you wrote:
*i've read about ways of putting the hair stick first through the middle of the bun ... i tried it but don't really get how one can change the direction of the stick *

This is one of the ways I wear my sticks, let me see if I can explain it w/out confusing any further!  You first want to twist your hair into a low bun at the base of your head (not using a hair tie, just twist and hold it), don't make it super tight or overly loose, just a little looser than normal.  Now, I think that this is the part you're not understanding, take a stick and you are going to come up with the pointed end thru the center of the bun, or just thru the bun somewhere basically.  So, you are actually going in the underside, the backside of the bun, the side that is closest to your neck, and the pointy end will be sticking out thru the front of the bun, it should be pointing up to the ceiling.  Now you swing the bottom of the stick so that IT is now pointing up to the ceiling (where the pointy end just was), and the pointy part is going to get pushed back down through your hair.  What this does is it flips the bun upside down and against your head, and if done right it holds very securely, I only need one stick to hold this for me.  And like you, I also have layers in the bottom part of my hair, so I think that this should work very well for you, You'll probably just need to practice with the tension so that it's not too tight against your head.  Hope this helps you!  

what i still don't get ... if you stick the stick from behind though the middle ... i dunno, the bulge in the centre seems to make it impossible to invert the direction of the stick then. how far does the point come through when you change direction?

If you set your bun, then you flip it over, don't you have ends going every which way?

Too funny, Brunette Texan..... !!!!!!

nightowl