Medium length hair is the ultimate "middle child" of the beauty world. It’s too short for those massive, gravity-defying Pinterest braids that require three sets of extensions, yet it’s just long enough to get caught in your lip gloss or tickle your neck until you lose your mind. I've been there. You want it up. You want it off your face. But you don't want to spend forty minutes wrestling with a donut bun or seventy-two bobby pins that inevitably end up stabbing your scalp. Finding updos for medium length hair easy enough to pull off while you're caffeinating is the dream, right? Honestly, most of what you see on Instagram is a lie. Those "effortless" looks often involve a professional stylist hiding behind the camera holding a bottle of industrial-strength freezing spray.
The reality is that medium hair—usually defined by stylists as falling anywhere between the chin and the tops of the shoulders—has specific structural challenges. You lack the weight to hold heavy buns, but you have enough volume to make things look messy if you aren't careful. It's a delicate balance. We're talking about styles that work with your natural texture rather than fighting it.
Why most updos for medium length hair easy tutorials actually fail
Most tutorials assume you have a uniform hair length. They don't account for the "lob" (long bob) where the front pieces are significantly longer than the back. If you try a traditional high bun with a medium cut, the bottom layers—the "kitchen" of your hair—just fall out. It’s annoying. You end up with a halo of frizz that makes you look more like a frantic scientist than a chic professional.
💡 You might also like: Few and Far Between Meaning: Why Everyone Says It Wrong (And Where It Actually Comes From)
Expert stylists like Chris Appleton or Jen Atkin often emphasize that the secret isn't the tuck; it's the prep. If your hair is too clean, it’s slippery. It’s like trying to build a sculpture out of silk. You need grit. A dry shampoo or a sea salt spray is basically mandatory here. Without it, your "easy" updo will be a "down-do" by lunch.
The Twisted Low Bun: A literal 60-second savior
This is my go-to. It's not a secret, but people overcomplicate it. You don't need to braid. You don't need to weave.
- Gather your hair at the nape of your neck.
- Loop it through an elastic once.
- On the second loop, only pull it halfway through to create a small loop (or "nub").
- Take the tail that's sticking out, wrap it around the base to hide the elastic, and tuck it back into the hair tie.
That’s it. If a few pieces fall out around your face, let them stay. It’s called "face-framing," and it's a feature, not a bug. This works because it uses the natural tension of the hair tie to hold everything in place, rather than relying on bobby pins which always seem to migrate south during the day.
Mastering the French Twist for shorter lengths
You’ve seen the classic French Twist in old movies. It looks sophisticated, expensive, and incredibly difficult. For medium hair, it’s actually easier than it is for long hair because you don't have three feet of excess length to hide inside the seam.
The trick is the "thumb tuck." You gather the hair as if you’re making a low ponytail, but instead of reaching for a tie, you place your thumb pointing downward against your head. Wrap the hair up and over your thumb, then twist the whole mass upward.
Why the U-pin changes everything
Stop using standard bobby pins for this. Seriously. Use a U-shaped hair pin (sometimes called a French pin). These are wider and hold much more tension. You weave it into the twist, catch a bit of the hair against your scalp, and flip it inward. It anchors the style.
One common mistake? Trying to make it too tight. If it's too tight, you lose the volume at the crown, and you end up looking a bit "school marm." Pull a few strands loose at the top to give it some height. It makes the look feel modern rather than dated.
The "Faux-Hawk" for fine hair
If your hair is on the thinner side, traditional buns can look a bit... sad. A tiny bun can look like a cocktail onion stuck to the back of your head. Not the vibe we're going for.
Instead, try stacking. This involves creating three small ponytails vertically down the back of your head. You loop each one into a messy little knot. Because you have three separate anchors, the hair looks much thicker and more intentional. It also solves the problem of those short hairs at the nape of the neck that never want to reach a high ponytail.
- Top section: Front of the ears to the crown.
- Middle section: Ear level.
- Bottom section: The remaining hair at the base.
By the time you've pinned these three little knots close together, it looks like one intricate, voluminous updo. It’s a trick used frequently on red carpets for actresses with shoulder-length cuts who want to mimic the look of a long-hair "up" style.
Dealing with layers and "sprouting"
The biggest enemy of updos for medium length hair easy is the sprout. You know the one—that stiff, short layer that pokes out of a bun like a porcupine quill.
To fix this, you need to change your angle. Instead of pulling hair straight back, pull it slightly upward. This aligns the shorter layers with the longer ones. If you have a stubborn piece, don't just pin it flat. Twist it first. A twisted strand of hair is much stronger and less likely to pop out than a flat one.
Also, consider the "clear elastic" strategy. Using those tiny, clear rubber bands allows you to secure sections of hair before you pin them. It’s like building a scaffold. Once the foundation is secure with elastics, the pins are just for decoration and minor adjustments.
Products that actually matter
Don't buy everything. You just need three things.
- Texture Spray: Not hairspray. Hairspray is wet and heavy. Texture spray is dry and adds "velcro" to your hair.
- A Boar Bristle Brush: Great for smoothing the sides without making them look plastered.
- The Right Pins: Match your hair color. It sounds obvious, but silver pins in dark hair look like a mistake, not a choice.
The Half-Up Top Knot: When you just can't be bothered
Sometimes a full updo feels too formal. Or maybe you're on day three of a blowout and the bottom looks great but the top is oily. The half-up top knot is the savior of medium hair.
The mistake people make here is taking too much hair. If you take hair from the ears up, you leave the bottom looking thin. Instead, only take the hair from the width of your eyebrows. This leaves plenty of hair down to cover your shoulders while still giving you that "up" feeling.
Twist that top section into a messy coil and secure it with a scrunchie. Why a scrunchie? Because they don't cause breakage, and they add a bit of 90s nostalgia that is very much "in" right now. It's casual, it's functional, and it takes about thirty seconds.
Practical steps to make your updos last all day
If you're heading to a wedding or a long work day, "easy" shouldn't mean "temporary."
First, backcomb the base. Take a small section at the crown, tease it slightly, and spray it. This creates a "shelf" for your pins to bite into. Without this, pins will just slide down your hair like a playground slide.
Second, cross your pins. One bobby pin does nothing. Two bobby pins crossed in an "X" shape create a lock that is almost impossible to move.
Third, the "shaking" test. Once you think you’re done, shake your head. Gently. If you feel a section wiggle, pin it now. Don't wait until you're in the car or on the subway.
Medium hair is incredibly versatile once you stop trying to treat it like long hair. It has its own rules. It requires its own tools. But once you master a few of these moves, you'll realize that having hair at this length is actually a massive advantage. You get the polish of an updo without the headache of the weight.
Start with the twisted low bun tomorrow morning. Don't overthink it. Don't look in the mirror too much while you're doing it—trust your hands. Use a bit of texture spray, grab a couple of pins, and just see what happens. You'll probably find that the "messy" version looks better than the "perfect" version anyway.
Actionable Next Steps
- Audit your kit: Toss the stretched-out hair ties. Invest in a pack of U-pins and a decent texture spray (Oribe is the gold standard, but Kristin Ess makes a great budget version).
- Practice on "dirty" hair: The best time to learn these is the day before you plan to wash your hair. The natural oils provide the grip you need.
- Find your "anchor point": Everyone has a spot on the back of their head where hair naturally wants to gather. Find yours—usually just above the occipital bone—and center your buns there for maximum comfort.
- Stop using heat: Most of these looks work better with your natural wave or bedhead texture. Save the heat for the "down" days.