If you have thick hair, you know the struggle is real. You’ve probably snapped three hair ties this morning alone trying to wrangle that mane into something that looks halfway decent for the office or a dinner date. It’s heavy. It’s dense. Most "quick" tutorials you see on social media are clearly filmed by people with fine hair who can secure their entire head with one tiny bobby pin. Honestly? That’s just not our reality. When we try those dainty little twists, the whole thing usually collapses by lunchtime, leaving us with a headache and a lopsided mess.
We need structural integrity. We need styles that account for the sheer weight of a thick ponytail.
Finding easy updos for thick hair isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s about physics. You’re dealing with more surface area and more downward pull. If you don't anchor the style correctly, gravity wins every single time. But here’s the good news: once you master a few specific tension techniques, your hair actually stays put better than thin hair because it has so much natural grip and volume. You don't need a drawer full of products. You just need a better strategy for how you section and pin.
The Problem with Traditional Buns and Why They Fail
Most people think the answer to thick hair is more bobby pins. It’s not. In fact, jamming twenty pins into a bun usually just makes it feel heavier and causes the pins to spit out as you move your head. The secret to a lasting updo is the "anchor" method. Think of it like a house; you can’t build the roof until the foundation is solid. For us, that foundation is usually a hidden ponytail or a braid that acts as a base for everything else to latch onto.
The Double-Elastic Trick
One of the easiest ways to handle density is to stop treating your hair as one giant mass. If you try to put all your hair into a single high bun, it’s going to sag. Instead, try splitting your hair into two sections—top and bottom. Secure the top half in a ponytail first. Then, bring the bottom half up to join it. By using two elastics, you distribute the weight across two different points on your scalp. This simple shift prevents that "dragging" feeling that leads to tension headaches by the end of the day.
French Twist Variations for Heavy Manes
The classic French twist is often considered the "holy grail" of professional hair, but for thick-haired girls, it’s usually a nightmare of falling strands. You try to tuck it in, but there’s just too much hair to fit inside the fold. It ends up looking like a giant baguette stuck to the back of your head.
To make this work, you have to go "messy" or go "reinforced." Use a jumbo hair fork instead of pins. Brands like Kristin Ess or even traditional acetate forks from France Luxe are game-changers here. You twist the hair tightly, slide the fork in upwards, then flip it and push it down against the scalp. The tension of the hair itself holds the fork in place. It takes ten seconds. Seriously. It’s probably the most efficient of all easy updos for thick hair because it relies on the hair’s own bulk to create friction.
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If you prefer pins, look for "U-pins" or "fiona pins" rather than standard bobby pins. They are shaped like a wide U and can grab a much larger chunk of hair. You weave them in and out of the twist to lock it to the hair against your head. It’s a night and day difference.
The Braided Low Bun: The "Unshakeable" Style
If you’re going to be active—maybe you’re at a wedding or just running errands all day—a braided base is your best friend. Braids organize the "chaos" of thick hair. When hair is braided, the individual strands are locked together, which prevents them from slipping out of a bun one by one.
- Start by creating a low ponytail at the nape of your neck. Use a sturdy elastic, maybe even a bungee-style hair tie if your hair is exceptionally thick.
- Braid the ponytail all the way to the ends. A simple three-strand braid works, but a fishtail adds more texture if you have the time.
- Pancake the braid. This means gently pulling at the edges of the braid to make it look wider and flatter. This is crucial for thick hair because it prevents the bun from looking like a literal ball sitting on your neck.
- Wrap the flattened braid around the base of the elastic and pin as you go.
Because the hair is already contained in the braid, you only need about four large U-pins to keep the whole thing secure. It won’t budge. You could probably go for a jog in this.
