The Most Gorgeous Hairstyles For Black Girls

A fluffy afro is your natural texture picked out and shaped round, so it frames the face like a halo. Stretch it first with a braid-out or a blow-dry on low heat if you want more size. A wide-tooth pick at the roots keeps the shape without flattening the curls.

All of your hair is gathered into one big puff, high on the crown or low at the back. It’s a second-day favorite: smooth the edges, pull a stretchy band over, and fluff the ends with your fingers. Use a soft band, because a tight elastic snaps coils.

This pixie keeps the coils long on top and cuts the sides and back close, so the curl pattern does the styling. It suits a heart or oval face, and it’s quick in the morning: a leave-in, a little curl cream, done. Book a trim every four to six weeks to keep the shape sharp.

A honey blonde afro puts warm color on a round natural shape. Lightening coily hair takes care, so ask for a bond builder in the lightener and deep condition every week after. The warm tone flatters deep and medium skin alike.

Short coils in hot pink or berry make the color the whole point, and the short cut means the lightened ends grow out fast. Semi-permanent pinks fade in a few weeks, so wash in cool water and use a color-safe shampoo. On a tapered cut, the dark roots at the nape keep it looking deliberate.

A TWA is short natural hair of an inch or two all over, often the first cut after the big chop. It shows off your face and your earrings, and it’s washed and styled in minutes. A light leave-in and a little oil keep the coils soft.

The big chop cuts off relaxed or heat-damaged ends and keeps only the new natural growth, so these are your curls starting over. They’ll clump more as they grow. Define them with a curl cream and finger coils, and let them air-dry.

A wash-n-go is exactly what it says: wash, apply a leave-in and a gel on soaking-wet hair, and let it dry without touching it. The curls clump together and hold their shape for a few days. It works on short and medium natural hair, and a diffuser speeds up the drying.

A twist-out is two-strand twists set overnight and opened up in the morning, so the curls come out bigger and more defined. It lasts about three to five days between washes. Take them apart with oiled fingers and separate gently for volume.

A curly bob with a deep side part gives the crown extra lift on one side and lets the curls fall across the cheek on the other. It suits a round or square face, because the part breaks up the width. Keep the cut on dry hair, so you see where each curl really sits.

A buzz cut on a woman shows off the cheekbones, the jawline and the shape of the head. There’s no styling to speak of, only a line-up and a reshape every two to three weeks. Add a shaved design at the side if you want the barber to have some fun.

Long braids are wound round and round on the crown into one big coiled bun. The braids carry the length, so the bun is full even if your own hair is short. Leave two thin braids loose at the front to soften it.

A formal updo on natural hair is smoothed and pinned into rolls or a sculpted bun, then finished with a pin or a comb. It holds through a whole wedding if the edges are set with gel first. Book a trial if the event matters.

Cornrows run up from the nape and the sides and meet in a bun or knot on top, using only your own hair. It keeps the hair off your neck in the heat. Keep it in for one to two weeks and oil the scalp between the rows.

Braids with added hair are swept up and wrapped into a big bun on top, with stitched cornrows or heart parts on the sides. The extra length gives the bun its height. It’s a protective style, so it can stay in for four to six weeks.

A puff top knot pulls a puff or a braid bun tight on the crown. It lifts the face and shows your earrings. Wrap the band twice at most, and never across the edges.

The pineapple is a loose, high puff with the curls tumbling forward over the front, a night-time trick that works as a day look too. Gather everything at the very top of the head with a soft scrunchie. The curls stay stretched and uncrushed overnight.

Twists are pinned up into a sculpted crown, with a few twists left curling down around the face. It works for a wedding, a night out or an interview. Pin rather than band it, so there’s no pull at the roots.

A low bun at the nape, sleek on top, is the neat one of the group. It sits well with a suit, and it’s gentle because the pull isn’t on the edges. Stretch the hair first so the bun is smooth.

Two buns high on the head, one each side of a center part, look playful and keep the hair off your face. On natural hair, the buns can be a little fuzzy on purpose. Sleek the parts with gel for a neater finish.

Bantu knots are sections twisted and wound into small knots all over the head. Wear them as they are, or undo them after a few days for a bouncy knot-out. Neat square parts make the look.

The top half of the hair is braided or gathered up and the rest hangs loose. You get the length and the face-framing at once. In braids, cornrows on top and box braids underneath make the half-and-half look.

The top section is wound into a bun on the crown while the rest of the braids or hair fall down the back. It’s a good way to wear waist-length braids on a hot day. Moving the bun a little higher or lower changes the whole look.

A small top knot sits on the crown and everything below it hangs loose. It pulls the hair off your face without committing to a full updo. With locs, a cuff around the knot dresses it up.

