The Styling Hack That Will Have Your Slicked-Back Bun Pulling Double Duty

When it comes to hairstyles, we love the effortless, yet sophisticated aesthetic of a slicked-back bun. Not only is it quick to throw together, it's also versatile and chic.

But what if we told you that you could get even more out of a bun than a just an ultra-polished hairstyle? Have you ever considered coupling your bun with a hair-nourishing product, instead of standard slicking products such as gels and mousses? A new trend on TikTok is celebrating the "treatment bun," which describes the use of a haircare treatment (or a few of them) as one's main agent to capturing the perfect, sleek bun. While any slicked-back bun is sure to smooth over doubts from co-workers, peers, or your family that you might not have it all together, a treatment bun proves you're two steps ahead of the game.

Celebrities such as Bella Hadid and Hailey Bieber have been known to gel with a slicked-back bun. But now, we cannot help but wonder if they've been keeping this hair hack from us this whole time!

The benefits of rocking a treatment bun are largely straightforward: It enables you to nourish your hair throughout the day while cleverly hiding the fact that you're actually giving your hair an intensive treatment. Other than the rinse and wash, there's no need to wait around at home for the product soak in your strands.

On top of that, the hack allows you your hair to absorb product for several hours, rather than for a mere 30 minutes. This can be especially helpful for color-treated or bleached hair that has experienced damage. However, even if your hair is relatively healthy already, using a mask treatment bun can help your strands achieve extra shine. Just double-check the active ingredients on your product to ensure they align with your hair needs. 

If masks aren't your jam, you can instead opt for an oil treatment. Oil can be amazing for protecting your hair from breakage or damage, promoting hydration, and minimizing flyaways, among other benefits. You can also pair hair oils with a scalp oil for a complete hair health regimen. TikTok creator Tatyana Lafata, aka @tatlafata, demonstrates her hair oil bun routine in a TikTok video. First, Lafata uses the JVN Pre-Wash Scalp & Hair Strengthening Oil before going in with a rosemary oil, she notes in the comments. Then, she uses the Moroccanoil Styling Gel, formulated with Argan oil, to seal the products in her hair before swooping it into a bun. 

Now that we've gone over the benefits, let's discuss how you can actually try the treatment bun for yourself. First, distribute a generous amount of treatment product through damp or dry hair. Because of the potential heaviness of some hair treatment products, some stylists recommend committing to this look on the day leading up to a hair wash, so as not to collect dirt and other undesirable pollutants in your clean hair.

TikTok creator Kelsey Griffin, aka @kelseygriffinn, demonstrates how she achieves her treatment bun before her morning pilates class in her TikTok video. Per their instructions, once you have sufficiently saturated your hair with product, gather the hair behind your head, using a brush to smooth it into your hand. Griffin notes that using a flat brush works just fine, but a dense bristle brush is ideal to keep the strands close together for that extra taut look. Depending on your preferences, you can pull the hair straight back and down for a low-bun look, or angled up according to the shape of your cheekbones. Finally, tie the hair into a ponytail, and wrap it around itself in a loop shape, securing the bun with elastics or bobby-pins as needed. Twisting the bun along silk or creaseless hair ties also ensures your hair will not be subject to further damage both while in a bun, and when you need to take it out.