Doing Your Own Hair for the Prom

If you’ve tinkered around the house putting a piece of décor together for the living room, you sure can do your own hair for the prom and apply those do-it-yourself skills to looking great on the big night.

You’ve decided no expensive salons this year – we don’t blame you.  Why spend a fortune when doing your own hair will cost you next to nothing?  And why let someone work your hair when you can do it yourself in the privacy of your bedroom, “orchestrating” that wonderful hairstyle for this very special event?  Besides, by doing your prom hair yourself, you can experiment with those strands and tresses all you like.  You call the shots.

Remember that formal hair doesn’t mean an updo that looks manufactured, looking almost artificial and arising out of a herculean effort at the salon.  You want your hair to look as natural and as pliable, and in the style that speaks volumes of the kind of personality you are.  You can go casual, sophisticated, chic and traditional.  There are no hard and fast rules that dictate how prom hair should look.  If you want to go for spikes, soft curls, tousles or the popular free form, that’s entirely up to you.

Doing Your Prom Hair Yourself:  Steps

If this is your first prom and the first time you’re doing your hair yourself, the experience can be unnerving.  But if you follow these simple rules, you will be well on the way to expressing your creativity par excellence.  There is no limit to what your hands can do.  Let them weave the magic into your lustrous hair.  It doesn’t matter if your hair is straight, curly, thin, thick, soft or unruly.  You can turn a bad hair day into a fantastic updo day!

1.         What’s the shape of your face?  Ask the opinion of those around you.  Would your face look better when you let your hair down, or will it be emphasized if you gathered it all up and wear it like a crown?

2.         What facial features do you want to highlight?  If you have beautiful eyes and well-defined eyebrows, you may not want a style that will cover those great assets.  If you have a nose that everyone envies, you want a hairstyle that won’t camouflage your best feature.

3.         What will you be wearing?  If your dress has attractive upper bodice work, you want to show that off by not letting your hair cover it.

4.         What’s your mood like?  What hairstyle will make you 100% comfortable during prom activities like dancing?  What hairstyle best projects the true you?

5.         How does your hair behave during winter or during hot summer days when there’s high humidity in the air? 

6.         Is it easier to handle your hair when it’s freshly shampooed or 24 hours later?

You may want to sit down and mull over these questions before you browse those hair magazines and look for a particular style that will bring out the best in you.

~Ben Anton, 2008