Short Hair Updos – Get The Look Without the Locks

Shorter hair? Need a few ways you can switch up your look from time to time?

Have OMG-worthy looks been in short supply since you sheared your mane?

Or maybe you’re missing fun updos since you went short and spunky?

If you find yourself sitting with the “bored with my shorter hair” crowd then you’re going to love these uplifting and inspirational ideas.

Short hair has many advantages, agreed? It can look edgy or elegant…chic, cool and trendy all at once.

Not to mention how liberating it can be in that a short hair style can be so easy to take care of.

Low maintenance is an especially important feature if you’re constantly on the go or running late or both. Which might explain why many teens, college students and working women alike love to keep their hair short on an everyday basis.

But when it comes to a special occasion or simply a desire to have a different look, the options may seem rather limited. In fact, what options are there exactly? Ah, the lack of versatility is the one drawback to cropped hair. Or so you might think.

So if you’re bored with your shorter locks it may have crossed your mind to explore cute and sophisticated updos for short hair. But do such creatures exist really? Or are they a figment of someone’s imagination?

Turns out, even though you may not have a lot of hair to work with, they most assuredly do exist. Yet you don’t have to look like a prom queen either because depending on the styling and accessories used, they be casual, in-between casual – think like polished braids for short hair even, or can go all the way to dressy-dressy too.

Not only that but for most of these stylish updos you’ll only need a few hair clips, a handful of bobbie pins and a few minutes of time in front of a mirror. If your hair cooperates. If it doesn’t we’ve got answers for that too.

Just don’t go thinking you have to be an updo genius if your hair is short. You don’t.

And don’t go thinking you don’t have choices. You do. If you’re daring enough to try. Plus you’ll love the look should you dare.

So here’s seven of my favorite updos that will have you looking cute and current in no time. And best of all they are easy to do yourself.

• Tiny Bun – Pull your short hair back to form a tiny adorable bun at the nape of your neck. Or you can do it off to the side. And don’t worry if a few shorter layers fall to your face. Such imperfections make it charming. Or can we say they will perfect this adorably cute look? Especially if they’ve got a bit of curl to them. Which can make those tendrils look like they are springing from your temples in a coy and sexy way. To top the look off insert a little flower in the bun to create a fun and carefree party or summer feel.
• Be A Ballerina – For this classic pull the hair on top of your head to form a top bun. And with this style you may need an extra few hair grips to keep the bun in place. Again don’t worry if a few strands of hair fall forward, as with many flattering updos for short hair the loose strands serve to soften the look. Bonus, this one leaves you looking leaner. That’s right a top bun visually elongates your neck and ultimately gives your entire silhouette a longer feel to it.
• Spiky – Working in sections pin the hair to the top of the head, allowing the spikes to point in their desired direction – whatever that is. This somewhat disheveled updo is likely not a daytime look, but a real head turning style for parties or nights out.
• Part and Pin – Give yourself a clear middle parting first before pinning the hair back in sections. A cute hair accessory can quickly turn this rather casual updo into a date night look.
• Retro – Natural or styled curls can be loosely pinned back to give a real retro trendy style. This updo works especially well with a side parting.
• Dangle Down Updo – Give yourself a side parting, the deeper the better for this style. Next use a wide clip to pin your short hair back, allowing the strands to dangle down to create a cool casual updo.
• Puffy Pony Look – Create a small puff at the front, using hair grips and styling spray to keep hair in place. Arrange the rest of the hair into a cute bushy pony tail, again using extra grips as is necessary to keep this sophisticated style in place.

Still the degree of difficulty here depends on the tools in your tool kit and how you use them.

Updo Arsenal

Okay you may have tried going the short updo route before only to find your style fell apart almost as soon as you walked out of the bathroom. Frustrating, isn’t it? Just hate when that happens. And that despite a myriad of meticulously placed bobby pins in your fine, straight locks.

Also short layered tresses can be especially challenging for aspiring updo wearers as the shorter pieces may refuse to cooperate and stay put.

Okay. I get it. If you depend on bobbie pins you’re saying you’ll only need a gazillion or so of them and they still may not do the job.

Well, if you want to go the hair pin route, Glamour magazine recently offered two great tips to make your bobby pins stay in place.

• First you can pry them open and give them a quick blast of holding hairspray before sticking them in.
• Or second, you can borrow some extra grip-iness from dry shampoo.

By the way, you may be in luck as bobbie pinning is a hot this summer. So instead of trying to camouflage them in your hair, you want them to stand out. Yes, flaunt them. Plus the big idea is an orderly display rather than haphazard mess, if you know what I mean.

Yet there are other solutions. For example another way to give your strands some grip is to prep them with a bit of thickening spray. Root boosting spray and mousse can also assist with that too.

But still, what if I told you it was possible to create some stylish updos for those short locks no bobbie pins required? Not one. Don’t believe me? This solution has got to be from the mind of a mad scientist somewhere the idea is so simple. But rather than tell you about it lets see this solution in action.

Using Spin Pins On Shorter Hair

If you have finer hair try styling when your hair is still a bit damp.

If you’re mane is already dry use any ole hair spray. Flip your hair forward (upside down) spritz your roots, and fluff it or scrunch it up just a bit with your fingers. Or you can achieve much the same result using a teasing comb on a section of hair at a time near the crown.

Next you want to gather your hair like you would with a pony tail. Only pull it back so the bulk of it ends up towards the center part of the back of your head, if that makes sense. Twist until it starts to double up on itself and then flip it straight up.

Then you want to insert the spin pins into that twist. It’s recommended to start at the bottom so you can secure the base of your style. Doing it this way should hold things together a lot longer. Simply twist the pin until the bottom is embedded nice and snug into your hair. And do the same thing coming down from the top.

• Nothing could be easier to use. Twist clockwise to insert them and counter clockwise to take them out.
• You can take any pieces left over and curl them with a curling iron, break the curl apart and just let them lay on your French twist, which is basically what the style is here.
• Even here, there are variations on the theme. You can part your hair different, go asymmetrical, or just try things.
• You may find that for shorter hair the minis work great as the regulars may be too long.
• And two will do.
• Now you’ll find these guys are designed with little smooth ball ends to avoid scratching your scalp if the pins goes in wrong. In fact you might start them against your scalp to insure they are grabbing hair and nothing else.That also keeps from damaging your hair like bobbie pins might when they lose their plastic ends.Plus this feature helps them slide through your hair as you spin them.

The end result is truly awesome. No one will be able to tell what’s holding your updo together since they blend in so well. Yet anyone can use these.

Better still once you get the hang of using them, they’re foolproof. Even if you have “slippery” fine hair that maddeningly sheds pins, barrettes and clips with ease.

Finishing spray can also be used to hold things together. And speaking of which, one other finishing touch. If flyaways are an issue, spray an old toothbrush with hair spray and use that to flatten their attempts to dampen your elegant, fashionable look.

So please, try spin pins. You may be pleasantly surprised with how well these spin pin thingees work. Their claim to fame is they replace up to 20 bobbie pins. And that just might not be hype.

Then viola! A show stopper style that can be effortlessly created in 30 to 60 seconds using these inspired little hair styling cheats. Leaving you with a whole new spin on the simple tried ‘n’ true updo. No hours of preening needed. It will just look like you did.

Anyway whoever said short hair updos are non-existent was clearly wrong! Fact is there’s likely a fab movie-star ‘do that’s just perfect for any occasion waiting for you. Because updos can take you to super-sultry to practical and back again. Experiment, be daring and don’t forget with these gorgeous short hair updos you really can get the look without the locks!