Homecoming Hair Styles

By Crystal Schwanke

Homecoming is a rite-of-passage for many high school and college students, and though it may not have the same formality as prom, it is still an opportunity to show off fabulous homecoming hairstyles that accentuate individual style and flair.

10 Homecoming Hairstyle Ideas

The Sleek Ponytail

Run a smoothing serum through damp hair and apply a heat protectant.
Blow dry with a round brush to get volume and shine as you straighten.
Once your hair is dry, go over it with a flat iron.
Using a boar bristle brush, sweep the hair away from your face to the height where you'd like the ponytail to be--either near the crown or at the nape of the neck.
Secure the ponytail with a clear elastic or one that matches your hair color.
If you wish, take a small piece of hair from the underside of the ponytail and wrap it around the elastic, then secure it with bobby pins.

Ponytail With Oomph

Use a smoothing serum and heat protectant, then blow dry hair with a round brush for volume.
Grab the top section of hair from temple to temple across the back of the head and use a clip to keep the other hair away.
Hold the top section of hair straight up and insert a fine-tooth comb into the backside, about halfway up. Push down. Repeat until you see volume beginning to build.
Unclip the bottom section and then pull all of the hair into a ponytail at the height you'd prefer, then secure with an elastic. Use your hands to smooth the outer layer of the top section, covering the teased section.
Add a sparkly clip to one side or use a small section of hair from the underside of the ponytail to cover the elastic.

Bun on the Side

Gather all of your hair into a ponytail on the side, near the nape of your neck.
Divide that ponytail into three sections.
Wrap each section around the base of the ponytail, securing into place as needed.
Add a hair accessory if you have one.
Arrange any wisps of hair that escaped the bun into waves for a casual vibe.
Sideswept bangs look especially cute with this style.

Half Up and Half Down

Apply a volumizing mousse to hair and dry upside down with a diffuser to get as much texture and body as possible.
Divide the hair into two sections across the back of the head, from ear to ear.
Tease the top section, then smooth it back with your hands and secure into place with bobby pins or a barrette.
Use a large barreled curling iron to create curls all over.
Run your fingers through the curls to break them into loose waves.
Apply hairspray and shine serum.

Braided Headband

Create a side part.
Create a part that goes from the side part to the opposite ear, three or four inches from the hairline.
Clip all other hair back.
Beginning at the part, create a small French braid over the top of your head until you reach the ear.
If there's any addiitonal length, finish up by braiding that as a normal braid and pin it back behind the rest of your hair.
Straighten or curl the remaining hair.

Milkmaid Braid With Braided Bun

Divide your hair from ear to ear across the back of the head and put the lower section into a ponytail, out of the way.
Leave a few pieces out around your face and braid or twist the top section into a bun. You could also haphazardly twist and bobby pin large sections to hold the hair up and off the neck, close to the nape.
Divide the lower ponytail into two sections and loosely braid each one.
Wrap the braids up and around the sides of the head, then pin the ends down.

Pinned to One Side With Soft Curls

Create a deep center part.
Sweep the front section from the side with the most hair back and secure it right behind the ear with a jeweled barrette.
If you don't have natural waves, create some with a large curling iron or a clipless cone curling iron.
Spray with hairspray.

Another option for this one is to part the hair in the middle and then loosely twist back each side to secure with bobby pins.

Sneaky Braids

Create small, loose braids anywhere near the face. You can do one on each side, one on one side, two on each side, or one on one side and two on the other--your choice.
Lift the hair at the crown of the head and hide the ends of the braids underneath.
Secure them with bobby pins.
This works best with soft curls or waves.

High Bun With a Headband

Pull all of your hair into a ponytail at the top of the head, near the crown.
Twist the length of the ponytail around the elastic at the base and pin into place.
Slip a skinny headband on in front to create a "poof" behind the hairline, leading up to the bun, or put it on from above to avoid adding volume behind the headband.

All About the Accessories

Take a casual hairstyle of any length and make it look glamorous without much effort by putting on a colorful or sparkling headband, barrette, or ribbon. This goes for all lengths of hair, even the shortest pixie cuts. Just as a fabulous pair of heels and a chic purse can make jeans and a fitted tee look classy, a hair accessory can take your hair from drab to stunning in just a few seconds--and you don't have to spend much time, money, or energy achieving the look.

Have Fun with Your Hair

Prom is known for being fairly formal, but when it's homecoming, feel free to give off the casual, cute and sexy vibe with your hair. You don't have to go to the salon to have every strand twirled into an elaborate design and sprayed into place with the strongest hold hairspray. Choose a simple style you can do yourself and enjoy your day (and night).