How to Do Kids' Hair

Co-authored by Marius Morf and Amber Crain

Last Updated: September 30, 2022 References

Styling kids’ hair can be a little stressful, especially when you’re rushing to get them to school on time! Kids can also be picky and they get bored sporting the same styles over and over again. Thankfully, there are plenty of cute and cool hairstyles that are fast and easy to create. Parents will need to do the styling on younger kids, but older kids might be able to create these looks themselves.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Braided Pigtails (Girls)

1
Use a rattail comb to part dry hair directly down the middle. Start by brushing out all of the hair thoroughly to get rid of any tangles. Then, place the tip of a rattail comb at the center of your child's hairline and run it all the way to their nape to divide their hair into 2 even sections.^{[1]
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- If your child's hair is long, you can put the lengths of each section over the shoulders to keep the sections separated.
- You can also use a hair clip to secure 1 section out of the way so you can work on braiding the first section.
It doesn’t matter which section you work on first! If you need to, comb out the section once more. Pick up all of the hair on that side and hold it right above the ear like you were about to create a pigtail.^{[2]
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Divide the hair into 3 sections and braid until you reach the ends. Separate the hair into 3 equal portions. Starting right above the ear, braid the hair into a normal braid. Make sure the braid is secure but not overly tight. When you reach about 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the ends of the hair, tie off the braid with a hair elastic.
Gather all of your child's hair right above the ear and divide it into 3 equal sections. Braid it normally and tie off the end of the braid with a hair elastic, leaving about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of unbraided hair at the end.
5
Mist a little hairspray over the braids and add 2 bows, if you’d like. To give the pigtail braids more staying power, mist the entire head with a light hold hair spray. You might want to ask the child to close their eyes or cover their face!^{[3]
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- If you want to give the look a little more pizzazz, clip a bow right above the ears on each side, right where the braids begin.
6
Cross the braids over the crown and tuck the ends for a cute updo. Grab the end of each braid and cross them over each other at the crown of their head to create a circle. Tuck the end of each braid underneath the circle to hide the elastics and secure each side with 1-2 bobby pins.^{[4]
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- Braids that circle the head are called milkmaid braids.
- The crown of the head is located at the upper back of the skull where the head begins to curve downward.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Easy Top Knot (Girls)

1
Mist the hair with plain water and detangle it with a brush or comb. Getting your child's hair damp makes it a little easier to manipulate. You only need to lightly dampen it! Then, run a brush or comb through all of their hair from root to tip to get rid of any tangles.^{[5]
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- You can use a spray-on detangler product to remove stubborn knots.
- Removing all of the tangles will ensure smooth-looking results.
Gather all of the hair in both hands and bring it up to the crown of the head. If you need to smooth out any bumps, hold the hair in place with 1 hand and use a brush or comb to flatten the hair against the head.^{[6]
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Expert Source

Marius Morf
Salon Owner

Expert Interview} Wrap a hair elastic around the hair to secure the ponytail at the crown.^{[7]
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3
Twist the ponytail in 1 direction all the way to the ends. Grab the ponytail with both hands and rotate the hair either to the left or the right to begin twisting it. Keep rotating the hair in the same direction until the entire length of the ponytail is in a tight twist.^{[8]
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- Be careful not to twist too tightly since this can be painful for your child.
4
Coil all of the twisted hair around the base of the ponytail. Bring the twist up and around the hair elastic that’s holding the high ponytail in place. Keep circling around the ponytail until you reach the ends of the twist.^{[9]
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- The hair elastic should be completely hidden by the coiled hair.
5
Tuck the ends under the bun and secure it with pins or an elastic. Hide the ends of the hair by pushing them underneath the base of the bun. You can use a few bobby pins to secure the ends in place or wrap a second hair elastic around the entirety of the bun to hold it all together.^{[10]
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- Clip a cute bow underneath the bun to jazz up the look if you want.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Short and Spiky (Boys)

