The Best Updo Hairstyles for Short Hair

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You finally made the decision to go short and you love your new lightweight, low-maintenance cut. The only problem? On days when you just want your hair up and out of your face, your chin-grazing bob or collar bone-grazing lob doesn't seem so versatile.

But, you're mistaken. You still have updo options with a shorter haircut. Case in point: celebs like Millie Bobby Brown and Lucy Hale who pull up their lobs into chic twisted buns and braids. If you're headed to a special occasion and want a fancier hairstyle, or just want to wear your hair up when you feel like it, we rounded up some celebrity-inspired ways to do it.

Keep scrolling to see six easy updos that work well with short haircuts.

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Tessa Thompson

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If your bob's layers are too short to pull your hair up into a high top knot, take a cue from Thompson and tie your strands into a low bun at the nape of your neck. Before creating the updo, backcomb the hair at your crown for extra volume.

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Diane Kruger

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The solution for every short-haired girl who has layers that are too short to tie back: Just leave them out. At TIFF, Kruger left the right side of her bob out and pulled the rest of her hair back into a low pony. For extra texture, blast your strands with a texturizing spray like Oribe's Dry Texturizing Spray ($46; bloomingdales.com).

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Bella Hadid

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Your hair's long enough to be pulled up into a high pony but can't twist it into a bun? Leave the pieces out like Hadid to create the illusion of a full top knot—minus the actual knot. To bring out your natural waves and texture, prep your hair when it's damp with a beachy wave spray that has a crunch-free finish like Ouai's Wave Spray ($26; sephora.com).

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Margot Robbie

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If you've been searching for an effortless updo for your short hair length, look no further than Robbie's flipped-up pony. And while the actress's two face-framing tendrils may add easy to the style, it's also a practical move, too. Leave shorter pieces out and loosing curl them using a curling wand like Ghd's Classic Wave Wand ($199; nordstrom.com).

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Lucy Hale

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Yes, it's true: You can braid your short hair. Take a cue from Hale and use your bangs or pieces at your crown to create two French braids on both sides of your part and pin them in place. Tie the rest of your hair back in a low pony, or pin it up with bobby pins.

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Millie Bobby Brown

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No one grows out a pixie quite as gracefully as Brown. If your hair has finally grown to bob-length like the Stranger Things star's current cut, give yourself a deep side part and pull everything back into a sleek, low, twisted bun. Going somewhere fancy? Add a few sparkly hair pins like Forever 21's Rhinestone Flower Pins ($4; forever21.com) near the knot.

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Issa Rae

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When all you can do is manage to tie your hair into the smallest ponytail or bun, adding in a full braid can make your updo look more special. If you don't have enough hair to create the braid the natural way, slip on a plaited headband.

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6 Chic Updos that Actually Work Well on Short Hair