponytails, braids, and, you guessed it right, man buns! Seen sporting both the man bun (full bun), as well as the top knot (half bun), Beckham does it so perfectly and with such finesse, giving everyone some serious man bun goals. Aren’t we right? We recommend that you try it for yourself as well!
