Indian women are known to be some of the most gorgeous women in the world. Their styles, their fashion, their grace… all exude a sense of royalty. It is no wonder then that the way Indian women do up their hair is exquisite. You will always find her dark tresses done up in an intricate manner. Here we have compiled top 50 hairstyles that complement the Indian face perfectly. Be it for a big fat Indian wedding or a casual day out, there is something for everybody on this list.
Of course, topping this list is our very own international style icon, Sonam Kapoor. Sonam shows us how adding something as simple as a gold thread can escalate your regular same old French braid to a whole new level.
I know that sometimes we just wish we could have beautiful, poker straight hair. But trust me on this, do embrace your curls in all their glory. And to get better defined curls, use a hair diffuser attached to your blowdryer. It will change your life.
Now this is a look fit for a traditional Indian wedding. Gajras (jasmine garlands) have been used as a hair accessory by Indian women since time immemorial. They are the perfect accessory to complete an intricate hairdo.
This elegant look is quite multipurpose as it is perfect for a formal event as well as a family function. Hence, you can attend an office meeting in the morning and make your way to your friend’s wedding in the evening, without having to change your hair!
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Now this look does not require any frills and fancies. It simply takes your natural hair and gives it that windswept look that conveys a sense of free spiritedness and a carefree attitude. Well, as much free spirit and carefree attitude your hair is capable of conveying!
So you have been looking forward to a wedding in your family and you want to look absolutely perfect for it? We have got you covered! This twisted updo may require a bit of skill but it will definitely be worth it in the end.
This twisted look that makes strands of your hair look like a rope is seriously cute. Pair it with a cute sundress and some sneakers and you are ready for a date with that guy you’ve had a crush on for ages.
Here comes one of the easiest hairstyles for long hair in Indian style. Beautiful chotlis like this one are a mainstay of traditional South Indian wedding accessories. And the best part of this look is that it takes literally 10 minutes to do as it just involves a simple braid and putting on a chotli.
1. Prep your washed, dried hair with some heat protectant.
2. Picking up 2 inch sections at a time, straighten all your hair.
3. Part your hair in the middle and simply braid your hair, securing the ends with a hair elastic.
4. Attach the chotli at the top and bottom of your braid, using bobby pins every few inches down your braid to secure it.
5. Finish off with a smoothening serum to get rid of any frizz.
A bumpit is all you need to bump your typical boring curly look (see what I did there?) to new heights. This look is especially great to wear under a ghungat (the bridal dupatta worn over one’s head) as it prevents it from lying flat on your head and hiding all your hair.
A maang teeka adds that extra bling to your updo that you may need for any big traditional functions. Besides, this look is well suited for women of all age groups. And come on, if this look is good enough for Kim Kardashian, it’s good enough for us.
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This simple look is perfect for college work, or a casual day of hanging out with friends. All you need is a round brush, a blowdryer, and 5 minutes of your time after you step out of the shower.
1. Prep your washed, wet hair with some heat protectant.
2. Rolling the ends of your hair around the round brush, blowdry all your hair.
3. Part your hair on the side you prefer.
4. Finish off the look with some light hold hairspray.
Flower gajras are a huge part of the traditional Indian wedding look for women. This hairstyle is appropriate for the sister of the bride. This look incorporates a silver maang tikka, which complements the color of the gajra perfectly.
So you have medium length hair, want to do them up in curls, and don’t want to look boring? We have a solution for you! Add a royal touch to your look by simply putting on a necklace around your forehead and feel like the queen that you are.
Embrace that short curly hair of yours and take it to the next level with the help of a diffuser. Add a colorful cloth headband, some kohl-lined eyes, and a nose stud to complete this look and to give off a boho-chic vibe.
1. Prep your washed, wet hair with some volumizing mousse.
2. Remove all the knots and tangles from your hair using a paddle brush.
3. With the diffuser attached to your blowdryer, and your head flipped forward with your hair hanging in front of you, blowdry all your hair.
4. Finish off the look by putting on a colorful cloth headband to add a fun twist to your hair.
Wow! This rebellious look is a perfect combination of sleek poker straight hair, and messy sea salt sprayed hair. Deepika is totally rocking it, and so can you!
1. Part your hair down the middle.
2. Apply some hair gel to the hair on top of your head.
3. Use a fine toothed comb to make the hair on top of your head lie as flat as possible.
4. Tie all your hair into a ponytail at the back of your head.
5. Finish off the look by spritzing on some sea salt spray to your ponytail and scrunching it up with your hands.
This hair down, curly look is perfect for an evening out (a date, maybe?). This sexy look perfectly combines straight and curly hair in a way that looks effortless and beautiful at the same time.
