Hair updos provide the perfect style for any occasion. Wedding updos can be elegant, sophisticated, and beautiful. Prom updos can be fun and flirty or classy and gorgeous. Similarly, hair updos can provide a casual look for day to day activities or a business look for work. Or, those looking for a little added sex appeal can experiment with a variety of hair updos to let the sultry side shine.

Half Up/Half Down Hair Updos

One interesting variation of hair updos is the half up/half down style. These modified hair updos involve pinning up part of the hair while allowing the rest of the hair to flow around the shoulders or back. These hair updos can look stunning on a wedding day or they can look sexy for a night on the town.

Women with fine hair sometimes have a difficult time with half up/half down style hair updos because the pins holding it in place have a tendency to slip. Therefore, it is generally best to treat the hair ahead of time with plenty of gel and holding spray and to use many bobby pins.

Creating Half Up/Half Down Hair Updos

Even if the hair is not thin, it is best to refrain from washing the hair for at least 24 hours before creating a half up/half down style. This is because the natural oils in the hair help the parts and knots used in these hair updos stay tight and long lasting. If the hair has been recently washed, it needs to be treated with hair spray or gel to prep it for styling.

After the hair is ready for hair updos, it should be brushed thoroughly and made free of tangles and knots. Then, sections of about 1-2" thickness should be created and straightened with a flat iron. After the hair has been allowed to cool, the tail of a rattail comb should be used to create a side part. This part should extend from the front of the hairline to about 2 inches from the crown of the head.

The hair should then be brushed from the part to the hairline's opposite side. Then, the new section that has been created should be pulled behind the ear. The stylist should then use her hands and a paddle brush to smooth the hair in order to contain all of the random hairs within the new section.

The hair should then be temporarily clipped behind the ear. One small strand of hair can also be pulled from the new section in order to create an accent piece. This strand should be taken from near the eyebrow and it can be left either straight or slightly curled.

Next, the other side of the hair should be brushed until it is smooth. It should be brushed behind the other ear and also clipped temporarily. Each section can then be unclipped from behind the ears one at a time. The sections should then be separated equally into bottom and top sections, making each section into two new sections. The bottom portion should be pulled into a loose ponytail in order to keep it out of the way for the next step.

Then, one of the top sections should be brushed toward the middle of the back portion of the head and rolled into a fairly flat and horizontal hair roll. It should be pinned securely and flatly against the scalp. It is generally necessary to add a light gel or a setting lotion to each section of the hair at this point. Otherwise, the hair may be too slippery and will not hold well.

The other top section should then also be rolled to the middle and back section of the head. It is important to be sure to slightly overlap the first section that was rolled. The second roll needs to be pinned in a fashion that hides the first roll. The entire area then needs to be sprayed with hairspray in order to keep it in place.

A large decorative clip, a flower, or other hair accessory can then be added. Not only is this attractive, it also helps to hide the overlapping hair rolls. For a little more pizzazz, a bit of glitter gel can also be added to the sides or back.

The sections that were being temporarily held in loose ponytails can then be let out. A curling iron can be used to create a soft bend in the ends of the hair. These will also need to be sprayed in order to hold them in place.

-Ben Anton, 2006