Your school prom might be one of the most important and exciting nights of your entire time at school, whether it’s celebrating the end of exams or even the end of school itself. And so, naturally, with this importance comes a lot of anticipation.
People spends months upon months anxiously preparing for this big night, trying on rails full of outfits, testing out makeup looks, finding a date, and getting that perfect hairstyle. When it comes to hair though, it can be particularly difficult to find something that feels special yet natural – you don’t want to end up not looking like yourself!
With a variety of colours, lengths, tones and textures, there are hundreds of tutorials out there to spend hours reading, but we’ve compiled the best of the bunch into three clear categories so that you can easily find what’s right for you and your look on prom night.
We start with Youtube tutorials covering a range of styles, before moving onto ‘Up-dos’ (one of the most difficult categories to conquer!), and lastly onto DIY styles, so that you can find something you can do from home if you don’t want to splash the cash. Happy hairstyling, and enjoy your big night!
Top Prom Hairstyle Tutorials from YouTube
Tori Sterling
With almost half a million subscribers on YouTube, Tori Sterling is something of a guru when it comes to fashion, beauty and lifestyle. At 19 years old, her videos are honest, relatable and practical, and perfect for those of you looking for all angles of prom inspiration.
This particular video, with over 50k views, shows Tori demonstrate some quick and easy prom-appropriate hairstyles for shorter hair that you can do at home, so you can save on the cost and time of going to the hairdressers on that all-important day!
Tori also guarantees that these hairstyles are “trendy, yet classic and timeless”; it doesn’t matter what your personal style is or what you choose to wear on the night, these easy must-have hairstyles can be paired with any look. Another bonus is that you need hardly any tools – some thin elastic bands and some straighteners are all you need to achieve these styles.
LuxyHair
With over 3 million subscribers, LuxyHair is a YouTube channel dedicated to bringing you all the best in haircare and styling. This video focuses on showing you three easy prom hairstyles that are suitable for those of you with longer hair that can be difficult or heavy to handle. Josie Sanders, who demonstrates the styles in the video uses hair extensions, but there’s absolutely no necessity for this – especially if you already have thicker hair!
The first look is a half up-half down do featuring a fish tail braid that ties up at the back, perfect for those of you with a more relaxed style. Next is an edgier, reverse French braid – the backcombing of the hair here will add volume and height to your hair to elevate the look from a regular braid to one that is ideal for prom!
Lastly, we have an elegant, feminine up-do, similar to a classic chignon style, which will compliment any outfit with heavier detailing as it lifts the hair from the shoulders. This last look is the trickiest of the bunch, so maybe get someone to help you or go to a salon if needed, but be assured that you can’t go wrong with any of these three looks for prom.
Abby Smith
Abby Smith, also known on social media as @twistmepretty, is a beauty and lifestyle YouTuber with over 300k subscribers, specialising mainly in hair tutorials, confirming her as the expert in this field.
In this video, with nearly 2 million views, Abby shows us ten beautiful hairstyles for medium-length hair that are perfect for proms or school dances. Ranging from simple, to more detailed, Abby gives useful talk-through guides to each style and again, you don’t need any tools really except for elastic bands and a brush – you could also curl your hair into loose waves before styling if you wish.
Some of the styles containing braids or plaits may be suited to blonde or lighter hair, however, since the pattern and detail is more likely to show up on these shades. And if that’s not enough, then be sure to check out the rest of Abby’s hair tutorials on Youtube, including how to do waterfall braids and fishtail braids, while her Instagram (@twistmepretty) offer more casual inspiration and doses of quick fix hair ideas.
Top ‘Up-do’ Prom Hairstyles
40 Prom UpDos We Love
This article on Somewhat Simple, a Californian lifestyle blog, is the perfect source for all your up-do needs, and if you want to get your hair off your face and out of the way for prom so that you can dance the night away, this one is for you.
The most obvious advantage of this article is that it provides a list of 40 prom up-do hairstyles, guaranteeing variety and diversity; there is no shortage of inspiration no matter what your personal preference.
