“If you use nourishing products instead of gels or pomades to achieve the look, your hair soaks in those benefits,” says celebrity hairstylist Alex Brown.
Ahead, how to add it to your haircare routine.
Rather than use pomade to get a sleek bun, here’s a genius hack: Apply a treatment mask.
To get the best results from your treatment bun, start with dry second- or third-day hair, “when your scalp has natural oils,” Brown says. Her favorite time for a treatment bun is before going to the gym. “The heat from your scalp helps the product absorb into your hair,” she explains.
To prevent product buildup that can weigh down your hair even after you wash, avoid heavy products, Brown says. “I recommend using a lightweight product and brushing it through strands,” she says. “Save heavier products for in-shower or overnight treatments.”
Since product will be sitting in your hair so long, avoid your roots (unless you’re using a scalp serum). Brown advises working product into strands starting at the ends: “This should ensure that most of the product is applied to more-porous ends” — which tend to be the most dry and damaged part of your hair — “and through mid-lengths.”
You can confidently wear a treatment bun all day — even overnight if you want extra hydration. But after the treatment, you should always fully wash your hair, rather than just rinsing the treatment out. (Another reason it’s good to start with second- or third-day hair.)