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Discover 20 new easy hairstyles for long straight hair that give you options for all occasions! From half ups to updos and sleek to boho styles, there are tons of cute ways to wear your long locks.
Need More Hairstyles for Long Straight Hair?
- Rely on styles that work with your natural straight texture
- Incorporate twists, braids, clips, and buns to add textural interest
- Memorize a few simple, moderate, and intricate styles for any occasion
As the owner of long, straight strands, you might be scraping the bottom of the hairstyle barrel and wearing the same old looks over and over.
If you’re in need of some fresh, cute hairstyles for long straight hair, you’re in the right place!
While you’ve got a great foundation with straight, long tresses, there are a few built-in challenges in managing and styling this hair type.
When your hair is long and straight, it can lack texture and interest (especially without layers). You might find that your hair tends to hang motionless and heavy due to its length.
You probably end up reaching for hot tools more often in an effort to perk up your hair texture or just wear a look that feels different.
Another challenge can be the slick texture of your hair making it harder to stay put in braids or clipped-up styles.
The best hairstyles for long straight hair address these challenges head-on (no pun intended) and make styling and caring for long hair easier with gorgeous results.
Relying on styles that work with your natural straight texture – not requiring you to do time-consuming waves or curls with hot tools – is one way to make styling long straight hair easier.
Incorporating interesting textures and dimension helps, too. Go for braids, twists, buns, or clip up sections of your hair to add textural interest to straight strands.
We’ll show you 20 cute hairstyles for long straight hair next. Keep track of your favorites and practice them so you’ll always have styles to reach for on any occasion from casual to formal!
20 Cute Hairstyles for Long Straight Hair
Making your mane look super cute is easy when you’ve got a rotating menu of hairstyles to create. Take a look at 20 of our favorite looks for long, straight locks below!
1. Double French Braid Buns
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Double French braids are such a go-to style for long hair and look even better with the ends twisted into loosely-clipped buns. You’ll get your hair out of your face and look cute and sporty in the meantime!
Since long, straight hair can be fine and have trouble staying put in a braid, try spritzing your strands with sea salt spray or volumizing hairspray before braiding for extra grip.
2. Volume-Boosted Pinned-Back Bangs
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This is a great option if you’ve got long bangs that you don’t always feel like styling. Separate the top section of your hair, spray with hairspray, and gently backcomb for extra volume.
Smooth the section back and pin it in place securely. Let the rest of your hair hang freely or repeat the backcombing process at the roots on either side for more lift.
3. Space Buns With Face-Framing Pieces
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Who doesn’t love space buns? There’s something so fun and whimsical about this easy and casual style for long straight hair. Create a middle part (leaving out a few strands in the front) and secure one side with a clip or hair tie for now.
Brush the loose side upward and gather it into a ponytail, then twist and coil the ponytail to form your bun. Bobby pin it in place and repeat on the other side.
4. Bouncy Blowout
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Want everyone to envy your long, straight locks? Go for a fancy, voluminous blowout. You’ll appreciate the added bend and curve at the ends that gives your hair a little more bounce and movement.
A round brush, shine spray, and hair dryer directed downward is key to nailing a nice blowout. It can be tough to do your own, so consider stopping by your favorite salon and let a professional do it!
5. Twin Rope Braids
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Rope braids are deceptive. They look intricate and impressive, but they’re one of the easiest braids to do! Rope braids involve twisting 2 sections of hair in the same direction, then wrapping them around each other in the opposite direction.
Create a middle part and do a quick rope braid down each side. Secure with clear elastics for the best results, then gently tug on pieces of the braids to loosen them up as shown.
6. Low Messy Bun
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If a low messy bun isn’t yet in your hairstyle repertoire, it needs to be! This is a great style for long straight hair. Gather your mane at the nape of your neck to form the foundation.
Then, twist the ponytail in one direction and wrap it around the base to form a coil bun. You can secure it with bobby pins alone or a hair tie that blends well with your hair color.
7. Statement Clips
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Statement accessories make styling long straight hair such a breeze. With cute accessories clipped in on one side, you can let it hang with your natural texture and still look put together!