Cornrows or a sleek front section are braided back, and the rest of the hair falls in curls. It looks polished at the front and soft at the back. Refresh the curls with a water spray and a little cream.

Cornrows are braided flat to the scalp in lines, straight back or curved, and they’re the base of dozens of styles. On your own hair they last one to two weeks; with added hair, two to four. Keep the rows neat at the hairline and don’t let them pull.

One braid goes all the way round the head like a crown, or two braids meet at the back. It’s a clean, elegant style for an event. The ends stay tucked away. Stretching the hair first makes the braid thicker and neater.

French braids (Dutch braids, when the strands cross under) run from the forehead to the nape in two neat rows. Added hair makes them longer and thicker. They’re a good gym and swimming style for a week or two.

Long braids swept over one shoulder, or a single braid down one side, draw the eye to the face. With box braids it’s a change of look without redoing anything. Swap sides now and then so one side of the scalp doesn’t take all the weight.

Blonde braiding hair in cornrows shows every pattern line. Honey and ash blonde both work on dark skin. A zigzag or curved pattern is where blonde really pays off.

The sides are cornrowed up and the braids meet in a raised strip down the center. It’s bold from every angle, and the sides stay neat for a couple of weeks. Leave out curls along the top for a softer version.

Box braids are individual braids with added hair. Each starts from a square section, so the parts make a grid. Medium braids last four to eight weeks, and you can put them up, down or to the side. Knotless box braids start with your own hair and feed the extension in, so there’s less pull at the root, and our knotless braids guide covers them in full.

Box braids wound into a high bun are the neat, office-friendly version of long braids. The bun takes the weight off your neck. Leave the braids a little looser at the root if you plan to wear it up a lot.

Box braids divided in two and wound into buns on each side of a center part make space buns with length. The braids below hang free. It takes five minutes once the braids are in.

Micro braids are very small braids that behave almost like loose hair: they swing, and you can curl or pin them. They take many hours to install and a long time to take out. In return they last up to eight weeks.

Jumbo braids are fast to install, often in two to four hours. They look bold from across the room. They’re heavy, so keep them to shoulder or mid-back length. Large parts show off a pattern at the scalp too.

Braiding hair comes in every color, so you can go red, pink, burgundy or a mix. Short braids suit bright colors, because the look is loud and light at once. Mix two shades of braiding hair for depth.

Crochet braids are loose curls or twists hooked onto cornrows with a crochet needle. They install in a few hours and look like a full head of curls. Leave them in four to six weeks, and wash the scalp gently between the rows.

Yarn braids use wool yarn instead of synthetic hair. The yarn is lighter and matte. The colors are bold, such as electric blue. The finish looks soft. They can shrink when wet, so dry them well.

Two-strand twists use only your own hair, and they last one to three weeks. Wear them as they are, pin them up, or undo them for a twist-out. Smaller twists last longer and give a more defined twist-out.

Large twists with added hair, passion or Senegalese, are quick to install and last four to eight weeks. Passion twists have a bohemian, curly finish. Senegalese twists are smooth and rope-like.

Flat twists run along the scalp at the front and sides, and the ends are left to open into a twist-out on top. You get a neat front and a big, soft crown. It’s quicker than cornrows and gentle on the edges.

Flat twists are like cornrows made with two strands instead of three, so they sit flat but look softer. Curve them round the head into a low updo. They last a week or two on your own hair.

Locs with twists, or two-strand twisted locs, add texture and hold a style well. Pull the locs into a high ponytail with a twisted section for a weekend look. Retwist the roots every four to eight weeks.

Short locs are the start of a long journey, and they have a look of their own. Locs take several months to a couple of years to mature, so enjoy the short stage. Two-strand twists at the start make the parts neat, and our guide to loc styles for women picks up where this look leaves off.

A frohawk keeps the natural curls tall along the center and pins or tapers the sides. Pin the sides flat with bobby pins, or braid them for a longer hold. It’s a great second-day style on curly hair.

A fauxhawk is the same shape without cutting the sides: cornrows or pins hold them flat, and a big puff of natural hair rises down the middle. Decorate the braids with cuffs or beads.

A low ponytail at the nape, smooth on top and curly or braided below, works for the office and for a date. Lay the edges with a soft gel and a brush. Use a silk scrunchie so it doesn’t break the hair.

A high curly ponytail sits right on top of the head, with the curls tumbling down. Braided sides or cornrows at the front make it neater. Add clip-in curls if your own hair isn’t long enough yet.

A head wrap covers the hair in fabric, a turban wrap or a scarf tied back. It protects the hair, saves a bad-hair day, and looks good with anything from denim to a dress. Choose silk or satin lining to protect the hair underneath.

A scarf tied around the head as a headband, with the curls puffed up on top, is part head wrap and part updo. Lay the edges, then knot the scarf at the nape or on top. The bright print does most of the work.