News
TrendsThe “Choppy Rachel Bob” Is the Most Flattering Winter Hair Trend—How to RecreateNatural hair15 Stylish Haircuts That Make Growing Out Your Hair Look ChicNatural hairNamibian Rasta sues gov’t after locs chopped in prisonTrendsAriana Grande’s Flipped Bob Is Fall’s Sweetest TrendNatural hairJa Morant Cuts Off Signature Locs, Reveals New HaircutNatural hairHGTV Star Leslie Davis' Natural Hair Color Is So Different From Her Signature Look (But Gorgeous)TrendsThe “Bombshell Blowout” Trend Has Entered the VillaTrendsColour Melting Is The Hair Technique To Know This WinterTrendsWhy Top Hair Stylists Are Crowning The ‘Flip Bob’ Summer’s Most Wearable Hair TrendTrendsThe Waterfall Bob Is the Polished Fall Haircut That Still Looks EffortlessTrendsThe “Choppy Rachel Bob” Is the Most Flattering Winter Hair Trend—How to RecreateNatural hair15 Stylish Haircuts That Make Growing Out Your Hair Look ChicNatural hairNamibian Rasta sues gov’t after locs chopped in prisonTrendsAriana Grande’s Flipped Bob Is Fall’s Sweetest TrendNatural hairJa Morant Cuts Off Signature Locs, Reveals New HaircutNatural hairHGTV Star Leslie Davis' Natural Hair Color Is So Different From Her Signature Look (But Gorgeous)TrendsThe “Bombshell Blowout” Trend Has Entered the VillaTrendsColour Melting Is The Hair Technique To Know This WinterTrendsWhy Top Hair Stylists Are Crowning The ‘Flip Bob’ Summer’s Most Wearable Hair TrendTrendsThe Waterfall Bob Is the Polished Fall Haircut That Still Looks Effortless
EveryHairstyle

Buns and updos

The jooda, chignon, beehive, topknot and the French twist. 23 hairstyles on EveryHairstyle so far.

An updo lifts long hair off the neck and fixes it on the head: a bun, a chignon, a French twist, a topknot or a beehive. Updos are practical, keeping hair out of the way in heat and at work, and formal, being the classic choice for weddings and ceremonies. In many cultures putting the hair up marked a girl becoming a woman, or a man becoming an adult.

Building an updo

Most updos start from a ponytail, which anchors the hair. The hair is then twisted, coiled, braided or rolled and pinned in place with hairpins and grips. Backcombing adds height, as in the bouffant and the beehive, and rollers or tongs add curl to the loose pieces. A smooth chignon may take ten minutes; a bridal updo with braids, flowers and ornaments can take more than an hour.

Updos around the world

The jooda of South Asia, wreathed in jasmine, the samurai's chonmage, the Korean sangtu of married men and the chignon fixed with a binyeo pin of married Korean women are all forms of the updo, as is the joora that holds a Sikh's uncut hair. In 18th-century Europe updos reached their greatest height with the pouf. The beehive, created in Chicago in 1960, was the most famous updo of the 1960s.

Famous updo hairstyles

BunHair coiled into a knotChignonThe low knot at the napeFrench twistA vertical roll pinned at the backBeehiveThe tall dome of the 1960sChonmageThe Japanese topknotSangtuThe topknot of married Korean menLiangbatouThe tall headdress of Manchu women

Further reading

Hair typeStraight hairWavy hairCurly hairCoily and kinky hairFine hairThick hairAny hair
Worn byMostly womenMostly menAnyoneChildrenBrides and weddingsFaith and religious ordersUniform and workSubcultures and music
OrderBest knownA to ZOldest firstNewest firstBy length
🇨🇳 ChinaChinese hairpin Traditional Chinese hair ornaments used to secure buns and signify status.Adorned · Any hair WorldBun A hairstyle where hair is gathered and coiled into a circular shape on the head.Updo · Any hair WorldChignon A knotted hairstyle worn at the nape or back of the head.Updo · Any hair 🇫🇷 France and 2 morePompadour High-volume hair swept up and back from the forehead.Updo · Any hair · 1950 🇺🇸 United StatesBeehive A conical updo piled high on the crown.Updo · Any hair · 1960 🇰🇷 South KoreaSangtu Traditional Korean topknot worn by married men.Updo · Any hair · 57 🇬🇧 United KingdomCockernonnie A mid-19th century Scottish updo where hair was gathered into a bun.Updo · Any hair · 1850 🇯🇵 JapanFrench twist An elegant updo where hair is twisted vertically against the head.Updo · Any hair · 1940 Shuku 🇳🇬 NigeriaShuku A Yoruba braided updo where hair is gathered into a hump on top of the head.Braid · Any hair EuropeRoman hairstyles Ancient Roman hair fashions reflecting status and identityUpdo · Any hair Bunkin takashimada 🇯🇵 JapanBunkin takashimada Traditional Japanese bridal updo with a high bun.Updo · Any hair · 1860 Konde Cepol 🇮🇩 IndonesiaKonde Cepol A traditional Betawi bun representing cultural identity and elegance.Updo · Any hair Bengali khopa 🇧🇩 Bangladesh and 1 moreBengali khopa Traditional centre-parted bun worn by Bengali brides.Updo · Any hair Apollo knot 🇬🇧 United KingdomApollo knot An early nineteenth-century updo with a centre part and back bun.Updo · Any hair · 1800 Ballerina bun 🇫🇷 FranceBallerina bun A neat, secured updo standard in classical ballet.Updo · Any hair · 1880 Psyche knot 🇬🇧 United KingdomPsyche knot A soft, low bun popular in the Edwardian era.Updo · Any hair · 1900 Jjok 🇰🇷 South KoreaJjok A traditional Korean bun for married women in the Joseon era.Updo · Any hair · 1724 Ambada 🇮🇳 IndiaAmbada Decorated Maharashtrian bridal hair bunUpdo · Any hair

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

The weekly digest

Every Monday: the hairstyle of the day, new pages on EveryHairstyle, and the conferences and anniversaries of the week ahead.