What Is a Hairstyles and Updos?
Hairstyles and Updos Ideas work best when the shape, texture, color, and upkeep fit the person wearing them. Use this guide to compare the inspiration above with your face shape, hair density, styling routine, and the level of maintenance you want before saving a look for your stylist.
Start with the outline: where volume sits, how the ends are shaped, and whether the front opens the face or frames it. Fine hair usually benefits from airy layers and visible lift, while thick hair often needs internal texture so the shape feels light instead of bulky.
How to Choose the Right Hairstyles and Updos
Bring two or three references from this article and the Hairstyles and Updos category, then describe what you like about each one. Mention your natural texture, how often you use heat tools, and whether you prefer a polished finish or a more lived-in shape.
Styling and Upkeep Tips
Shorter and more shaped styles usually need trims more often, while longer layered versions can grow out more softly. Lightweight texture cream, root lift, gloss spray, or color-safe care can make a major difference depending on the finish you choose.
Styles in this article
Gibson-Style Messy Curl Chignon
Offering a dramatic contrast to a [short pixie haircut for women](https://nexthair.net/articles/pixie-haircuts), the side-leaning updo forms a large, high-volume chignon with dense, curled segments. Waves wrap around the pinned center,…
Tousled Blonde Shaggy Chignon
A tousled chignon sits at mid-back with a loose, shaggy texture made from separated sections rather than tight coils. The top shows volume from lift at the crown, while front strands pull outward in wispy ribbons. Its silhouette is rounded…
Braided Chignon With Curled Rolls
A side-to-back chignon is built from a braided tuck line that wraps through the center, then disappears into dense, curled sections. The overall shape is rounded and compact at the nape, with curls stacked like overlapping rosettes for a…
Back Croissant Twist Updo
A voluminous updo fills the crown with rounded twist coils shaped like layered croissants, offering a stunning styling option for those who usually wear [medium-length haircuts for thick…
Double Twisted Low Pigtail Buns
Two low buns sit close together along the back, each formed from thick, ropey twists that curl into rounded, messy pigtail shapes. The center is gathered and pinned, creating a slightly uneven, sculpted look rather than a smooth knot.…
Blonde Soft Knot With Loop Detail
A low blonde updo is built into a soft knot at the back, with long strands swept across the top to form smooth, looped wraps. The surface looks satin-like and organized compared with the other styles, but still slightly messy at the edges…
Blue-Toned Halo Braid Low Bun
A braid runs across the head in a halo-like band, feeding into a low, curly bun, making it a standout choice among [braided hairstyles for teenage girls](https://nexthair.net/articles/braided-hairstyles-for-teenage-girls). The bun is…
Wavy Brown Side Chignon Updo
A low side chignon is formed from layered, loose waves gathered into a rounded mass at the nape. Curls wrap across the top in soft arcs, and a few longer strands peek out near the sides for a relaxed, messy finish. Texture is wavy and…
Rose-Linked Knotted Braided Bun
A low bun is built from a tightly braided base, then arranged into a rose-like spiral with visible loops and ropework texture. The silhouette is compact at the nape but lifts slightly at the crown for a soft dome shape. Hair is a cool light…
Twisted Chignon With Gold Pin
A messy twisted chignon is anchored at the nape with layered, swirling sections that resemble rolled ribbons. The top lifts with a loose, feathery halo of strands, while the underside stays fuller and rounded. Texture is soft and slightly…
Deep Brown Twisted Nape Chignon
A compact nape chignon is built from thick, twisted strands that coil into a dense, rounded shape. The center is smooth and tightly gathered, while the perimeter loosens slightly, showing a few separated strands for a messy editorial…
Back Fishtail Bun With Strands
A bun sits at mid-to-low back, formed from an intertwined fishtail-style braid that wraps into a compact mass. Around the braid core, extra strands are left out and slightly separated, creating a messy, airy frame and visible weave pattern.…
Curly Twist-Out With Loose Bangs
Curled sections are gathered into a loose, messy twist-out style with ringlets stacked high across the back. A side part is visible, and the front edge includes shorter, loosely defined curls that frame the face like bangs. Texture is…
Dark Loose Chignon With Twist
A dark chignon is centered low and rounded, built from loose, twisted waves that stack into a full, dome-like shape. The curls aren’t uniform—some strands appear larger and more relaxed, reinforcing the messy editorial texture. A small…
Fiery Red And Purple Twist Bun
The updo features a long, twisted braid looped into a rounded bun with visible ribbon-like tension and defined twists along the top. The shape is gathered at the crown and then supported lower back, giving an elongated silhouette. Strands…
Braided Crown Knot With Lift
A high updo is formed from a braided crown section that feeds into a rounded knot at the back. The braid creates a defined top ridge, while the knot underneath looks softly compressed with a slightly tousled finish. Texture is a mix of…
Golden Blonde Twisted Rope Bun
A rounded bun at the nape is composed of multiple twisted rope sections that interlock into a compact, glossy shape. The twists are clearly defined, forming a patterned surface, but a few lighter strands sit higher to create an undone,…
Braided Back Knot With Swoop
A back knot is built from two chunky, side-crossing braid sections that wrap into a low, rounded twist at the nape. The style looks airy and undone, with a few curled strands left to float around the knot. Texture is mostly smooth braid…
Side-Spun Messy Twist Chignon
The side profile shows a messy twist chignon with large, rolled sections stacked at the back. The shape is slightly asymmetrical: one side is more sculpted and lifted, while the other side falls into soft loops. Texture is smooth and…
Blush Pink Bubble Braid Bun
A low bun is wrapped with a pale pink, blended braid that forms a loosely structured, bubble-like pattern across the front. The hairstyle looks playful and messy, with the braid segments puffed and separated to show texture, while the base…