Try mix-and-matching 2 clips of different materials (metal, leather, plastic, jewels, flowers, etc.) for a quirky but fashionable statement style.
8. Half Up Waterfall Braid
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Waterfall braids are so pretty and almost mesmerizing to look at. If you look closely, you’ll see that the model’s hair has been lightly crimped to add enough texture to make the braid hold up in straight hair.
Create a waterfall braid by starting from one side and mimicking a French braid (except you’ll be dropping 1 of the 3 sections with each pass). There are tons of helpful YouTube videos on mastering waterfall braids!
9. Soft Side Part Blowout
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If you’re not a big fan of a traditional bouncy blowout, you might like this softer version with just a little bend at the ends. A side part with root volume adds some lift and elevates the look.
We love a dryer brush, like the Dyson Airwrap with round brush attachment or Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer to make this style super easy on long straight hair.
10. Messy Fishtail Braid
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If you can do a fishtail braid, you’ll have a new go-to hairstyle for your long locks! Fishtail braids appear intricate and add a lot of texture to straight strands.
Start your fishtail at the nape of your neck with your hair split into 2 sections. Grab small pieces from the bottom of each section and cross and join them to the other side.
Repeat, moving down the length of your hair and securing with a hair tie at the bottom. Tug a few strands loose around your face for a casual and cute look.
11. Half Updo With Volumized Crown
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Sometimes, long straight hair can appear a bit flat and heavy. Pumping up the volume at the crown is an instant antidote to this problem and forms a pretty, chic style with a half updo!
Lift a section of hair at your crown and hit it with hairspray on the underside. Gently backcomb for volume, then create a side part and gather the top half of your hair below the crown.
You can secure the half updo with a barrette, bobby pins, or a clip for a quick and pretty style.
12. Chic Wrapped Ponytail
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Wrapping the base of your ponytail with a small section of hair is an easy way to elevate a basic pony into something a little more chic and put-together.
Carefully smooth your hair into a ponytail just below the crown, making sure there are no bumps or tangles. Secure the ponytail with a hair tie and wrap a thin section of hair around the base a few times before pinning and spraying in place.
13. Loose Half Updo With Barrette
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Half up styles are always the answer when you don’t know what to do with long straight hair. For this look, all you need is a small barrette!
Divide a section of the top of your hair and gather it loosely in the back, well below your crown. Brush it to smooth it out and secure it with your clip.
14. Donut Bun With Pinned Ends
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A big donut bun is the perfect look for straight, long hair when you’re ready to get it up and out of your way but still want it to look cute.
Use a bun donut to create the foundation (but leave a small section of hair out of the donut). Roll it down until it touches the base of your ponytail, then wrap the loose pieces around the bun and pin into place.
15. Half Up Braided Space Buns
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Want to make space buns a little more modern? Try doing them as a half up style and braid your hair before you create the buns! This look works well with long, straight hair.
If you have bangs, leave them out of the space buns. Create twin ponytails from the top half of your hair and braid each pony with a clear elastic to secure them.
Wrap the braids around themselves at the base to form your braided space buns and finish with a blast of hairspray for staying power.
16. Low Criss-Cross Chignon
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Fancy evening coming up? Straight hair looks great in a low criss-cross chignon. This style appears more intricate and time-consuming than it really is.
Leaving small sections from the front of each side out, gather your hair at the nape of your neck and secure with a hair tie. Take small sections of the ponytail and roll them upward, pinning each section in place as you go.
Take small sections from the loose hair in front and bring them back to the chignon, pinning them in place in a criss-cross fashion as you alternate sides. Spray to finish and tug a few pieces out around your face.
17. Loose Boho Crown Braid
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Crown braids are gorgeous on long straight hair but can take a lot of time if you French braid your hair. Instead, take a large section from above your ear and weave a basic hanging 3-strand braid.
Drape the braid across your forehead and over to the opposite side, pinning it in place. You can style the back with another braid running in the opposite direction or make a quick coiled bun to finish the look.
18. Quick Claw Clip Updo
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Claw clips are a Godsend for long straight hair. While you’ll need a good, strong clip to securely hold super-long hair, you can also support the style with a few strategic bobby pins.
