Gelling and Bun Making
Gelling Instructions
The purpose of gelling is to hold the swimmers’ hair in place during routine competition.
What you will need:
The purpose of gelling is to hold the swimmers’ hair in place during routine competition.
What you will need:
- 2 packages of Knox Gelatin (located in baking aisle of grocery store; we suggest buying at least 2 small boxes)
- ½ C. of warm (to almost hot) water in re-heatable container (small plastic bowl works great)
- Comb or brush
- Hair Ponytail holders
- Bobbie pins (at least 50 – some for hair, some for headpiece)
- Paint Brush or Comb
- Old Towel (Knox drip catcher
- Completely dissolve 2 pkgs of Knox (4 pkgs work great for important meets) into about ½ C of warm/hot water in a plastic container. Set aside.Make sure there are no lumps or excessive bubbles.The gel should be thick but not clumpy.
- Brush up hair into a tight ponytail at crown of the head (not directly on top of head).Damp hair works best.
- If hair is long enough, braid hair in one or two braids from original ponytail.
- Wrap ponytail braids into a bun and tightly hold together with bobby pins.
- Wrap an old towel around the shoulders of swimmer to catch gel drips.
- Test temperature of Knox mixture.It’s ok for application when it is warm.Apply using a clean paintbrush, comb, fingers, etc to spread the gel evenly. Let the hair dry or gently air-dry with a hair dryer set on coolest setting.
- Use remaining bobby pins to secure the headpiece.
- After swimming, shampoo out with warm water.For thicker Knox spots, soak in a bath tub of warm water.
Gelling can be done the night before or the morning of a competition. (Make sure the gel is dry before going to bed!!!)
Tips for Bun Making
- Form wet hair into ponytail. Ponytail should come straight off the top of the swimmers ears, and should be about halfway back on your head.
- For girls with medium to long length hair, hair could be braided in 2 braids. Then wrapped around the head creating the bun.
- For girls with shorter or fine hair, a bun maker / hair donut can be used. Once the hair has been formed into a pony tail, you place the bun maker on the head thru the ponytail. From there you separate the hair down around the bun maker evenly. Then take a hair binder and place it over the bun maker and the hair so that it pulls it tight. With the stray ends, twist them around the bottom of the bun securing them with bobby pins as you go.
- After the bun is secured in place, whether you have used a bun maker or not, wrap a hair net around the bun tightly. This will help keep stray hairs in, and the bun in place. With the hair net, it is also a good idea to match it as closely to your swimmers hair as possible!
- From here you are ready to gel! Here are some helpful tips:
- Start at the top of the head and work your way over the top of the bun and towards the back. Be sure to apply ample amounts of knox all over the bun area.
- It is helpful to use a (cheap) pastry brush to apply the knox.
- Keep a fine tooth comb handy to comb out any lumps or separations that appear. (always comb towards the bun, securing with bobby pins as you go)
- Make sure the knox is thick enough that it doesn’t run too much… (if the knox is runny, that means that it won’t hold up in the water)!
- How many coats should I apply? It really depends. I typically use this rule of thumb. For every routine that your swimmer is in, she will typically be in the pool twice. Once for warm-up and once for the swim. I usually say 2-3 coats at a minimum as a rule. You should apply more if your swimmer will be in and out of the pool more than usual, or if she has layered or short hair.
- How thick should I make my gel? I usually use ¼ or ½ cup boiling water with 7 packages of knox. The knox should be the consistency of thick syrup, almost rubber cement like!
- If you are in a hurry, you can use a hair dryer to help solidify the knox. Beware: blowdrying it for too long can make the hair turn white and shiny!