1. Prep your washed, dried hair with some heat protectant.
2. Picking up 2 inch sections of hair at a time, straighten all your hair.
3. Now, picking up 1 inch sections at a time, curl only the ends of your hair.
4. Part your hair and pin it back on one side using bobby pins.
5. Finish off the look with some smoothening serum and a few spritzes of light hold hairspray.
This cutesy look is perfect for a picnic with friends. The twisted hair keeps hair out of your face and the simple braid gives off a relaxed, easy going vibe. The flowers just make you look cute.
If you are looking for simple Indian hairstyles for long hair, then let me tell you that your search ends here. Trust Karisma Kapoor to take a simple fishtail braid and make it an object of envy! On top of that, she has deconstructed the gajra and simply added individual jasmine flowers to her braid to give it her own unique twist.
This double French braided ponytail is immensely multifunctional and versatile because you can wear it for a formal occasion, a casual day out, or even for working out! No matter what the activity or occasion, this look will always make you look cute.
I know you don’t really want to put in a lot of effort in some pre-wedding functions because you want to save all your dressing up efforts for the big day. This look is perfect for one of those functions. It just involves pulling some curls away from your face and pinning them back.
Sometimes doing a regular braid can make your hair look flat, and you end up looking boring. So why don’t you dress up that braid by bumping it up to give your hair some volume? Also, add some fancy U pin accessories to add some bling!
Gone are the days when you had to oil your hair and braid it tightly for school. But let’s face it – that simple braid meant that you did not have to put in too much thought into how to do up your hair. This sea salt sprayed braid keeps your effort to the minimal and also adds a fun, messy look to your hair.
When it comes to fancy hair, you should either go big or go home. And this hairstyle definitely goes big with its elaborate ringlet bun and a big flower to add that oomph-factor that you are looking for.
1. Prep your washed, dried hair with some texturizing spray.
2. Pick up half of your hair from the top and French braid it till you reach the top of your ears, then secure it with a hair elastic.
3. Leaving aside the hair from your French braid, pick up the rest of your hair and tie a simple bun, making sure to place it off center.
4. Pick up a 1 inch section of hair from the hair left under your French braid, roll it into a ringlet, and secure it onto the bun using bobby pins.
5. Repeat the previous step until all the hair from the French braid has been pinned to the bun.
6. Attach a big flower next to your bun using bobby pins.
7. Finish off the look with a few spritzes of strong hold hairspray.
That curly, messy look has already been done in an infinite number of versions. But, when you pull back some curls and add in a few flowers to, you can totally invent your own look and play around with the size and type of flower to create some more versions.
1. Prep your washed, dried hair with some heat protectant and texturizing spray.
2. Using a 1.5 inch curling iron and picking up 1 inch sections of hair at a time, curl all your hair.
3. Add a few spritzes of strong hold hairspray to set the curls in place.
4. Pick up all the hair from the front of your face and pin it at the back of your head.
5. Leaving aside a few curls on either side, divide all your hair into 2 sections.
6. Intertwine both sections of hair with each other until you reach the end and secure them with a hair elastic.
7. Insert some flowers all over your hair and secure them with some bobby pins.
8. Finish off the look with a few more spritzes of strong hold hairspray.
Throw it back to the eighties with half-up half down beehive look. Though it’s not a full-sized beehive (god, why would anyone even want that in today’s day and age?), this bumped up look with curls will manage to add a retro feel to your look.
1. Prep your washed, dried hair with some heat protectant.
2. Using a 1 inch curling iron and picking up 1 inch sections of hair at a time, curl the bottom half of all your hair.
3. Section away the top half of your hair and insert a big bumpit under it.
4. With the help of a fine toothed comb, smooth over the top half of your hair to hide the bumpit.
5. Gather all the hair covering the bumpit in and pin it in the center at the back of your head.
6. Complete the look by putting on a maang teeka.
Yes, I know I’ve already taken you through some different versions of a fishtail braid. But, nothing beats the charm and elegance of a classic fishtail braid (or khajoori choti, as it is called in Hindi), which can be dressed up or dressed down, depending on your mood.
Now, this is a look perfect for the Sangeet night. While the pulled back curls add volume and dimension to your hair, the flower enhances your whole look. Moreover, the braid is perfect to keep your hair out of your face and dance the night away.
