Teen Hair Styles

From LoveToKnow Hair

Teen hair styles are often at the cutting edge of the beauty industry. Teenagers are often willing to experiment with new looks and fashions as they define their personal styles.

Celebrity Teen Hilary Duff

Your Personal Teen Hair Style

Contemporary Teen Style

One of the most important things to remember, whether you are trying to freshen up an existing look or redefine your image with a new cut or hair color, is your hairstyle should fit your lifestyle. In other words, think about the kind of activities you enjoy the most. If you are active, sporty and do not enjoy taking time getting yourself ready for the day, you need a low maintenance hair style; consider a short cut that is wash and go, or a long, straight look that can be swept back with a simple headband. On the other hand, if you are a teen who loves to constantly change your look, adores time spent with the blow dryer and can't decide whether to crimp or curl, you can probably handle a cut that requires more daily attention; you may want a medium length or long hair style since you will be able to vary it daily and you can handle the maintenance that a longer layered cut or highlights will require.

Next, think about the image you want to convey. Certainly, you want to be attractive and a good hair cut is a great step toward that goal. However, there is more to personal style than that. Do you want people to see you as practical? Romantic? Sporty? Edgy? Emo? A good teen hair style, along with your makeup and clothing, can say any of these things about you.

Assessing Your Tresses

Oblong face with layered style.

Remember that your hair has some say in the matter of the style you ultimately wear. The texture of your tresses will affect the type of cut that will work the best for you. While curly hair may be straightened and straight hair can be curled, choosing a style that is at odds with your hair's natural state can mean longer hours spent coaxing and cajoling your locks. For example, if you have thick, curly hair, a wispy pixie cut may just not be the right teen hair style for you.

You should also look at your facial shape and bone structure and follow the classic rules for picking hair styles.

If you have a round face: look to styles that lengthen and slim; an off-center part can help with this, as can cuts that build height and volume. Avoid anything that poofs out to the sides since this will only make your face look wider.
If you have an oblong face: you want to add some width to the look. Avoid long, straight, hair with no tapering; on the other hand, long bangs or face-framing layers can be great choices.
For triangular faces: teens with wide chins may want to choose cuts that balance the proportions between the forehead and chin. Medium and long hair cuts are better at this, especially if the hair is tapered around the face.

Picking the Best Teen Hair Style

Short Blunt Bob

Once you have considered all of these factors and have some ideas, you are ready to decide on your hair style. Look for pictures of teen hair styles you think are attractive. Do your favorite celebrities have hair styles you want to emulate? Do the models have similar facial shapes? Does their hair texture seem as though it may be like yours? Clip a few of your favorite choices from magazines, or print looks you find on teen web sites to show to your hair stylist. Discuss your goals with your stylist since he or she may have some personal suggestions that will work well for you.

Want to take some of the risk out of your new hair style? Take a digital picture of yourself and use an online hair style service (most have a small subscription fee) such as Stellure to try different hairstyles with your face to get an idea of how you'll look.

Teens love to experiment with new hair styles, and you can find great teen hair styles by choosing a cut that matches your face shape, hair texture, and lifestlye. Don't be afraid to try something new and you may find a great style that is perfectly you.

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