Tired of the same old ponytail every day? Let’s look at some gorgeous, yet simple styles for those of you with long locks.
There is so much you can do with lengthy hair, and a lot of the styles don’t even require more than 5 or ten minutes of your time. These ten updos for long hair will give you a new sense of style and completely rejuvenate your look.
If you are planning on trying some of these out, there are a few different items you should have nearby. Make sure to have any styling products that you like to use regularly, as most of these styles ask for them. Also, bobby pins are a huge staple for any long hair updo, as well as hot tools such as a hairdryer, straightener, and curler. Let’s get to styling.
The first updo on our list is the rose-shaped braided bun. This beautiful style looks incredibly intricate and complicated but is relatively simple to do with your own hair.
For this style, you will want to have a handful of bobby pins (about ten), two hair ties, and a hairbrush nearby. To begin, have all your hair down without any product in it. If you want a fuller look you can also loosely curl your hair beforehand as well.
Then you will want to part the top half of your hair and secure it with a hair tie. For more body, especially if your hair isn’t very thick, you can tease this part too. In addition to giving the style a fuller look, it will also secure the updo and help it to last longer. Once you have completed that step, take that section of hair and braid it all into a single braid. A tighter braid will make a smaller and more detailed rose, while a looser braid will make a bigger, simpler one.
At this point, you will want to take the braid and wrap it into a coil, making it into a bun.
Once the bun has been coiled up to your scalp, secure it with bobby pins. If you want a smaller rose, leave it as is – if you want a larger, more textured one, spread the coiled braid apart with a small pin or comb.
There you have it – a gorgeous, simple braided bun that looks just like a rose. You can do this with as much or as little hair as you’d like for different effects as well.
Next up, we have the asymmetrical French twist. This one is definitely a unique look with a lot of potential to start a conversation about how it looks.
For this updo, you will need a brush, hair tie, comb, bobby pins, hand mirror, and a flat iron if you want to style your bangs as well. You will also need a decent knowledge of how to French braid your own hair as well.
Start by combing out your hair completely. Then start a full French braid of all of your hair, just over to either the left or the right side of your head. It doesn’t really matter which side you pick, depending on whether you are left or right-handed one may be easier for you.
Once you have finished the braid and have secured it with a hair tie, simply pull the bottom of the braid through the middle of it to complete the twist. If you do have bangs, you can style them with the flat iron to finish the look.
This next style is fantastic for keeping hair out of your face, as well as not requiring you to use any heat on your hair. For this updo, you will need bobby pins, hairspray, and a few hair ties.
First, part your hair off the right side. Then separate a section of your hair at the crown of your head, make it about 2 or 3 inches back from your hairline. After you have sectioned off that piece of hair, twist it all together and wrap it into a small bun on the back of the crown, then secure it down with bobby pins.
Now, pick up another small section of hair, this time at the hairline. Make sure it is on the left side of the part, and begin to make a Dutch braid out of it. Braid all along your hairline and over your left ear. Tie it off once you reach the end of the strands. Once this is completed, do this step over again on the right side of your head.
Connect these two new Dutch braids, remove the hair ties from both, and tie them both into a bun together that will be secured with bobby pins. The hair below it that is remaining will be made into a third bun, which you will then also secure with more pins.
The final step is just to hairspray it to secure the updo, and you have a casual two braids and bun updo.
For this next style, you will only really need a few hair ties, bobby pins, and your favorite hairspray.
Start off by sectioning off a small section of hair from the top of your head. Tease this section once you have chosen it, and then pin it back into a pompadour. Then take the tails of that section of hair you just teased into a pompadour and divide it into two sections of hair.
Twist the tails together, left over right. Make sure that you consistently overlap the same way each time for a more uniform look. Once they are twisted, hold them both in your right hand while you use your left one to add hair from the front of your head into the left side of the twist. Then switch hands and do the exact same thing with the hair on the right. Complete these steps until all of your hair is twisted into the same section.
Once you have finished those steps, tie off the twist into a messy bun. Place bobby pins near the base of the bun to secure the look in place, then simply spray with hairspray and you are all done. If you want a fuller look, you can always pull the twist to puff it up before spraying your hair as well.
This next updo for long hair is incredibly simple but very stylish. This is one that you see frequently on the red carpet with celebrities all the time.
The sleek twisted top knot only requires a few items. You will need access to water, a blow dryer, and a hairbrush. Having some hair gel and hairspray is a good idea as well.
First, make sure that you have wet your hair at its roots. Then use a brush with soft bristles to completely smooth out your hair while blowing it dry.
Next, use a quarter size of gel to smooth back your roots while gathering your hair for the top knot. Flip your head upside down to ensure that you have gathered all of your hair and it is smoothed out. Hold the base of the ponytail you have gathered and use your hair tie to twist it into a figure eight.
Once you get to the last loop, make sure not to pull your hair all the way through. Leave the loop there, and divide the remaining tail into two equal sections. Then tightly tie the tail in a knot around the loop of hair you created. Use your bobby pins to pin the style into place.
There are many ways to do a high braided top knot, so we are just going to review the simplest method. If you do want more options for this hairstyle, there are many more online. For this hairstyle, you will need two or three separate hair ties on your wrist, depending on the thickness of your hair.
Next, you will need to put all of your hair into a high ponytail with one of the hair ties. Then braid the ponytail until you only have a few inches left at the end, and loosely tie it off.
The next step is to make your braid thicker by pulling on the loops and making it wider. This is optional, as those with thicker hair may not want to widen the braid. If you do take this step, it will give the braid a lot more volume and you will end up with a much thicker top knot.
After this, you will take the braid and wrap it around the base of the ponytail and then secure it with another hair tie.
If you want further security for the hairstyle, you can always use bobby pins to hold it there as well.
Last but not least, we have the gorgeous, intricate crown braid. This is one of the most popular updos for long hair that we have come across.
To get started with this style, you are better off with not washing your hair first. This gives it a little more grip and ensures that it won’t fall out right away. Your hair should also be parted directly in the middle into equal parts on either side of your head.
Then you will want to make two normal braids, one on each side. Secure both braids with a clear elastic band.
After that step, you will take each braid and cross them over your head where a normal headband would go. Secure the ends of each braid with bobby pins to keep them intact. This will create a lovely circle of braid around your head, like a crown.
If you want a thicker crown, you can also spread the sections of hair in the braid for a fuller, more volumized look. If your hair is already pretty thick, you can get away with skipping this step.
Now that you have an array of new updos to try out for your long hair, it’s time to get to styling. Just make sure to have a lot of hair ties, bobby pins, a blow dryer, and styling products nearby for the most possible outcome. Allowing for some extra time to trying them out at first is definitely vital as well.
Since some of these are more complicated, be patient with yourself. It is very easy to become frustrated if the styling doesn’t go perfectly the first time, but just realize that practice makes perfect – especially when it comes to styling your hair.
Have you tried out any of these styles? Which one did you enjoy the look of the most?