Hairstyle Facts for Kids

A hairstyle is the way someone's hair is cut and styled. It's like giving your hair a special look! While a haircut might just be about keeping your hair neat, a hairdo often means it's been styled in a fancy way, maybe even by a professional. How people style their hair is a big part of fashion and cosmetics, especially for girls and women. But it's not just about looking good; practical reasons, cultural traditions, and popular trends also play a role in how people wear their hair.

Woman with sensational hair. Afef Jnifen at Venice Film Festival.

People in many cultures choose to cut or style their hair instead of just letting it grow naturally. Hairstyles are often used to show who you are, like your culture, social group, or ethnic background. They can also show your social status or simply help you get noticed! Generally, hairstyles are different for boys and girls, men and women. What's popular in fashion can also really change how people style their hair.

Different Hairstyles
- Hairstyles for Boys and Men
- Hairstyles for Girls and Women
Hair Care and Styling Tools
Hair in History and Culture
More Images
See also

Different Hairstyles

There are so many different ways to style hair! Let's look at some examples to see the amazing variety.

Hairstyles for Boys and Men

A military cut, often called a buzz cut.
A haircut from ancient history: Julius Caesar.
A flattop hairstyle.
A Mohawk hairstyle.
Dreadlocks. A neater version is called cornrows.
A hi-top fade.
Jack Kennedy in 1961.
A common male hairstyle.

Hairstyles for Girls and Women

An Afro from the 1970s.
Short African hair.
Anna Wintour, editor of Vogue (magazine), with a classic bob.
Another classic style: the bun.
Ringlets (curly strands of hair).
Jazmin Boland: her hair is part of her whole style.
Alice from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, photographed by Lewis Carroll.
Mini-braids with highlights.
A high-class shaped cut.
Long hair.
Yulia Tymoshenko with her hair in 'up' braids.
Rita Hayworth in a film trailer; her hair is dyed blond.

Hair Care and Styling Tools

People use many tools and methods to care for and style their hair. From simple combs to advanced styling devices, these help create different looks.

Hair being straightened with a flat iron.
During the late 1700s and early 1800s, powdered wigs were very popular. Barbers would also provide and fit these wigs.
A one-year-old in San Antonio, getting his first haircut.
An astronaut gets a haircut on Skylab 3 in space!
NASA astronaut Catherine (Cady) Coleman trims the hair of European Space Agency astronaut Paolo Nespoli on the International Space Station. A hair clipper attached to a vacuum cleaner was used to catch the floating hair clippings.
Most cosmetology schools in the United States require students to buy practice heads made with real human hair. Students can cut, color, and perm them as they learn.

Hair in History and Culture

Hairstyles have changed a lot throughout history and vary greatly between different cultures. They often tell a story about the time period or the people.

An elderly Chinese woman with an elaborate hairstyle from 1869.
The traditional hairstyle of a Japanese bride.
The Venus of Brassempouy, an ancient carving showing an early hairstyle.
An illustration showing "one of a Lady's duties - hair cutting" at a Ranch in Texas in the late 1800s.
Marie-Antoinette with a very tall "pouf" hairstyle.
Movie star Rudolph Valentino with a popular style of his time.
A woman wearing a loose Afro hairstyle.
Hair styling in the Himba tribe of Namibia.
A late 1st century BC portrait of a Roman woman with a detailed hairstyle, found in Rome.
A 130 AD bust of Vibia Sabina with a hairband and a middle parting.
George I of Great Britain (1660-1727) wore long, natural-colored wigs, similar to those of Charles II.
George II (1683-1760) wore fairly long white wigs.
George III (1738-1820) wore short white wigs.
George IV (1762-1830) wore powdered hair when he was young, then switched to a "Titus cut."