1
Towel dry wet hair or dampen the hair with a spray bottle. Start with clean, damp hair. Press a towel against the hair to soak up any excess moisture until your child's hair is damp but not dripping. You can also just spritz the hair with water to dampen it.
- Hair is easier to shape when it's damp.
- This style is easiest to create on short, straight hair of any thickness. Ideally, the nape and sides should be cropped close, and the top section should be between 2–3 inches (5.1–7.6 cm) long.
Squeeze a nickel-sized dab of hair gel or sculpting paste into your palm and rub your palms together to distribute it and warm it up. Then, work the product throughout the top of your child's hair, starting in the front and working your way back to the crown.^{[11]
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3
Run your fingers through and ruffle the top of the hair to spike it up. Start at your child's hairline and run your fingers through the top of the hair, ruffling as you go, until you reach the crown.^{[12]
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Expert Source

Marius Morf
Salon Owner

Expert Interview} Spiky hair isn’t an exact science so just keep working it with your fingers until you’re satisfied with how it looks!
- If the hair is on the longer side, it might be easier to brush it straight back to create the spikes and then adjust them however you like with your fingers.^{[13]
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4
Run your fingers from the crown forward to create a front spike. You don’t want to smooth down the spikes completely, just push them forward a little so that they’re all going in the same direction towards your child's hairline. Stop about 1 inch (2.5 cm) before you get to the hairline, leaving the front of the hair spiked up.^{[14]
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- Adjust the front spikes however you’d like to complete the look. You can brush the spikes slightly over to 1 side or keep them messy. It’s totally up to you!
- To create sharper spikes, get a tiny amount of hair gel on your fingertips and twist individual spikes to make them stand out a little more.
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Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Side Part Combover (Boys)

1
Dampen the hair with a spritz of plain water. For this look, your child's hair needs to be damp but not dripping. Spray their hair on top with a small amount of water to get it nice and damp. If you just washed their hair, dab it with a towel to absorb any excess moisture before you get started.^{[15]
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- This works best on hair that's cropped close at the sides and a little longer on the top.
2
Massage a small amount of hair gel into the longer hair on top. Add a nickel-sized amount of gel to your palm and rub your hands together to evenly distribute the gel on your palms. Then, run your fingers through your child's hair, working from their hairline to the crown.^{[16]
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- Be sure to distribute the gel evenly from root to tip.
3
Use a brush or comb to push the hair forward from the crown. As you’re combing from the crown forward, angle the hair over to the side that you’re parting it. For extra staying power, you can use a hair dryer to dry the hair as you brush it in that direction.^{[17]
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- For a slick look, use a fine-toothed comb to push the hair forward and off to the side.^{[18]
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4
Use a pick or comb to style the front hair back and off to the side. Position the pick at the front hairline and lift slightly as you push it back. Then, angle the hair to the side slightly to shape the front into a neat wave. You can use your hand to sculpt the hair into place as you comb through it.^{[19]
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- Do this as many times as you need to until you’re satisfied with the finished look!
Now that the front is in place, all you need to do is perfect the hair in the middle to complete the combover! Hold the pick at an angle so you can manipulate the hair with a single tooth. Push the hairs over to the side and move them into place.^{[20]
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Use a fine-toothed comb to push the hair at the crown forward and off to the side so the side part looks neat and uniform. Make any adjustments that you need to and the combover is all set!^{[21]
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Expert Q&A

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Question

How do little girls do easy hairstyles?

Marius Morf
Salon Owner
Marius Morf is the Salon Owner of PREP in San Francisco, CA. Marius owns and operates 5 salons and has over 10 years of experience in the industry. Marius and his “salonbershops” serve all genders and ages and specialize in cuts, coloring, and general hair care.

Marius Morf

Salon Owner

Expert Answer

The easiest style for a child’s hair is either to braid it, do a high ponytail, or do a low ponytail. If the child’s hair is extremely short, try putting some mousse in it and scrunching it to the desired style.

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