How to Do Hair Styles With a Bump

Last Updated: September 19, 2022 References

The "bump" hairstyle is a trendy and relaxed way to pull your hair back while adding some volume. Although it may seem difficult to create, making a good bump is really all about teasing sections of your hair, and smoothing it over.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Making a Simple Bump

1
Brush out your hair. Brush your hair with a brush or comb to remove any knots and tangles from your hair. You want your hair to be as manageable as possible when creating a new hairstyle.^{[1]
X
Research source}
2
Decide where you want your bump to be. There are many ways to wear a bump in your hair. Some like the bump high, toward the front of their head, while others prefer the bump toward the crown of their head. It’s all a matter personal preference.
- Creating a bump toward the front of your head requires less hair, while creating a bump toward the crown of your head requires a bit more hair.
- Bumps that are toward the front of the head work well for getting bangs and fringe out of your face.
- Bumps made toward the crown of the head, work well for certain up-dos and creating retro-inspired hairstyles.
Advertisement
3
Separate your bump hair section. Use your fingers or the tip of your comb to gather the section of hair you wish to use to make your bump. Be sure that the section of hair that you separate for your bump is centered on your head.^{[2]
X
Research source}
- If you’re making your bump toward the crown of your head, gather your hair starting from the front sides of your head, and stop gathering toward the top of the crown of your head. This section of hair shouldn’t include hair lower than the bottom of the crown of your head.
- If you’re making your bump toward the front of your head, gather your hair spanning from around your two temples on the sides of your head, and stop gathering your hair section just before the crown of your head.
4
Create a bump without teasing. While many people find that their bumps remain fuller and more secure when their hair is teased, it is not mandatory. If you don't want to tease, simply gather the bump section of hair, pinch the hair where you want the back end of the bump to be, push it forward a bit to create a bump, and secure down the base of the bump with bobby pins.^{[3]
X
Research source}
- You will need at least one bobby pin on each side of the bump, but two on each side will give you better hold. Cross the bobby pins on top of each other for the best results.
- If you have afro-textured hair, you can easily create a bump without teasing. Simply blow dry your hair out and pull the bump section back. Then pinch the base of your bump and push it forward, securing it with bobby pins. If your hair is short enough, you can fold the ends of your hair under the bump before securing it with bobby pins.^{[4]
  X
  Research source}
- You can use some hairspray to keep your bump in place and tame flyaways.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Using More Advanced Techniques to Create a Bump

1
Section out your hair for teasing. If you do plan to tease your hair, you should do so in small sections to create the most volume. Depending on the amount of hair you have, you should plan on dividing the bump section into three or four layers. You will tease the two to three bottom layers of this hair, but leave the section closest to your face un-teased.^{[5]
X
Research source}
- You may want to separate the front section of your bump (the part that won't be teased) now in order to avoid accidentally pulling it into one of the other sections. You can twist it off to the side and secure it with a bobby pin to keep to separated.
2
Start teasing the first section. Hold the bump section of your hair straight up and separate the bottom layer of hair for teasing. You can let the other layers of the bump fall forward or to the side, but keep holding the layer you are working with straight up. To tease, use your other hand to comb your hair backwards from the ends to the roots with a fine-toothed comb.^{[6]
X
Expert Source

Sarah Kosakowski
Professional Hair Stylist
Expert Interview. 3 September 2021.} Before letting go of your hair, spray underneath this layer with some hairspray.^{[7]
X
Research source}
- It's best to allow your hairspray to set for approximately five to 10 seconds before you release your hair. Then you can gently flip the portion of hair back toward the back of your head.
- Once you're done teasing, your hair should have quite a bit of volume to it. If you want it to stand up even higher, tease it some more. Don't worry if it looks messy, as you will be combing un-teased hair on top of it.
- You shouldn't need to use very much hairspray. A quick spray should be fine.
3
Continue teasing your hair section by section. Once the first layer of your bump has been teased, continue using the same method to tease the remaining layers.^{[8]
X
Expert Source

Sarah Kosakowski
Professional Hair Stylist
Expert Interview. 3 September 2021.} (You will have one or two more layers, depending on the thickness of your hair.) Remember to keep the front section of your bump separated and un-teased.^{[9]
X
Research source}
- Keep in mind that the more you tease your hair, the sturdier your bump will be, but your hair will also be knottier.
4
Consider adding in a bump tool. This step is optional, but some people like to create their hair bump with the help of a bump tool. Bump tools are small pieces of plastic that you can place between the teased layers of your hair to add more volume to your bump hairstyle. They are available online and at many retail stores. They come in different sizes to create large and small bumps. ^{[10]
X
Research source}
- To insert the bump tool, simply separate the teased section of your hair into two halves and place the bump tool on your scalp between the two layers, right near the roots of your hair. You may have to wiggle the bump tool a little to help the plastic teeth stick to your hair.
- Use your fingers to spread out the top section of your teased hair so that it completely covers the bump tool. The bump tool should be hidden by your hair.
- You can use a comb to lightly comb your hair over the bump tool, and spray a little bit of hairspray to keep everything in place. Your teased hair covering the bump tool doesn’t need to look perfect because you are going to cover it with your un-teased portion of hair.
5
Cover the teased hair with smooth hair. Whether you use a bump tool or not, when all of your teased portions of hair are flipped back, flip the smooth, un-teased section of hair over the teased portions. The teased portions of your hair will be poofed up and high. (That is where the bump look comes from.)^{[11]
X
Research source} Use your fingers to evenly spread your hair out, and lightly comb over your hair to smooth everything over.^{[12]
X
Expert Source

