Short Hair Styles for Prom

With the emphasis on luxurious long hair or sleek hair updos, many girls with short locks may feel like they can’t do anything remarkable with their hair for prom, but in fact, there are many short hair styles for prom that are fun and easy but still have formal elegance.

Why Short Hair?

Many teen girls opt for short locks because they are active in sports, work after school, or don’t want the hassle of long hair care when they have many other obligations to attend to. But during prom season, the idea of short hair becomes less desirable as prom dress models and advertisements frequently sport flowing waves or sophisticated updos that just aren’t possible with short hair. Because of this, many girls get frustrated with their prom preparations because while they might have landed a fabulous date, found the perfect dress, and pushed curfew back to the wee hours, they still can’t decide what to do with their hair.

What Short Hair Can’t Do

Before discovering the great range of short hair styles for prom, it is important to acknowledge what short locks won’t be able to do even on this special night. There are no fairy godmothers around to magically wave their wands and make long locks appear, and short hair cannot easily…

• Become a sleek updo. Short hair often has layers that prevent it from being slicked into a French twist or other classic updo.
• Grow long in a few months. It takes years to grow your hair long, and while it might be possible to add an inch or two before prom, that length is just as likely to make an otherwise fun short style look scruffy.
• Be drastically altered for a fairy-tale prom night. While long hair may have more variations, shorter hair is constrained to a limited number of styles.

Despite these limitations, however, there are many short hair styles for prom that are attractive, stylish, and easy to create that can transform an everyday look into a stunning formal style.

Creative Short Hair Styles for Prom

Making the most of a short style for prom takes some creativity, but many different ideas can easily be implemented for a gorgeous look.

• Add highlights or lowlights to give a short style depth and texture.
• Add hair accessories for formal flair, such as jeweled combs, hair pins, or head bands that coordinate with the color of the gown.
• Consider coloring hair tips or a swath of bangs for a more prominent accent than simple highlights.
• Use hair gel or spray to coax otherwise rebellious short strands into a completely new look, such as spikes or a cheek-hugging curl.
• Straighten curly hair or curl straight hair for a radically different style than everyday.
• Wear a tiara or other headpiece to draw attention to a gorgeous everyday style, even if the hair hasn’t changed much.

Making a Short Style into a Long Style

For some girls, even the most creative short hair styles for prom aren’t quite what they’re looking for. If your image of a memorable prom requires long locks, you can opt for hair extensions to lengthen your style for the evening, though full extensions can be very expensive and time consuming. A more practical choice may be clip on hair extensions or false ponytails that can add length instantly with less stress to your natural hair. If you do opt to add temporary length, however, note that other prom attendees may be distracted by the disparity of your formal look and your everyday style, detracting from the sophisticated elegance you desire.

Your Best Prom Look

The best prom hair styles are those that are coordinated and elegant, whether they’re long or short. Choosing a style that matches your personality, hair type, and prom wardrobe is critical, no matter what the hair length. Short hair styles for prom can be fun and flirty, stylish and elegant, and fabulous and glamorous all at once, depending on how perfect they are for the girl wearing them.