The bun collapsed during activity

What gave way?

• The bun itself unwound: the coil or fold came apart

  Do this

  Pin the coil before adding the tie over it

  A hair tie over an unpinned bun holds against slow movement but not against running. Redo the bun: twist the ponytail tightly before coiling it, more tightly than feels necessary. Push two bobby pins through the coil into the base elastic, one from each side, crossing through the centre of the coil. Add the hair tie over the top last. The pins lock the shape; the tie is a backup, not the structure. Slightly damp or unwashed hair grips itself better than freshly conditioned hair, which is too slippery for this to hold under movement.

  See: Bobby pin

• The base elastic failed: the whole thing dropped

  Do this

  Two elastics at the base, not one

  A single elastic at the base can't absorb the forces from running. It stretches and works loose within minutes. Redo the ponytail: wrap the first elastic tight at the scalp. Add a second elastic immediately below it through the same gathered section. Both must be firm before you form the bun. With two fixed anchor points the base stays put even when the bun moves.

  See: Snag-free elastic