1. Prep your washed, dried hair with some heat protectant and texturizing spray.
2. Picking up 1 inch sections at a time, curl all your hair.
3. Leaving aside a few curls at the front, simply braid the rest of your hair in the fishtail style and secure it at the end with a hair elastic.
4. Gently pull back the curls that you left in front and loosely pin them to the back of your head.
5. Pin a big flower in the center of the back of your head and finish off with some medium hold spray to set the curls in place.
Admit it – as much as you love your bangs for covering your forehead and helping you stay in style, sometimes they can be bothersome. So this look makes your life easier as it involves twisting away and pinning back your bangs.
Honestly, it took me a good 10 minutes to figure out how Deepika Padukone’s hairstylist achieved this look. But once I did figure it out, I realized that it is not that difficult to do. This edgy look is perfect for a night out on the town.
1. Prep your washed, dried hair with some texturizing spray.
2. Starting from your ears, pick up half of your hair and section it away with the help of a sectioning clip.
3. Now bend your head forward and flip all your hair in front of you.
4. French braid this hair, starting from the nape of your neck towards the top of your head.
5. Once you have reached the top of your head where you sectioned away your hair, tie a hair elastic on the French braid.
6. Remove the sectioning clip and roll all of your hair into a messy bun.
7. Secure the bun to the top of your head with the help of a hair elastic, some bobby pins, and U pins.
8. Finish off the look with some strong hold hairspray to complete the look.
This look can be dressed up with traditional Indian outfits, as well as a Western gown. All this look requires is 2 simple braids pulled back and accessorized with a bejeweled center clip to make it party-ready.
Ok, listen up. This is literally the easiest way to make a simple braid fit for a big function. All you need to do is simply braid your hair then entwine some gold lace around it. That’s it. It cannot get simpler – or prettier – than this.
This look is perfect for completing the bridal look. It adds volume on top of your head, which in turn helps to perfectly hold up your ghungat. The loose messy braid does gives off the illusion of your hair being open even though it’s not. It’s a win-win!
Now, here’s another floral look. Instead of using some store-bought center clip, all you need to do is pin on some flowers in a straight line after pinning back some hair to give off the impression that it’s the flowers keeping the hair in place!
1. Prep your washed, dried hair with some heat protectant and texturizing spray.
2. Picking up 1 inch sections of hair at a time, curl all your hair.
3. Insert a bumpit under your hair at the top of your head and cover it with hair to hide it from view with the help of a fine toothed comb.
4. Gather all your hair from both sides of your face and pin it in the center at the back of your head.
5. Pin some flowers in a line over the bobby pins at the back of your head.
6. Finish off with some strong hold hairspray to prevent the curls from unraveling through the day.
Sometimes, a messy bun can end up looking plain sloppy, instead of cute. Here’s the solution to that problem – French twist your bangs away from your face to make it look like you have put in a little more effort that you actually did.
1. Prep your washed, dried hair with some sea salt spray.
2. Part your hair down the middle.
3. From right next to the left side of your parting, pick up a 2 inch section of hair and start French twisting it towards your ear by adding more hair with each subsequent twist.
4. Once you reach near your ear, simply twist the hair in your hand and pin it at the back of your head.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 on the right side.
6. Twist all your hair up and roll it into a loose, messy bun at the nape of your neck. Secure it with a hair elastic.
Awww man, Aliaa Bhatt can make even the most basic of hairstyles look super duper cute. This ultra easy look requires you to blowdry your hair with a diffuser and just spritz on some sea salt spray to complete the beachy curls look.
1. Prep your washed, wet hair with some texturizing spray.
2. With the diffuser attached to your blowdryer, your head flipped forward and your hair hanging in front of you, blowdry all your hair.
3. Lightly run a paddle brush through your hair to unravel some curls
4. Spritz on some sea salt spray and scrunch up all your hair with your hands.
5. Put on the elastic headband around the crown of your head.
6. Pull out hair from under the headband near your ears to finish the look.
OK, I don’t think I need to be poetic about this look. Shraddha Kapoor’s simple ponytail can be achieved by even an 8 year old, it’s that easy. But, oh my, doesn’t it cause some major head turns? Just spray on some sea salt spray to add texture to your ponytail – and voila! Look complete.
