The 10-Minute Twisted Bun
PNA soft, undone bun that holds all day and works on second-day hair. If you can twist a rope, you can do this.
What you’ll need
Work with day-old hair if you can — a little natural texture grips far better than freshly washed strands. A spritz of dry shampoo at the roots does the same job in a pinch.
The steps
Prep and part
Brush hair back and gather into a low, loose ponytail at the nape. Leave a few face-framing pieces out.
Split and twist
Divide the ponytail into two sections. Twist each away from your face until it starts to coil on itself.
Wrap the bun
Wrap the twisted sections around the base in the same direction, tucking the ends underneath.
Pin and soften
Secure with bobby pins crossed against the twist. Gently tug a few pieces loose for that undone finish.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| The bun keeps falling | Cross your bobby pins in an X and anchor into the elastic, not just the hair. |
| Too tight / severe | Loosen the twist before wrapping and pull out a few pieces at the hairline. |
| Flyaways everywhere | Smooth with a drop of oil on your palms — not water, which reactivates frizz. |
Variations
Add a thin ribbon or a pearl pin and smooth every flyaway for evening — or take it all the way to a wedding or mother-of-the-bride style that holds all day.
Skip the elastic, use a claw clip, and leave it deliberately messy for daytime — one of the low-tension options in our gallery of buns for fine hair that hold.
Pull up only the crown section and leave the lengths down — see our half-up styles for fine hair for the ones that actually hold.
Braid the section before you twist it for extra width — the pancaking trick in our guide to braids for fine hair works here too.
Images in this article are AI-generated illustrations, not photographs of real clients or results. See our image policy.
Results vary with hair length, density, and texture. This tutorial is educational; adapt the technique to your own hair.