Mohawk-like hair

Elling woman bun - my sleep bun

I can't pancake my braids, so a voluminous braid is impossible for me to create. Such mohawk-like braids are rare on me. I can do them on greasy hair.
I like the front side a lot. It looks a bit like the edwardian poof.
I just wonder why I can only do such braids on rare occasions and only with super oily hair?
Is my hair too slippery to create volume - most probably
Are these voluminous hairstyles created only on hair coated in dry shampoo? - 99% of tutorials out there claim so. I'm not going to use any styling product.
I can make such mohawk-braids when I lay on a chair and start braiding from my crown though. Having cowlicks and flat hair may actually help if you rise it above the cowlick? I mean if you comb upside down, you actually end up with some volume (at least for a while).
I just never wear such a braid because it ends in an akward position like a high ponytail. My braid seem like I started it from the crown and not from ear level. Akward position for a braid right? That's why I use it as sleep bun.
Maybe it'll work with a flat braided cinamon bun though? Or should I get used with higher updoes, because edwardian updos are a bit higher positioned.