However, with this much to choose from, it can be difficult to decide what’s right for you. But don’t let this overwhelm you – each hairstyle comes with images and a link to a tutorial that walks you through each step. While some are definitely better and more thorough than others, there’s no lack of options to get you started on the perfect style for you.
31 Most Beautiful UpDos For Prom
If you’re looking for inspiration for an up-do for prom, Stay Glam has got you covered. This article on their website features 31 ideas for the perfect, elegant up-do; from low buns, to side braids, to styles that are ideal for those of you with curly hair that can be difficult to tame.
Each one comes with a photo to show you exactly what you’re aiming for, and while there aren’t step-by-step guides, each one also features a link that takes you to the source of the image to give you more information.
Think of this list as a quick and simple way to access a large number of ideas, and should you think there’s one that’s right for you, you can just click the link to find out more. What’s particularly handy about this list is that it provides a range of options for all hair colours, lengths and textures, ensuring that you can choose what suits your hair best.
Beautiful Prom Hairstyles That’ll Steal The Night
Southern Living is a magazine and lifestyle brand that celebrates all the vibrant culture of the Southern USA; sections cover home, garden, food, travel and, of course, fashion and beauty. Prom is probably at its most notorious in the USA and so you know that these guys can be trusted when it comes to advising you on the perfect prom hair.
While this article on prom hair features a range of styles, its choices of up-dos are particularly creative. Reverse braided high buns and braided ponytails are some of the more popular styles – getting your hair off your face and shoulders means you can show off your dress or outfit if it is more detailed in those areas!
Top ‘DIY’ Prom Hairstyles – No Hairdresser Necessary!
Front Row Braid
Amber Fillerup’s ‘Front Row Braid’ is a great way to make it look like you put tons of effort into your hair for prom, when all it takes is ten minutes in your own bedroom. This tutorial which has almost one million views sees Amber walk you through each step to achieve this look which is detailed without being over-complicated.
However, this style is perhaps slightly more suited to longer hair which is lighter in colour; the braid requires significant length to reach the back of your hair, while lighter or fairer hair colours mean that the pattern of the braid will stand out more. All you need is a mirror, a hairbrush and a couple of elastic bands to get a look that will have your friends wondering who did your hair for you…
Kim Kardashion Curls
Those of you who wear hair extensions may find that you sometimes struggle to find hairstyles and tutorials that are extension-friendly. However, this tutorial shows you how to get Kardashian-esque curls that are simple yet elegant for that big night.
In just under five minutes you can see Steph, whose channel this video is from, give herself curls look like they were created by a professional stylist. She also lists all the products used in the video so you can get as close to the look as possible.
Again, this one might be better for those of you with longer hair, as more hair equals more to curl. What’s great is that you don’t even need curlers – straighteners will do!
29 Stunning Prom Hairstyles You Can Actually DIY
Seventeen Magazine is the Bible of all things teen culture, and it goes without saying that prom is a crucial part of this. This article on Seventeen’s website is tailored specifically toward DIY styles, and features 29 different looks for all different kinds of personal taste and hair type.
Each look is displayed with a picture, and broken down into a few easy steps so that you can recreate with ease – hassle-free! Keeping in line with Seventeen’s modern, fun and fashion-forward attitude, the slideshow features some less common and conventional styles, including Quadruple Baby Buns and the Faux Undercut for something that is on the edgier side if you’re looking to impress.
With styles like this, it’s advisable to pair with a simpler outfit and makeup in order to enhance the hair. The only thing to be aware of here is that some looks feature accessories and tools that may require buying!
So that’s our guide to finding the right prom hairstyle for you! We hope that you’ve found something that suits your personal style perfectly, or perhaps even something a bit different and unexpected to wow your friends on the big night.
Whether you want to splash out and treat yourself to a five-star salon experience, or be able to create your ideal look from the comfort of your own home, prom should be a night where you feel your best and can celebrate momentous occasions in style!
Article by: Robyn Schaffer