Updo Hair Tutorial

Prom, formals. homecoming, and of course your wedding can be some of the most expensive nights in a girls life! For prom or formal, after the dress, the shoes, the limo, boutonniere, and makeup you can be looking at hundreds of dollars, and a trip to the salon on top of all of this can easily DOUBLE that number! And for a wedding - oh my gosh! The catering, the event space, the flowers - the costs are dizzying. Now while it's tough to learn how to sew, or cobble your own shoes, or cook up your own food for a wedding of 200, one can easily create a gorgeous updo for the event all from home at little or no cost!

I find the best inspirations come from celebrities on the red carpet - they have the best hairstylists that create the prettiest styles for all types, textures, and lengths of hair so when you are looking to recreate a look try and look for celebrities that have similar hair to you. Now looking at a picture is easy but recreating it is another story - that's where the power of the internet comes in!

Give yourself a couple of weeks before the big event in order to research hair upstyles that you love and will suit your face shape, make sure you get the products you will need - bobby pins, hairspray, curlers etc, clear away a good chunk of undistracted time, and now you are ready to get updoing!

Along with YouTube instructional videos, there's a website called Hair Updo Styles that has a ton of amazing celebrity inspired hair updos that will have you red carpet ready in no time! With step by step instructions, and specialized looks for curly, straight, fine, thick, long and short hair, there is an updo for everyone. You can also choose from full updos, braided styles, half updos, and more casual updos for simpler nights on the town. The site also has a great shop that recommends some of the best hair products out there at all price ranges. Everything from blow dryers, flatirons, and curling irons, to volumizing spray and bobby pins.

You have straight hair and you are ready for an updo or "long hair" service and you go to a full service salon and what - they don't offer "long hair" service. Guess its not so full service after all. So you go to another beautician and they don't know what to do either. Why is that? Some of the reasons hairstylists don't offer "long hair" or updo service is because:

None of their clients have long hair

Never learned how

Takes too long

Learned, tried it, but got out of practice and forgot

Too confusing

To the hairstylist, watching is easy. But when you are actually doing the work, it becomes confusing. It's hard for a hairstylist to get and keep clients. If you are able to offer total hair services, including long hair, then you'll be keeping new clients instead of sending them away. One way to help you get over some of the points listed above is to practice on a wig or mannequin. When you are in-between appointments, this will offer you practice to gain confidence and allows you to display your work to your customers.

If you are good at long hair, then you need to be the hairstylist that your competitors send their customers to. Advertise that you do long hair. There are plenty that don't do long hair and this approach may get you the client list you need.

Let the bridal shops know you are available, along with the formal dress shops. Girls going to prom always want fancy hairstyles. Offer your services free to the bridal show as a promotion for your business. This helps you gain more updo customers and helps the bridal shop. Win-win.

You can also create a photo album of the mannequins you have been practicing on, or on customers. This will give prospective customers your ability and creativity level. Another idea is to work with a clothing store on their special event or sale days - and offer your services to attract customers. You can make these books up inexpensively with a digital camera and color copies.