8 Quick Hairstyles for Long Hair (#3 Is Our Favorite)

Sometimes you're simply not sure what to do with your flowing, gorgeously long hair! So we've put together these 8 quick tips to style it to perfection.

Well hello their you long-haired beauty!

We know you may get into a bit of a hair rut, but with so much hair to work with; this definitely doesn’t need to be the case.

Growing your hair out can take years, and once you’ve got all that length, there are so many ways to experiment with it. This article looks at some quick hairstyles for long hair to get the best out of what you have. (Also, don’t forget to check out our Long Haircut Infographic tailored to your face shape!)

Quick Long Hair Maintenance Basics

Long hair needs some extra TLC to keep it in good condition. If you have managed to patiently grow out your hair, it is likely that it’s already looking pretty healthy. Make sure you keep it up by using deep conditioning hair masks, heat protectant sprays (or avoiding heat whenever possible), proper hair ties (not elastic bands) and following a healthy lifestyle (good nutrition, exercise and plenty of rest).

These things will ensure that your hair is silky soft and in the best condition possible.

Although you may choose to wear your hair down, there are also loads of things to try when it comes to creating super stylish up dos:

1. Braids

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There are many ways to experiment with braiding your hair, but first of all, you’ll need to perfect the basics with a simple single braid.

This involves separating the hair into three equal parts and plaiting them over each other. The best way to learn how, if you don’t already know, is to check out a You Tube tutorial (it is a lot simpler to watch than read!) Once you have mastered the basics, you can stick with one long braid or vary it.

Ways to vary it include a French braid (otherwise known as a skin plait) which is a normal braid but brings in hair from either side of the scalp as you braid, two braids braided into one, or a waterfall braid which runs from ear to ear along your neck line.

Another adventurous braided style is the mermaid wrap. It only works if you have a lot of hair to play with!

From a medium ponytail, make three braids and tie each at the bottom and then braid these three braids into one thick braid. You can then wrap it into a bow or leave it hanging down. For more sexy long braids check out last summer’s article here.

2. Hair bow

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If you have Instagram, check out all the cool ways you can style your hair into bows!

This is a really cute hairstyle and only works well on long hair types (lucky you).

First of all, gather your hair into a high ponytail. Tie the hair into the hair band but do not pull it all the way through and out – instead, loop it over itself when there is about 10cm of hair left before it pulls all of the hair through.

This should create a loose bun type appearance. Spread the hair out evenly to create a bigger surface area to work with and separate into two equal halves by splitting the hair down the middle and create two loops. These will be both sides of the bow, and by now it should start looking like a bow.

To create the middle ‘knot’ effect, wrap the loose hair around the center of the two loops and secure the whole look with lots of hair grips and spray.

3. Head scarf up do

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Get yourself a funky stretchy headband or two (go for cool prints) and place it around your head, then simply tuck your hair into it.

The head scarf will also act as hair grips.

This is a really simple way to get the hair off your neck and looks great with the head scarf as an accessory and the prints or colors from the head scarf peeking through the hair. It may be a bit bold, but trust me it’s lovely!

4. Low knot

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The lazy hairstyle for long hair is the low knot or low bun.

Simply tie the hair in a low ponytail but to get the hair off your neck and back, simply twist it, wrap it around itself and secure with lots of grips. You can make this as formal or messy as you like, but it does work particularly well as a messy bun style.

To add to the messy, informal look, pull out a few sections of hair from either side and leave them hanging loose and wispy.

5. The horse mane

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This is a really cool look and makes your long hair look even longer.

You need to separate the hair into one really high ponytail and one low-medium ponytail, both directly on top of each other.

Make sure the top ponytail is incorporating more hair than the lower ponytail so that it is a lot thicker, and let the hair from the higher one cascade over the lower one, making sure it covers the hair ties, so they are not visible on the lower ponytail.

This gives the illusion of a single, really long, ponytail or horse mane! You can then wave or curl the hair or add a big bow to the high ponytail.

6. The braided bun

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Combine three classic styles – a pony tail, a braid and a bun –in this elegant up do.

This is a really neat hairstyle and looks great for work or more formal evenings out.

Simply brush back your hair into a ponytail in the middle and secure with a hair tie. Braid the ponytail all the way down to the bottom and secure this with another hair tie (go for neutral colors). Simply wrap the braid around the top knot tightly and secure with plenty of hair pins.

This is a great twist on the classic bun.

7. Half up, half down

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If you’ve got the length – flaunt it from time to time.

You don’t always need to tie your hair up, but if you want or need to keep your hair away from your face, but still show off the length, try half up and half down. It is the perfect compromise.

This looks great with a cute flower, hair grip or bow for the top half and leaving the bottom long and straight or wavy/curly.

8. High ponytail

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Classic, elegant and girly – smoothly brush all your hair into a high ponytail and secure with a hair tie.

You can grab a section of your hair and wrap it around the hair tie to add something extra to the look.

This is a very cute way to keep all your hair off your neck and it looks great bouncing with lots of volume as you walk around!

Practice makes perfect when it comes to styling long hair, but the good news is, most hairstyles work well with lots of hair and there’s plenty of ideas and inspiration in this article and more online or in hair magazines.

The fun part comes when you have an evening to experiment and play around with some cool looks, and while you will prefer some over others or won’t get the hang of some of them, keep trying and dress up the styles with different hair accessories.

Most young girls dream of having long, flowing hair, so if you have it – make the most of it, whether that is having your hair down or up.

How do you style your long hair? Have we missed any classic long hairstyles that our readers should be trying? Share your tips in the comments below and help our long-haired ladies look fab with their new hairstyles!

About the author

Rachel A.

Welsh Journalism graduate and full-time writer Rachel has a love of words! A workaholic with champagne desire on a lemonade budget, Rachel is most at home with her laptop on her knee and a cup of tea close by.

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