Need help from gymnastics/dance moms!

[lunalibre]

Okay, my daughter's first gym meet is this coming weekend. I have to put her long hair up in a bun. Eeek! I've read the directions on how to do this, and I think I understand what to do (put in ponytail, braid it, twist the braid around the ponytail holder, secure with a zillion pins). The problem is I know I'm going to need some sort of gel to get the rest of the "wispies" to stay put. Hair spray just doesn't seem to work on her hair for more than an hour.

Anyone have suggestions for "superglue-holding" hair gel? I don't care if it takes a half-dozen hair washings to get rid of it, as long as her hair stays put during the meet!

Thanks folks!

 

[VacationNeeded]

Hey There - My DD will also be competing at the Sand Dollar meet this weekend. I have 2 DD who have been competing the last five years. I've tried all kinds of hairspray (i.e., bought some "super-glue" versions just for the meets), gel, spray on glitter then hairspray to really glue it in, etc. and haven't had much luck. The best thing I have found as far as being able to last the entire meet is to clip those wispy hair up rather than trying to spray/gel it down. Not sure about your gym but we have always been told that bobby pins are not allowed when attending meets. Good luck to your DD this weekend!!

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

Lots of mouse or gel and then lots of spray. And do it when the hair is wet.

Also, a tip on the bun. Use a hairnet over the bun and wrap it several times till you can't anymore. They come in colors of your hair so you can't see them. I buy them at the grocery store, you get 3 in a package for $1. I can hold my girls hair with no pins at all. If you need pins hairpins work better then bobbypins, they are a little bit longer and seem to hold much better.

 

[momofrrr]

My DD13 is a dancer and I have discovered over the years that I have the most success when I fix her hair for performances when it is wet. It does not have to be "clean", just wet. I will have her come to me with it combed out then use huge handfuls of gel (I beleive it is called LA Style). I don't braid it, we just twist it after we put it in the pony tail. I use a ton of pins (both bobby and hair pins) then we put a hair net over the bun and pin it in place with bobby pins. After that is done, we spray it with a good hair spray. Yes, it looks like it has been varnished but it does not move. Let me put in at this point that her hair is about 20 inches long and very curly and where she dances there is a strick "No whispy" rule when it comes to performances. Good luck on the hair and at the meet.

 

[Schmeck]

If you use pins, make sure they are secure under the hairnet. Nothing worse than having a pin come out on the floor routine, and then getting it jabbed in your foot.

I always sewed my daughter's bun for gymnastics - used a plastic sewing needle (the kind you get for little kids) and embroidery floss that matched her hair. When she skated, they used clear fishing line instead. The scrunchie was even sewn on, so it wouldn't fall off or flap around.

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

I have often heard people here say that BBB uses too much product on the girls' hair, and I always think they aren't dance or gymnastic moms.

Never seems like that much to me. My girls buns could last for days just like their BBB hair did.

 

[hedgehog2owl]

whats worked best for wispys for us:

gel wet hair, slick back, secure bun (we also use a hairnet) spray with hairspray. Like lots. Then get your hand wet, and smooth the wispys back, then blast it with spray. Smooth them back again and BLAST with spray again. repeat until they submit. they spray them again for good measure. bring along hairspray to beat them back into submission on the road/during the meet/performance

 

[drinkme]

My dd is a figure skater and she can't use bobby pins. We also do her bun when her hair is wet. We use a product called Clear Ice (they sell it at Dollar Tree). We use a hair net too and wrap it around the bun and then tuck it into the ponytail holder. We use more Clear Ice on the wispies, and spray the heck out of it!

For making the bun, we use this donut shaped thing bought from a hair store.

 

[deedeetoo]

Jusr one thought - does she really need a bun or is a pony tail OK?

When my daughter started competing we were told she needed a bun. My attempt at a bun was so pathetic is actually fell out during warm ups. But what I discovered at that first meet is that buns really aren't required. Most girls just do pony tails. In fact one of the best gyms in the state was there and not one girl had her hair in a bun. I haven't bothered with a bun since.

 

[scrapquitler]

You NEED to buy the Whirl-a-style Bunmaker.
http://jenskates.com/ProductImages/whirlj.jpg
I got it at Claires, but most of the local dance shops sell it. To make a bun, you just make a ponytail, slide this thing to the end of the hair, roll it up, and clip, then add just a few bobby pins. It works even on not-really-long hair like my daughters (just above shoulder lenghth) and it stays nice and tight and neat without needing a ton of gel, spray and bobby pins.

 

[princessmom29]

we use Short Sexy Hard Head Gel. It keeps all the wispys in place just fine. DD dances and does acro. She says rolling on the clips hurts so we don't use them.

 

[ncmickeyluvr]

Instead of buying a bunmaker, a sock works just as well. I always use a men's dress sock....new, ofcourse. Cut the toe off and roll it up to a donut shape. It makes the most perfect looking bun ever.