Create a middle or side part, then gather and twist your hair at the nape of your neck. Direct the twisted hair upward and back down before clipping to recreate this look.
19. Low Wrapped and Curled Ponytail
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You’ve seen how easily wrapping a ponytail base can upgrade a style, but have you tried it with a low, textured ponytail? We love how simple this look is for long straight strands.
Use a large-barreled curling iron or wand to create a quick barrel curl in the length of your ponytail. Wrap a small section around the base to polish off the style.
20. Half Up Braid
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Half up braids take less time to create than a full French or Dutch braid and look just as cute! Split the top section of your hair from the bottom and divide it into 3 equal sections.
Weave the braid down the length, moving as far down as you can without losing grip on the pieces. Secure with a clear elastic for a cute, understated look.
Things to Consider
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Making the most of your strands means figuring out a few new hairstyles for long straight hair. What else should you know to make styling easier with better results?
- Learn your hair type. If your hair is naturally straight, it will be considered type 1A, 1B, or 1C. You can narrow down your specific type by determining the texture (fine, medium, or coarse) and how your hair responds to different products. Not sure what your hair type is? Take our hair type quiz to find out!
- Use the right products. Once you know what your hair type is, you’ll be able to pinpoint the types and weights of products that work best with your strands. If dryness is a concern, moisturizing shampoo, conditioning treatments, and leave-in conditioner can help. Frizz is easily fixed with anti-frizz serum. Oiliness can be an issue with long straight hair, so grab some dry shampoo or start using shampoo for oily hair to last longer between washes.
- Rotate between down, half up, and updos. If you find yourself always wearing your hair one way, you’ll easily get bored with the look and can even begin to damage your hair. Rotate between a few styles that leave your hair down and loose, in a half-up style, or up in a ponytail or bun to balance things out and enjoy a range of looks that don’t get boring.
- Protect your hair from heat. If you are using a hair dryer, flat iron, curling wand, or curling/waving iron on your long straight hair, the heat will cause damage over time. Always use a heat protectant spray to prevent the damage and leave your hair soft, shiny, and sleek.
Frequently Asked Questions
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People looking for new hairstyles for long straight hair usually have more questions about making these styles work. Check out the FAQs to learn more!
What are the best hairstyles for long straight hair?
The best hairstyles for long straight hair are voluminous blowouts, half up styles, wrapped ponytails, textured braids, and buns. Styles that don’t require you to use hot tools are better in the long run than heat styling waves or curls everyday.
You can make half up styles, ponytails, braids, and buns stay in place longer by using a product that adds grippy texture and grit beforehand. Sea salt spray, volumizing hairspray, volumizing mousse, and even dry shampoo can help.
How can I make my long hair interesting?
Layers are a great way to make long hair a little more interesting and add lightweight bounce and movement. Cutting long bangs or opting for soft balayage color around your face looks great on long hair, too.
You can add interest without making any permanent changes by working in texture with twists, braids, buns, and half up styles.
Is long straight hair in style in 2023?
Long straight hair is very much in style right now! While super-long strands have fallen out of fashion this year, hair that hits around the mid-back is trendy and stylish.
If your hair is longer than this, it might be a great time to get a small trim and enjoy the lighter-weight, bouncier results!
What haircuts look good with long hair?
V-cuts and U-cuts look great with long hair, as do haircuts with graduated layers around the face, subtle ghost layers, and long shags with choppy layers.
If you’re keeping your hair long, look for at least 1 way to add interest (layers, bangs, choppy ends, etc.) that breaks up the length and makes it more dynamic.
What is a wolf cut haircut?
A wolf cut haircut refers to a medium-long shag with tons of texture from choppy layers and bangs. The ends are lightweight and wispy with most of the volume and texture concentrated in the top half of the cut.
So, Which Hairstyles for Long Straight Hair Will You Try?
There are plenty of ways to style your hair when it’s long, straight, and in need of some fresh new looks.
Pick out a few styles you like from the list and practice them – if needed – so you always have cute go-to options!
Whether you’re focused on quick and easy styles you can do with your eyes closed or embrace more impressive, time-intensive looks, you’re off to a great start with 20 new styles to explore.