Everyday
Quick styles for daily life. 154 hairstyles on EveryHairstyle so far.
Most hair, most days, is worn simply: a ponytail, a bun, a plait, or a short cut that needs only a comb. Everyday styles have to be quick, comfortable and practical for work, school and heat, and they last through the day. Across South Asia, an oiled plait or a quick bun; in much of the world, a short barber's cut or a ponytail.
Quick styles
A ponytail takes seconds; a bun only a minute more and keeps hair off the neck in hot weather. A single plait, the choti of South Asia, keeps long hair tidy all day and protects the ends. For short hair, the right cut is the style: a good bob, a crew cut or a regular haircut falls into shape after washing. Many people with coily hair choose protective styles that last for weeks, so daily styling is light.
Everyday care
Everyday hair depends on routine: washing as often as the hair needs, detangling gently, oiling in many South Asian homes, protecting curls with a satin bonnet at night. The quickest styles are also gentle if they are not pulled too tight. A regular trim, every six to eight weeks for short cuts and less often for long hair, keeps an everyday style in shape.
Famous everyday hairstyles
Further reading
🇺🇸 United StatesDurag
Close-fitting head cloth for hair protection and style maintenance.Wrapped · Curly hair · 1960
🇺🇸 United States and 3 moreNatural hair movement
A social and cultural campaign for wearing textured hair without chemical straightening.Natural · Coily and kinky hair · 1960
🇸🇩 Sudan and 4 moreDreadlocks
A hairstyle of rope-like hair strands formed by matting or twisting.Natural · Coily and kinky hair · 1970
🇺🇸 United States and 3 moreCornrows
Tight three-strand braids woven close to the scalp in straight or curved lines.Braid · Coily and kinky hair · 1902
🇳🇦 Namibia and 1 moreBox braids
Square-parted protective braids with synthetic extensions.Braid · Coily and kinky hair · 1990
🇳🇬 Nigeria and 4 moreFulani braids
West African braided style with beads and side strandsBraid · Coily and kinky hair
🇺🇸 United StatesProtective hairstyle
Styles that tuck hair away to reduce breakage and environmental damage.Braid · Coily and kinky hair
🇺🇸 United StatesSilk press
Heat-straightened style for kinky hair without chemicalsStyled · Coily and kinky hair · 1920
WorldAfro puffs
Two rounded sections of coiled hair worn on the head.Natural · Coily and kinky hair
WorldHair straightening
A technique to flatten and smooth hair texture using heat or chemicals.Styled · Curly hair · 1950
🇺🇸 United StatesLemonade braids
Side-swept cornrows popularised by Beyoncé in 2016Braid · Coily and kinky hair · 2016
WorldFinger coils
A natural hair style created by twisting strands around fingers to form defined spirals.Styled · Curly hair
🇦🇹 AustriaGoddess braids
Thick, raised cornrows with added volume and curls.Braid · Coily and kinky hair
🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreSenegalese twists
Smooth two-strand protective style using synthetic hair.Locs · Any hair · 1984
🇺🇸 United StatesKnotless braids
A protective braiding style that feeds in hair to reduce scalp tension.Braid · Coily and kinky hair · 2010
🇺🇸 United StatesBig chop
Cutting off chemically treated hair to start natural growthCut · Coily and kinky hair
🇺🇸 United StatesSisterlocks
Tiny, uniform locs for versatile natural styling.Locs · Coily and kinky hair · 1991
WorldWash and go
A low-manipulation style that enhances natural curl patterns without heat or extensions.Styled · Curly hair
🇿🇦 South AfricaBantu knots
Twisted coils of hair worn as a protective style or permanent look.Styled · Curly hair
🇺🇸 United StatesTwist-out
A protective hairstyle created by unraveling twists to form defined waves.Styled · Curly hair
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Protective hairstyle: Bluenile Photography c/o A. Smith, CC BY 2.0, source
- Dreadlocks: Richard Mortel, CC BY 2.0, source
- Afro puffs: stevendepolo, CC BY 2.0, source
- Hair straightening: Adam Jones, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Cornrows: Rod Waddington, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Ponytail: Dick Thomas Johnson, CC BY 2.0, source
- Bun: Stilfehler, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Crew cut: greginhollywood, CC BY 2.0, source
- Box braids: Randen Pederson, CC BY 2.0, source
- Fulani braids: François-Edmond Fortier (1862-1928), Public domain, source
- Regular haircut: JParker9, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Natural hair movement: livepict.com, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Durag: The original uploader was Calliopejen at English Wikipedia ., CC BY 2.0, source
- Shingle bob: Evolvingthinker, CC BY 2.0, source
- Braids: Unknown author, Public domain, source