Quick hairdos for the busy woman

Unlike some people (ahem, my sisters and best friend), my hair is not the type that I can roll out of bed, pull a brush through it and it looks phenomenal. Nope. I have been blessed with a very thick, heavy, wavy mane, and it can get pretty unruly at times. I love my hair, but when I roll out of bed, I have a serious case of bedhead that a brush can’t tame on its own. I’m a major procrastinator to begin with, so having to get someone else in the morning besides myself has been a learning process. Oliver is usually pretty happy in the morning and easily entertained, but taking 20 to 30 minutes to fix my hair isn’t usually an option these days. Besides throwing my hair up in a messy bun or top knot — which I do a lot — I have a few other go-to styles that are quick and easy for any woman who is short on time.

Note: I have pretty long hair, but these styles should work for anyone with shoulder-length and longer hair.

• Side-twist braid or bun — If you can French braid, you can do this. If you can’t French braid, I bet you can still do this. I comb all of my hair to one side of my head (typically the left). Grab two pieces of hair at the top of your head and twist them together one time. Pick up more hair to add to each piece, twist again. Continue this until the twist reaches behind your ear. Gather the remaining hair at the nape of your neck and begin braiding it with the two other pieces. Fasten the braid with a hairband. This may take a little practice to get the twist down, but once you do, it’s fast and simple. To change it up, once you completed the braid, twist your hair into a bun behind your ear/at the nape of your neck. This is what the finished, braided style looks like:
  
• Overnight waves — I just recently discovered this pin on Pinterest, and wanted to give some of the tips a try. If you are looking for a way to get easy waves in your hair without using a blow dryer, give this a try. (Note: Do this at night before bed. This works well for me as I have wavy hair.) After washing your hair, scrunch it dry with a towel. After towel drying, don’t brush your hair. Instead, apply a curl cream to your. I like Tresemme Flawless Curls Hydration Lotion Creme. After applying the cream, pull your hair up into a loose bun as close to your hairline as possible. Sleep with your hair like this overnight. In the morning, take your hair out of the bun. It may be a little damp still, so let it air dry. Your hair should have pretty curls/waves! This is how mine looks after doing this:
  I’ve also wanted to try “plopping” to get curls without using heat. Click here to see how to “plop” your hair.
• Sock bun — I always thought this sounded so weird, but it seems to have gotten pretty popular over the last few years. If you are looking for a fuller, bigger bun, try this out. Find a sock that is close to your hair color (I use black or brown), cut off the toe and roll the sock up so it looks like a doughnut. Put your hair up in a ponytail. Starting at the end of your hair, begin rolling the sock toward your head so your hair wraps around it. Continue until all your hair is wrapped into a bun. It may be a little loose, so secure it tightly with bobby pins. Check out this site for a visual tutorial. I love pretty headbands, and I think a bedazzled headband is a great way to jazz up any updo.
  
• Miniature bun — I noticed during my maternity leave I was wearing my hair up in a sloppy bun almost every day. I wanted to give it a break and at least have some of it down. Enter the mini bun! It’s easy, it’s cute, it gets my hair out of my face and looks decent when I really only want to put about three minutes into fixing my mane. Basically, pull up half your hair into a ponytail and fasten with a hairband. Twist the pony into a bun or messy bun, secure with a hairband (and bobby pins, if needed) and voila! You’re set. 🙂

When I have the time, I still like to straighten or diffuse my hair for curls. But most days, I just don’t have the time or the energy for that. A few other go-to hairstyles for me are French or Dutch braids down the center of my head or off to the side. There are a million tutorials out there for this kind of braiding, but here is a site with a few different photo tutorials.

What are some of your easy, go-to hairstyles?

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