Why Sectioning Changes Everything
Sometimes, the most "easy" looking styles are actually the result of smart sectioning. If you have "illegal" amounts of hair, try the "Three-Bun Method." It sounds complicated, but it’s actually faster than trying to make one perfect large bun. You just divide your hair into three vertical sections, ponytail them at the nape, and twist each into a small, messy knot. When they sit side-by-side, they look like one intricate, expensive-looking updo. It’s a total cheat code.
The "Fake" Crown Braid
Crown braids are beautiful, but doing a full Dutch braid around your own head requires the arm strength of an Olympic gymnast. For thick hair, the weight makes it even harder to keep the tension consistent as you move around your head.
Instead, try the "two-braid wrap." Part your hair down the middle and make two pigtail braids. Cross them over the top of your head and tuck the ends under each other. If your hair is long and thick, this creates a natural "crown" that looks like you spent an hour on it. It’s actually one of the most functional easy updos for thick hair because it keeps the hair completely off your neck and face, which is a lifesaver in the summer.
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Tools That Actually Work (and Those That Don't)
Let's be real: those tiny, flimsy clear elastics are a joke for us. They snap the moment you try to do a second wrap. If you have thick hair, you need to invest in "power" tools.
- Hair Bungees: These are elastics with hooks on the ends. You hook one end into the hair, wrap it around the ponytail as many times as you need, and hook the other end. This allows you to get a tight ponytail without having to pull a massive amount of hair through a tiny loop.
- Spin Pins: These look like little corkscrews. One spin pin does the work of about ten bobby pins. You literally just screw them into your bun.
- Velvet Scrunchies: Not the thin 90s ones, but the big, plush ones. The velvet creates friction against thick hair strands, preventing the "slide" that happens with silk or satin.
Avoid "claws" that are made of cheap plastic. They will shatter. Look for "cellulose acetate" or metal claws if you want something that can actually hold the weight of your hair without the teeth snapping off mid-meeting.
Dealing with "Shelf" Hair and Layers
One of the biggest hurdles with easy updos for thick hair is when you have layers. You start twisting, and suddenly, shorter pieces are sticking out everywhere like a cactus. This is where "hair mapping" comes in.
Instead of trying to pull everything back at once, start with the shortest layers (usually the ones around your face). Secure those first or incorporate them into a small twist that feeds into the main updo. Use a light pomade or a wax stick—like the ones from Bed Head or R+Co—to "glue" those shorter ends into the larger mass of hair before you start pinning. It makes the final result look much more polished and prevents the dreaded "fuzzy bun" look that happens three hours into your day.
Formal Updos Without the Stress
When you need to look fancy but don't want to spend $150 at a salon, the "Tucked Ponytail" is your best bet. It’s a variation of the topsy-tail we all did in the 90s, but elevated.
You make a low ponytail, create a gap above the elastic, and flip the ponytail through. But here’s the trick for thick hair: do it twice. Then, take the remaining length, fold it up, and tuck it into that "pocket" you created. Secure it with a few large pins. It looks like a complicated chignon, but it’s literally just a folded ponytail.
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This works because the "pocket" of hair acts as a natural cushion for the rest of the hair to sit in. It’s self-supporting.
Practical Next Steps for Success
To actually make these styles work, you should start with "second-day" hair. Freshly washed thick hair is often too slippery and "puffy" to behave. If you just washed it, hit it with a generous amount of dry shampoo or a texture spray to give the strands some "teeth."
Next, audit your hair tie collection. Throw away anything that is stretched out or has that metal joiner piece (which just breaks thick hair anyway). Grab some U-pins and a few heavy-duty elastics.
Start practicing the "Double-Elastic" technique first. It’s the easiest point of entry and will immediately solve the problem of your buns sagging or falling out. Once you feel the difference that proper anchoring makes, you can move on to the braided styles and more complex twists. Your thick hair is a gift—it has built-in volume that most people pay hundreds of dollars for—you just have to learn how to manage the gravity of it all.
Focus on the "anchor" first, and the rest of the style will naturally follow. You've got the volume; now you just need the structure.