1. Prep your washed, dried hair with some sea salt spray.
2. Scrunch up your hair with your hands to create some loose waves.
3. Leaving your bangs out, brush back your hair and tie it into a high ponytail at the back of your head.
4. Part your bangs to one side and spritz on some more sea salt spray to complete the look.
Aditi Rao Hydari’s adorable face could make a saint out of a sinner. But that’s not what we’re here to talk about. Her twisted and pulled back hair with voluminous waves adds a sense of innocence to her whole look.
Do you have a sangeet function coming up? A dandiya night, maybe? Whatever it may be, if it involves dancing, this look is perfect for that occasion. And though it looks intricate, this braided style is very easy to do.
So, you wish you had spent your youth in the hippie 70s era, huh? Well, I can’t help you travel back in time, but I can certainly help you look like a hippie straight out of 70s era India. All you need is to do up half of your hair in a bun and put a necklace around your head to complete the look.
1. Prep your washed, dried hair with some heat protectant and texturizing spray.
2. Picking up 2 inch sections of hair at a time, curl all your hair.
3. Gently run a paddle brush through your hair to open up the curls.
4. From around your ears, pick up half of your hair and twist it right till the end.
5. Roll up this twisted hair into a bun and secure it to the top of your head by pushing bobby pins into the bun.
6. Finish off the look by placing a golden necklace around your forehead and attaching it with bobby pins to the back of your head.
Look like a princess with this look that involves thin braids being fashioned to look like a tiara. The ringlets pinned at the back of your head and the well defined curls make this look fit for a grand function.
This elegant look is a beautiful combination of Indian and Spanish styles, courtesy of the red roses incorporated in it. This floral bun is perfect for pairing up with a graceful white saree, the same way Deepika has styled it.
1. Prep your washed, dried hair with some heat protectant.
2. Picking up 2 inch sections of hair at a time, straighten all your hair.
3. Part your hair down the middle.
4. Apply some hair gel to the hair on top of your head.
5. Use a fine toothed comb to make the hair on top of your head lie as flat as possible.
6. Tie all your hair into a ponytail at the back of your head.
7. Twist the ponytail right till the end and roll it into a neat bun at the back of your head.
8. Secure the bun to your head by pushing in bobby pins and U pins into the bun.
9. Insert the roses all around the circumference of the bun and secure them in place with the help of some U pins.
10. Finish off with some smoothening serum to get rid of any frizz.
Do you find tying hair up your hair in a bun boring? Then try out this hairstyle! This messy double bun look is creative because, come on, who could have thought of tying your hair into 2 buns stacked on top of one another? Such a fresh look!
1. Prep your washed, dried hair with some texturizing spray.
2. Starting from near your ears, pick up half of your hair and tie it into a ponytail.
3. Twist this ponytail right till the end and roll it into a messy bun.
4. Secure this bun to the back of your head by pushing some bobby pins and U pins into the bun.
5. Repeat steps 2 to 4 with the other half of your hair at the bottom and secure this bun right under the first bun.
6. Finish off the look with some light hold hairspray.
Are you a water baby who seriously believes that she was a mermaid in the past life? Then this look is for you! Feel like a mermaid on land with this look that totally makes your hair look like that mythical creature’s tail.
How cute does this hairstyle look! All it involves is transitioning a French braid into a bun on top of your head. It’s perfectly suited for short hair. Pair it with a pair of jeans and a casual T-shirt to give off an effortless and youthful vibe.
1. Prep your washed, dried hair with some heat protectant.
2. Picking up 1 inch sections of hair at a time, curl all your hair.
3. Gather all your hair in between your temples and start French braiding.
4. Once you have passed the top of your head, tie the braid with a hair elastic.
5. Twist all the hair in the tail of your French braid and roll it into a bun.
6. Secure this bun to the back of your head by pushing some bobby pins into the bun.
7. Finish off the look with some light hold hairspray.
Headbands are coming back with a bang and how! Gone are the days that they were simply functional items that were to keep your hair out of your face. This bejeweled headbands will add a glamorous touch to your simple curly look.
1. Prep your washed, dried hair with some heat protectant.
2. Picking up 2 inch sections of hair at a time, curl all your hair.
3. Part your hair onto one side.
4. Insert a bumpit under the hair at the back of your head.
5. Use a fine toothed comb to smoothen hair over the bumpit to hide it from view.
6. Put on a bejeweled headband at the top of your head, where your bump begins.
7. Finish off the look by flipping all your hair over one shoulder and spritzing on some light hold hairspray.
If you have a maang teeka that you want to make the centerpiece of your look, this hairstyle is for you. The bump created over voluminous curls almost acts as a stage to showcase your elaborate maang teeka to the world.
