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Halloween Hairstyles

Updated on May 12, 2016
Anna Marie Bowman profile image

Anna is a writer, mom, crafter, and movie buff. Her favorites are horror movies and horror stories, thanks to some inspiring parents.

Completing Your Costume With a Halloween Hairstyle

OK, so you have your perfect Halloween costume, but it just isn't complete without a hairstyle to go along with it. Make sure your hair fits with the theme of your costume. Go bold and over-the-top! Don't forget about hair accessories to top off a look. There are a lot of products out there to create the perfect Halloween hair style. Even if you don't have a lot of hair to work with, there are still a lot of options available; including wigs, hair extensions and great short looks. Whatever you decide on for a costume, your hairstyle should be an important part of a completed look for Halloween.

A Few Ideas

So, the first step is to decide on a costume, and work from there. What do you want to be? An 80's rocker? Punk rock chick? Greek goddess? Bride of Frankenstein? Sexy Vampire? Whatever you decide on, you need to think about the hair style that goes along with the costume, your current hairstyle, your hair length, the amount of time you want to devote to the hairstyle, and how much you can afford to spend.

If you have short hair, wigs can be a great option, but can often be costly if you want to get a good looking wig. Some hair styles require a lot of time and effort on your part to achieve the desired look. There are many products on the market for creating a Halloween hairstyle, from wigs, extensions, temporary hair dyes and sprays, to glitter, hair ornaments and normal hair care products like hair spray and gel. A variety of products may be needed to achieve a certain look. For some, a wig is a great alternative to hours and hours of work, and a lot of product. Using some of the products can be taxing on your hair, and may require a few days to fully get out of your hair. Sprays tend to make hair stiff and sticky, and can be tiresome to brush and wash out. Dyes may say they wash out right away, but they may leave your hair with a tint for a few days.

If you are going for a punk rock look, you are going to want to think about a temporary dye or a colored spray, spiky hair or crimped hair. Crazy, brightly colored hair accessories are a good thing to add to complete the look. Colored hair clips are a great option if you aren't willing or able to use temporary dyes. If you are going to be dressed as a Greek goddess, romantic, flowing curls, and a crown of leaves or a delicate gold headband create a dramatic look. A bride of Frankenstein look requires a lot of work, streaks of grey or white on each side of the hairdo, and a lot of hairspray! It will take a lot of ratting and spraying to ensure that the hairstyle lasts through the night.

For retro looks out of history, just look for pictures from that time period. Marie Antoinette had tall, powdered wigs with intricate detail. Flappers had short bobs and blunt bangs. The sixties was a time of flowing hair, small braids and funky headbands. The seventies gave us wild afros and feathered hair. The 80's were all about wild punk looks, crimped locks and sprayed, crazy bangs.

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Great for a witch, vampire or other dark figures.  Can be done with sprays or a wigHeidiBride of Frankenstein in a more stylized lookClassic Bride of Frankenstein
Great for a witch, vampire or other dark figures.  Can be done with sprays or a wig
Great for a witch, vampire or other dark figures. Can be done with sprays or a wig
Heidi
Heidi
Bride of Frankenstein in a more stylized look
Bride of Frankenstein in a more stylized look
Classic Bride of Frankenstein
Classic Bride of Frankenstein

How-to: The Afro

The afro is a look that is right out of the seventies, and it works for men and women, as long as they have hair that is long enough to achieve the look. If your hair is too short, there are afro wigs available. To create this look you will need; a hair pic, a lot of hair pins, a spray bottle filled with water, and some very stiff hair spray.

First, unbend the hair pins (you will need around 15, depending on hair length and thickness). Separate your hair into quarter-inch sections, and dampen your hair by misting it with the spray bottle. Twist each section down to the roots. Place an un-bent hair pin at the root, twist the section of hair around one leg of the hair pin, and close the hair pin around the section of hair. Continue all the way around your head until all the hair is pinned.

Let the hair pins sit for about thirty minutes, or until the hair feels dry. Unbend the hairpins, and use your fingers to gently comb out the sections, or use hair pic to loosen. Spray from the roots along the sections of hair with a strong holding hair spray. Add a spray glitter for a more dramatic affect.

This look can also be achieved with small rubber bands. Section hair in the same manner, dampen and twist sections until they form a twisted nub at the scalp. Wrap the section with the small rubber band and allow to dry. The rubber bands may need to be cut from the hair, though. Comb out the sections after removing the rubber bands and apply a lot of hair spray!

Afro wig for Halloween
Afro wig for Halloween

How-to: Bride of Frankenstein

The Bride of Frankenstein is a great, classic look for Halloween. It requires a lot of work, a lot of ratting and a lot of time, but it will pay off with an impressive, dramatic look. It is a look that works well with a variety of hair types and lengths, but works best with shoulder-length hair. Longer hair tends to be more difficult to work with.

To achieve this look, you will need; a crimping iron, a very heavy duty hold hairspray, a comb to tease your hair, hair pins and a white colored spray to add the streaks.

Start off by spraying a small amount of hairspray all over your head. This will help make the crimping process easier, and give the crimp more effect. Divide the hair into 1/3-inch sections and crimp from the roots down. Crimp the sections until you have completely crimped all of your hair.

At the crown of your head, tease the hair very well, all the way to the roots. This will create a base for your wild hair style. Apply a lot of hairspray as you go, to hold everything in place. Take the surrounding sections, and tease lightly. Spray the sections well to attach them to the base you have created. Work the style into a cone shape as you tease and spray the outside sections.

After you have completed teasing and spraying your hair, and you have the desired cone shape and look of your style, spray all over with hairspray to ensure that the look will hold for the entire night. Last, but not least, spray a white line, starting just above your ears, in an upward diagonal to the ends of your hair, with the white-colored hair spray.

I love the look of a classic Bride of Frankenstein for Halloween
I love the look of a classic Bride of Frankenstein for Halloween

Don't Forget Accessories

A cute flapper costume is made complete with this feathered headband
A cute flapper costume is made complete with this feathered headband

Versatile Halloween Hairstyle

© 2008 Anna Marie Bowman

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