As far as hair trends go we’ve seen it all, from undercuts to Mohawks there’s very little that surprises us these days. That is until sometime last year when a certain Mr. DiCaprio was seen lounging about on the beach surrounded by beautiful women and sporting what you could only call a bun in his hair. The craze took off with many a foolish soul assuming that a man bun à la Leonardo would bag them a supermodel or two.
What is the Man Bun?
It’s exactly what it says it is – a long hairstyle that is tied into a bun… on a man. It’s probably one of the simplest hairstyles to maintain as all it really requires is long hair.
The Man Bun in History
Now the man bun isn’t what you would call a new hair trend. Men with flowing manes have been pulling their hair back into a semblance of tidiness for centuries and bunching it up into a bun makes sense if you’re the active sort. Just take a look at the samurais of Japan, pretty active folk you’d say. And that top knot or bun does the trick when trying to keep your flowing locks as far as possible from a razor sharp blade. Anyone who’s been to see the Terracotta Warriors will also have noticed that the Chinese were fond of this particular hairstyle. While we’re not exactly sure who did it first, we’re positive that it was in Asia where it was likely the first ever hair trend in the history of man.
Famous Man Buns
We’ve already mentioned the ever young Leonardo DiCaprio, but who else has been taking this simple little bun and making it the envy of every short haired man and quite a few bald ones too.
David Beckham – The man with the Midas touch. Everything that Becks puts on or does with his body turns to style gold. From sarongs to hairbands the man can do no wrong. So, when he heads to the shop for a pint of milk with his hair in a bun, you can bet the world of fashion takes note.
Colin Farrell – Everyone’s favourite (or least favourite) Irishman made his foray into the world of the man bun with a half shaved half bun style that we rather liked. Pity he didn’t keep it.
Harry Styles – It’s hard to tell if this is really a bun or if it’s just a rubber band that got caught in his hair somehow. The truth is, his attempt at a man bun is all over the place, but we’ll give him marks for effort.
How to Maintain the Perfect Man Bun
So you’ve been converted and are now in the process of growing your hair in the hope that one day you too can have a Beckhamesque bun. But once you’ve got the length, how do you go about keeping it looking the business?
First of all, you’re going to need at least 6 inches of hair growth either on the top of your head (for a Colin Farrell style bun) or all over. This ensures that once it’s all tied up, it’s not going to fall right out at the first gust of wind.
Once you’ve got that length, it’s a simple matter of grabbing whatever is going in the bun, and putting it in a ponytail using a hair tie. You then pull the hair through the tie a second time but stop about halfway. This gives you that bun look without the pins and whatnots that the fairer sex make use of.
For a lumbersexual rough and ready style man bun, don’t bother with any products. But for a more refined and sculpted look you might want to use some wax or gel to keep all those stray hairs in place. Just make sure you work the wax or gel through your hair before securing the bun or things could get messy and tangled.
So now that you’ve been schooled in the latest and greatest of men’s hair trends maybe it’s time to let your hair grow and get your own man bun. You better be quick though. Growing long hair is something that Father Time may have a say in once you hit your late thirties, so if you have the means then do it now before it’s too late.