1. Prep your washed, dried hair with some heat protectant and texturizing spray.
2. Picking up 2 inch sections of hair at a time, curl all your hair.
3. From about 1 inch in, flip all the hair between your temples in front of you.
4. Now tease the top of the hair that is behind the front section you just flipped over.
5. Flip back the front section of the hair and smoothen it over the teased hair with the help of a fine toothed comb.
6. Gather the smoothened over hair in the center and pin it to the back of your head with the help of some bobby pins crossed over each other.
7. Finish off the look by putting on a maang teeka and a few spritzes of light hold hairspray.
Brace yourselves because this is not a single fishtail, not a double fishtail, but a triple fishtail braid! Yes, it takes quite some time to do up, but the end result is so spectacular that all that effort is worth it.
1. Prep your washed, dried hair with some texturizing spray.
2. Part your hair down the middle.
3. Pick up a 3 inch section of hair from near your right temple and French fishtail braid it.
4. To do so, divide the section of hair into 2 parts.
5. Pick up a thin section of hair from the outer side of the right section and add it to the inner side of the left section.
6. Next, pick up a thin section of hair from the outer side of the left section and add it to the inner side of the right section.
7. Add a little bit of hair from outside the braid every time you do steps 5 and 6.
8. Repeat the 3 previous steps alternately until you reach the back of your head.
9. Simply fishtail braid around 8 more times, then secure the braid to the back of the head with the help of bobby pins.
10. Repeat steps 3 to 8 on the other side.
11. Gather all the hair in the back and do a fishtail braid, then secure it with a hair elastic.
12. You can remove the bobby pins holding the two small fishtail braids in place to get a cleaner look.
13. Finish off the look with some light hold hairspray.
Now this look is quite innovative as it combines two hairstyles. The half bun provides a beautiful sweeping effect to your hair while the braid wrapped in Baby’s breath looks absolutely gorgeous.
1. Prep your washed, dried hair with some texturizing spray.
2. Starting from around your ears, pick up half of your hair, twist it right till the end, and roll it into a bun.
3. Secure this bun to the back of your head by pushing some bobby pins into the bun.
4. With the rest of your hair, do a loose messy braid and secure it at the end with a hair elastic.
5. Pull out and loosen the braid with your fingers to give it a more relaxed look.
6. Wrap some stems of Baby’s breath around the braid to finish the look.
I’m pretty sure this is not the newest idea in the book but that does not mean that it does not look cute. The combined effect of two French braids swooping into a fishtail braid is gorgeous by itself. But adding roses to the look just takes it to a whole new level.
1. Prep your washed, dried hair with some texturizing spray.
2. Part your hair down the middle.
3. From right next to the right side of your parting, pick up a 3 inch section of hair and start French braiding.
4. Once you reach the back of your head, bobby pin the French braid in place.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 on the other side.
6. Now gather all your hair at the back and start fishtail braiding.
7. To do so, divide all your hair into 2 parts.
8. Pick up a thin section of hair from the outer side of the right section and add it to the inner side of the left section.
9. Next, pick up a thin section of hair from the outer side of the left section and add it to the inner side of the right section.
10. Repeat steps 8 and 9 alternately until you reach the end of your hair and tie it with a hair elastic.
11. Gently pull out the fishtail braid from the center to make it look wider and to give it a messy look.
12. Finish off by inserting the 3 roses into the braid and a few spritzes of light hold hairspray.
Are you looking for the best hairstyles for Indian brides? We know that you want to look a royal queen on the biggest day of your life. This is why we suggest you try out this opulent look that incorporates a string of pearls into your otherwise regular braid.
1. Prep your washed, dried hair with some texturizing spray.
2. Pick up a 2 inch section of hair from near your left ear, twist it 3 times, then pin it to the back of your head.
3. Repeat this step on the other side.
4. Divide all your hair into 3 parts, as you would for a braid.
5. Fold your string of pearls in half, place it under the middle section of your hair, and add one side of the string to each of the side sections of hair.
6. Now simply braid your hair and tie it at the end with a hair elastic.
7. Finish the look by putting on a maang teeka headdress and a few spritzes of light hold hairspray.
So that’s the rundown of our favorite Indian hairstyles. They are easy to do yet look elaborate and beautiful. Don’t believe me? Try them out and find out for yourself. Leave a comment below to let us know which one you liked best and which looks you’re definitely going to try out.