Updo Hairstyles: 14 Easy Updos, Matched to Your Hair Length

The easiest updo hairstyles are the messy bun, the claw clip twist and the low twisted bun, and all three take under five minutes once you have done them twice. Which one actually holds on you depends on two things you cannot change on the day: how long your hair is at the nape and how much grip it has. For everyday styles beyond updos, including ponytails and braids, see these 14 easy hairstyles on one haircut.

That is the part most updo lists skip. An updo that slides out by lunch is rarely a technique problem. It is usually the wrong updo for your length, done on hair that was washed that morning. Match the style to the length first, give the hair some grit, and a beginner's bun will outlast a stylist's French twist on the wrong head.

This guide sorts updos by hair length and texture, shows 14 of them side by side, and gives you one updo you can learn tonight.

What counts as an updo?

An updo is any hairstyle where the hair is lifted off the neck and shoulders and secured to the head, so the nape is clear. Buns, chignons, twists, rolls and braided crowns are all updos. A ponytail is not, because the length still hangs down, and a half up half down style is its own category.

The difference matters for one practical reason: an updo has to carry the full weight of your hair on pins or one elastic. That weight is what decides which styles work for you.

Updo hairstyles by hair length: the quick verdict

Length at the nape is the single best predictor of whether an updo will stay put. Short hair has too little length to wrap, so it needs twists and pins. Very long hair has so much weight that loose styles drag. Medium hair is the easy middle.

If your hair falls between two rows, pick from the shorter row. A style designed for less hair will always hold your hair. The reverse is not true.

Updo hairstyles gallery: 14 updos side by side

Every look below is the same setup: same salon chair, same light, and mostly the same angle from behind so you can see how the hair is built. The only thing that changes is the updo, so you can compare shape, height and effort at a glance.

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Height is the biggest style decision in that row. Low styles at the nape read soft and formal, crown styles read sporty and young, and mid-height styles sit in between. Choose the height first and the specific updo second.

Updos for short hair

Short hair can go up, but not into a bun. With a bob you do not have enough length to wrap around an elastic, so the trick is to twist the sides back and pin them into a small knot at the nape.

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Start by rope twisting a 1 inch section from each temple back toward the nape, pinning as you go. Gather what is left into a tiny knot and pin it in an X. Expect a few short pieces to fall at the ears. Leave them, because trying to force them up is what makes a short updo look strained. If your bob is layered, the shorter layers will escape first, so a flexible hairspray on the nape pieces helps.

Skip the top knot. Short hair pulled to the crown leaves the nape pieces hanging and looks like an accident.

Updos for medium length hair

Shoulder length is the easiest length to put up. There is enough hair to make a real bun, and not so much weight that it drags the pins out.

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The low twisted bun is the one to learn first here. It also works as a wedding guest style: add two thin face-framing strands and a little shine spray and it goes from office to evening. If you are still deciding on the cut itself, our shoulder length haircuts guide covers which layers make updos easier.

Updo hairstyles for long hair

Long hair can do every updo, and that is exactly the problem: the weight. A loose messy bun on waist-length hair drops within an hour because the pins are holding several ounces of hair against gravity.

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The fix is to braid first. A braid packs the length into a rope that is lighter to wrap and grips itself, so a braided bun needs fewer pins and lasts a full day. For formal events, a braided bun or a voluminous chignon are the two that photograph best. For more ways to wear the length down as well as up, see our hairstyles for long hair guide.

Updo hairstyles for curly hair

Curly hair is the easiest texture to put up, because curls grip each other and hold without much help. The mistake is brushing them out to make the updo look sleek, which leaves frizz and loses the grip.

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Gather the curls with your hands rather than a brush, secure them loosely with a scarf or a large soft scrunchie, and let the curls form the shape. A high puff or a low curly bun needs two to six pins at most. If you know your curl type, our 3c hair guide goes deeper on products that keep definition while the hair is up. Keep the tension loose. Tight updos on the same spot every day pull on the hairline, and the American Academy of Dermatology lists tight buns and ponytails among the causes of traction alopecia.

What is the easiest updo to do?

The low twisted bun is the easiest updo for most people because it needs one elastic, four pins and no braiding. It works on medium and long hair, looks neat enough for work and forgiving enough for a beginner.

For the messy bun version, do the same thing at the crown and pull the bun apart after pinning.

Why your updo falls apart: the common mistakes

Most failed updos fail for one of four reasons, and each one has a cost you can see in the mirror by noon.

• Freshly washed hair. Silky clean hair has no grip, so pins slide out. Cost: the bun drops within two hours. Fix: style on day two or add texture spray.
• Pins pushed in the wrong way. A pin that only catches the bun holds nothing. Cost: the whole shape shifts when you turn your head. Fix: every pin anchors the bun to hair at the scalp.
• Too much hair for the style. A small claw clip on thick long hair snaps open. Cost: a clip that pops off in public. Fix: size the clip or style to the volume, or braid first.
• Pulling it too tight. Tight updos give headaches and, done daily, pull on the hairline. Cost: thinning at the temples over months. Fix: loosen the base and move the position day to day.

The no-pin shortcut: a sleek high ponytail

When you have no time for pins, a sleek high ponytail is the closest thing to an updo that takes two minutes. It is not technically an updo, because the length hangs, but it clears the neck and face and reads just as polished.

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Brush the hair smooth, tie it at the crown, then wrap a small strand around the elastic and pin it underneath. That one wrapped strand is what makes it look finished rather than gym-ready.

How to know which updo suits your face before you try it

The free method is simple: put your hair up roughly, take a front and a side selfie, and compare. It works for one or two styles. The wall comes when you want to choose between a low chignon, a top knot and a braided crown before an event, because each one takes 15 to 30 minutes to do and undo, and you cannot see the back of your own head without a second mirror.

This is where a try-on saves the afternoon. Upload one photo to HairstyleAtlas and you can see a pulled-back style on your own face in seconds, then spend your actual styling time only on the one you like. Face shape plays a part too: crown styles lengthen a round face, and low styles soften a long one. Our face shape guide explains why.

When you go to a stylist for an event updo, say exactly what you want:

Pick the updo by your length first and the look second. Short hair twists and pins, medium hair wraps into a bun, long hair braids before it goes up, and curly hair should be gathered by hand and left loose. Style on second-day hair, anchor every pin to the scalp, and the easy updo will hold all day. For a special event, our bridesmaid hairstyles and holiday hairstyles guides have dressier versions of these same updos.