I am very intrigued about sewing the bun together....how exactly does that work?

 

[mickeylove2]

Okay, my daughter's first gym meet is this coming weekend. I have to put her long hair up in a bun. Eeek! I've read the directions on how to do this, and I think I understand what to do (put in ponytail, braid it, twist the braid around the ponytail holder, secure with a zillion pins). The problem is I know I'm going to need some sort of gel to get the rest of the "wispies" to stay put. Hair spray just doesn't seem to work on her hair for more than an hour.

Anyone have suggestions for "superglue-holding" hair gel? I don't care if it takes a half-dozen hair washings to get rid of it, as long as her hair stays put during the meet!

Thanks folks!

Aqua Net works for us! I think it's in a purple can, whatever the most hold is (like extrat super hold or something)

When we do buns I start out with wet hair, lather gel through it, pull it into a pony tail, braid and wrap with lots of pins. Spray and gel again. Use a hair net and pull it as tight into the bun as you can, spray (again) with lots of Aqua net, use clips to clip throughout the hair around the bun, lots more hairspary and then a scrunchie or hair piece.

Voila! My oldest (8) has hair to her waist and it's very curly, my youngest (6)has hair to her waist that is very thick and wavy. This method works for both of them.

 

[princessmom29]

Instead of buying a bunmaker, a sock works just as well. I always use a men's dress sock....new, ofcourse. Cut the toe off and roll it up to a donut shape. It makes the most perfect looking bun ever.

I am very intrigued about sewing the bun together....how exactly does that work?

I have done it before. Wrap the hair around the pony tail holder and instead of pins use the sewing needle to criscross fishing line across the hair to hold it down. I gues it would work with floss too although I have never tried it. I had hair to my wait in college and marched color guard with the band. the pins would work themselves out and my hair would fall. the fishing line kep it in place much bette. I would just go under the ponytail holder and themn up and across the hair, then in a different direction so it made like and asterisk on top of the bun.

 

[Arkansan]

My two DDs are both Allstar cheerleaders and need really high ponytails (almost in the middle of the top of their heads) for competitions. They also both danced for years. I use the "got2b" brand of products and almost all the girls on their cheer teams do too. They aren't expensive and can be purchased at Target, Walmart, drugstores, etc.

I first put their hair into the ponytail, then mist with water. (an empty non-aerosal hairspray bottle works great for this) Then I use the "got2b glued spiking gel" on my fingers to get rid of the whispies and work it through the roots with a comb. THEN finish with the "got2b glued blasting freeze spray" all over their head. With these products I could almost take out the elastic and their hair would stay. (obviously, I wouldn't really) I use a few bobby pins for backup, but they aren't really needed and their hair stays all day.

I would also suggest getting good hair elastics. There are several brands of "no slip grip" ones that are stronger and stay tighter than regular ones. They have some extra elastic that grips the hair, but doen't pull. (and one DD is VERY tender headed, so I would hear about it.

Good luck to your daughter! Have fun!

 

[lunalibre]

Thanks so much to everyone for all the good suggestions! I'm still not sure I understand how to "sew" the bun on, so maybe I won't do that this time. So far I've got hair nets and some hair pins (not bobby pins), and I'll go get gel and hair spray tomorrow on my next trip to Target. I'm going to try this a couple of times for practice this week before I have to do it "for real" on Saturday.

Oh, and I checked -- she absolutely has to wear her hair in a bun due to the length. She could get by with a ponytail for pictures, but not for the competitions.

Thanks again folks!

 

[skw444]

Another cheer mom here and I second the recommendation for the Got 2 Be Glued gel and the Aqua Net hairspray.

 

[nu2dvc]

resurrecting this thread to ask if any of you who have been to BBB know the name of the product that the Fairy Godmother's slick down the girl's hair with. That is the only product that has ever kept my daughter's "wispys" down for more than 10 minutes.

Other suggestions welcome but I'm really hoping to find this stuff locally

 

[cagirl4life]

resurrecting this thread to ask if any of you who have been to BBB know the name of the product that the Fairy Godmother's slick down the girl's hair with. That is the only product that has ever kept my daughter's "wispys" down for more than 10 minutes.

Other suggestions welcome but I'm really hoping to find this stuff locally

I don't know what they use at BBB but my personal experience is to get the cheapest there is at the store (I used to use LA Gel but I don't know if that is made anymore). Spray gel is my personal favorite and you slick it back with a brush. Just be sure not to brush too much or it will come out. Finish with hairspray, my personal favorite is aquanet. If you use a toothbrush with some hair gel on it will help with the wispy's.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

We swear by the got2b glued brand.

Walmart should have it and when they said glued, they aren't kidding. You will have to wash your hands well with soap and water and their hair will take extra work in the shower.

But it works! I would put a hair net on the bun and pin it in.

We have never had a wisp get free in our years of using this for dance performances. A little goes a long way. So start light and add as needed. We also use a very stiff hairspray. We aren't brand specific.