Okay, so I’ve been messing around with trying to recreate Gareth Bale’s long hair look, you know, the man bun, the half-ponytail, all that. It’s tougher than it looks! Here’s how my little experiment went down.
Growing It Out (The Hard Part)
First things first, I started with relatively short hair. Like, really short. So, the initial phase was just pure, unadulterated waiting. I resisted the urge to get a trim every few weeks. This was painful, trust me. My hair grows out kinda… poofy? So I looked like a mushroom for a good while.
- Used tons of conditioner. Seriously, I went through bottles of the stuff. My hair is naturally pretty dry, so I needed to keep it hydrated to avoid breakage.
- Tried to minimize heat styling. No blow dryers, no straighteners (not that I use those much anyway). Air drying was my friend.
- Took some biotin supplements. I don’t know if they actually worked, but I figured it couldn’t hurt.
The Awkward Stage
This was the worst. My hair was long enough to be annoying, but not long enough to do anything cool with. It was constantly in my eyes, in my mouth… everywhere. I wore a lot of hats during this period. A LOT.
I also started experimenting with different products. I tried some texturizing sprays and sea salt sprays, trying to give it some shape and prevent it from just hanging there like limp noodles.
Finally, Some Length!
After what felt like an eternity, I finally had enough length to start playing around. The first thing I tried was the classic man bun.
It took a few tries to get it right. I watched some YouTube tutorials (don’t judge). My first attempts were either too loose and fell out immediately, or too tight and gave me a headache.
- I use a simple method. I grab all the hair,kind of comb in to the back with my hands.
- Then I twist and wrap the hair,finally tie with a hair band.
Then, I moved on to the half-ponytail. This was a little easier, actually. I just sectioned off the top part of my hair and tied it back. The key, I found, was to leave a few strands loose around the face to make it look more relaxed and less… severe.
The Verdict
It’s a commitment, that’s for sure. The growing out process is a test of patience, and there are definitely some awkward phases. But, once you get there, it’s kinda fun to have so many styling options. I’m still figuring out what works best for me, but I’m definitely enjoying the process. It’s way more versatile than I thought it would be!