The prom is a wonderfully exciting time, with its unspoken rite of passage along with all of the peripheral plans and parties focused on this evening. Who’s going with whom, who’s wearing what, and how everyone’s getting there are just some of the items to be covered. In planning your look for prom, you know there can be a lot of people trying to outdo everyone else, and while you don’t want to get overboard on this mission, you want to do everything you can to make sure you go with your best look effort in 2016. Whether bold, classic or unusual, a lot of your look will come from the details, and hair factors prominently in that lineup. Have you considered your hair look for the senior ball this year?

Au Naturel is the Way to Attend
This year, the look is all about being natural, in every direction. The updos you’re going to find are a lot looser and a bit messier than before. Chignons with unsurpassed volume, classy tiaras and fresh, girly and ultra spontaneous updos will proliferate. What about an asymmetrical updo that completely covers one ear, while totally baring the other? There will be more volume from both natural looking and colorful clip-in extensions, and just about every form of braiding is hot. Messy buns have taken on a whole life of their own, with twists and turns of lux resolve. These looks all have one thing in common: spontaneity–it’s the name of the game for prom 2016 hair–certainly nothing you worked all that long or hard on.

Long Hair Going Up, Prom-Style
There are so many incredible prom updo potentials that it can be difficult to pick just one. You know how your guy loves that little “sweet spot” at the nape of your neck, and how he loves your hair when it’s swept up in a messy braid or bun. If you’ve been daydreaming endlessly of that slow dance, with every component in perfect place–the song, the lights and you–here are some prom updos to help you rock that upcoming prom and you’ll definitely want to be saving these pictures. Just remember, with most updos, you’re gonna need some help for volume and texture. Your choices are:

  • Schedule your last pre-prom hair washing for at least one, if not two or three days in advance of the big day. You’ll get a whole lot more mileage (volume and texture) out of your hair this way. Your style will have extra holding power, too.
  • Oops–just had to wash your hair the day of? No problem–just bulk up with some good dry shampoo and some hair texturizer before you style. Allow to dry fully, first.

The Braidbun
There are practically no two braids that are the same out there, and braids can be an especially flattering hair form for a dance. There are many braidbuns you can enjoy, but here are two to try on, for starters.

  • Braidbun 1: One look begins by sectioning off a two-inch area of hair all around your head, from the hairline toward the crown. Make a ponytail at the crown of your head, and if you lack volume, add in some extensions to the ponytail discretely. Wrap the ponytail into a loose, big, full, messy bun and secure. Next, beginning just above your left ear, begin making a French braid that follows in a circle at the bun’s base, continuing to regular braid once you’ve encircled the braid.
  • Braidbun 2: Begin by securing your hair in a high crown-ponytail. Add extensions as desired. Taking around ¼ to ⅓ of your ponytail hair, create one regular braid. Next, take the braid with the rest of your hair and wrap it all together to form a messy, loose bun, with a lot of the braid visible. Secure with bobby pins, invisibly.

Tri-Braided Bun
Find the center of your facial hairline and from that center, moving right, gather up a ¾” section of hair. Begin making a French braid with this strand, only bringing in more hair to the braid from each time the left, or top side is involved. Carry this braid along the top side of your hair and up and around to the crown of your head. Secure the end temporarily there. Go back to just right of your first french Braid and gather a second strand the same size as your first, and make the same type French braid alongside the first. Secure as before. Use the same process to create a third parallel braid below the other two and this time, when you have brought it around to meet the other two ends, hold all three securely together while taking up the rest of your unbraided hair. Form a ponytail of all your hair, and wrap this into a messy bun. Secure with bobby pins.