Sarah Kosakowski
Professional Hair Stylist
Expert Interview. 3 September 2021.}
- Don’t comb over your smooth portion of hair using a lot of pressure, or you may flatten out your voluminous bump.
6
Secure your bump. When you are satisfied with your bump, insert bobby pins at the base of the bump from both the right and left sides to secure it in place. You may want to use two or more bobby pins on each side to make sure your bump doesn’t move around.^{[13]
X
Research source}
- You can use an elastic hair tie to secure the bump, but bobby pins allow your hair to naturally fall down the back of your head, whereas a hair tie will put your hair in a small ponytail.
- To get more height in your bump, consider pinching the base of the bump, and pushing the bump forward slightly, to give it more height.
- Your hairstyle can be complete with a bump as is, or you can curl the ends of your hair to give your style a softer look.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Creating Bump Hairstyles

1
Create a bump ponytail. This style works great with a bump positioned near the crown of your head, and can be made with longer or shorter hair (as long as you can fit it into a ponytail). When you section your hair to make your bump, separate your hair into two parts: the part of your hair that you’re going to tease (to make the bump), and the part of your hair that is going to serve as your ponytail base.^{[14]
X
Research source}
- Tie the bottom section of your hair, your ponytail base, with a loose ponytail holder.
- Tease the top section of your hair in small sections from back to front to create your bump, making sure to set each section with hairspray.
- Gently smooth the bump over, and remove the ponytail holder tying back your bottom section of hair. Hold your ponytail in one hand and add the hair from your bump with your other hand.^{[15]
  X
  Research source}
- Use your brush to gently work the bump hair into the ponytail and even everything out.
- Draw out one piece of hair about ½ an inch thick from the bottom of the gathered hair, and leave it out of the ponytail as you retie your ponytail with the bump hair incorporated.
- Once your ponytail is secure, wrap the loose piece of hair around the hair tie and secure it in place by tucking it into the hair tie. Use hairspray to gently set your style.^{[16]
  X
  Research source}
2
Create a braided ponytail with a front bump. This hairstyle puts a unique twist on a regular ponytail, and adds a bit more of an exaggerated bump to your look. First begin by sectioning off the front portion of your hair that will create your front bump. Pin or clip this section of hair out of the way, and pull the rest of your hair into a high ponytail. ^{[17]
X
Research source}
- You can use some gel, shine serum, or hairspray to make sure your ponytail is pulled back sleek and smooth.
- Use a small section of hair from your ponytail, and wrap it around your hair tie to hide the elastic.
- Release your front section of hair and hold it up as you tease it. Pinch this section of hair around your crown area, approximately 3 to 5 inches (about 7 to 12 centimeters) back from your hairline. Twist your hair once, and then push it towards the front of your crown. Secure your bump with two crisscrossing bobby pins. ^{[18]
  X
  Research source}
- Wrap the rest of the bump hair that is hanging out over your ponytail around the elastic hair tie, using a bobby pin to secure it.^{[19]
  X
  Research source}
- Brush out your ponytail, and loosely braid your ponytail in a three strand braid. A loose braid will make your ponytail look fuller. Secure the end of the braid with a small, clear elastic, or with one that matches your hair color. Gently pull out your braid strands to make your braid appear even fuller.
- Finish your look by lightly misting your hair with some hairspray.^{[20]
  X
  Research source}
3
Create a half up bouffant. This hairstyle is great for channeling vintage movie stars from the 60s. A bouffant creates the look of an exaggerated bump with lots of volume, especially for those with long hair. Create two sections of hair: one from the middle-top of your head to your hairline, and one section behind that, from the middle-top of your head, to the bottom of your crown.^{[21]
X
Research source}
- Take the bottom section of hair and twist it around itself until you make a twisted bun with that section. Secure the twisted bun with bobby pins or a thin, elastic hair tie. This will act as the base of the bouffant.^{[22]
  X
  Research source}
- Separate the front section of hair into smaller portions, and tease each layer (moving from back to front) to create a lot of volume for the bouffant bump. Leave the very last, front portion of hair alone and un-teased, so it can be smoothed over all the teased hair.
- Flip the teased hair back, over the twisted bun, and use a comb to lightly brush back any flyaway hairs. Flip the un-teased portion of hair over the teased hair, and softly smooth your hair out with a brush.
- Use your fingernails to gather hair along the sides of your head, and hold the gathered hair in place underneath the twisted bun. Push your hair forward and upward to create a big bouffant.^{[23]
  X
  Research source}
- Pinch the hair underneath the bun and use about four to six bobby pins to hold this big bouffant in place. Once in place, gently spray with a little bit of hairspray. ^{[24]
  X
  Research source}

Expert Q&A

Question

How do you make a bump ponytail look good?

Sarah Kosakowski
Professional Hair Stylist
Sarah Kosakowski is a Professional Hair Stylist and the Owner of Alba Salon and Spa based in Cincinnati, Ohio. With a decade of experience, she specializes in bridal and formal hair, blondes, fine hair, and men’s cuts. Sarah received her training at The Aveda Frederic’s Institute and is proud to be a Kevin Murphy Session stylist amongst other accomplishments.

Sarah Kosakowski

Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Answer

After teasing the hair, pull up your ponytail as you normally do, leaving out the sections you teased until the very end. This way, you won't pull them too much. After completing the ponytails, use your fingers or the stick of a foiling comb to pull the teased sections, creating more volume through the front.
Question

What is a sock bun?

Community Answer

It is just a bun that is wound around a sock. To achieve the look, you would cut the toe off of a sock and then roll the sock up, put your hair in the donut hole, then roll down and secure.
Question

How can I make a hair bun?

Community Answer

Put your hair in a pony and twist hair around the base. Finish off with pins.