Halloween hairstyles that survive the whole party are best chosen by hair length: short hair suits slicked, spiky and pinned styles, medium hair suits braids, buns and half-ups, long hair suits braids and sturdy ponytails, and updos or group styling are the jobs to hand to a local stylist who can come to your home before the party.
Your hair has to last longer than the playlist, and that’s a much higher bar than a good photo at 7 pm. Hairspray is the only thing at a Halloween party that holds on for dear life, and bobby pins vanish at parties the way umbrellas vanish on trains. Most hairstyle galleries show the look at its best and say nothing about what it does at 11 pm, so every style below comes with how well it holds, and what to do about it.
The tips on which styles hold come from stylists who take bookings on Blys. Nothing in this post is hair or health advice, so follow the instructions on your own products, and ask a stylist if you’re unsure about one.
Halloween Hairstyles by Hair Length: The Quick Guide
The same costume can use very different hair, and the right style depends more on your hair length than on the costume.
| Hair length | Styles that hold | A style that struggles | DIY or stylist |
| Short | Slicked-back, spiky, pinned curls, headbands | Anything that needs a lot of pins | DIY |
| Medium | Braided half-ups, space buns, low buns, pigtails | Loose curls without hold | DIY, or a stylist for buns |
| Long | Braids, sturdy ponytails, braided crowns | Loose waves with no anchor | DIY for braids, stylist for updos |
| Any length | Updos, group looks | Last-minute pinning in a crowded bathroom | A stylist |
Hairstyle Ideas for Halloween: Why Hair Length Beats Inspiration Photos
An inspiration photo shows you the finished style and not the length, texture or pins behind it, so a look that works on long hair can fall apart on a bob. Sorting by hair length means you start from what you actually have, and you don’t spend an hour trying to turn shoulder-length hair into a floor-length braid.
The Three Things That Make a Style Last
Three things keep a style in place for a whole party: grip, hold and simplicity. Grip means a bit of texture, because freshly washed, slippery hair slides out of everything, hold means pins, elastics and spray placed where the weight sits and simplicity means fewer moving parts to come loose. The fewer pieces a style has, the longer it stays together.
Halloween Hairstyles for Adults: Polished and Spooky
Halloween hairstyles for adults can be as dramatic as you like, and the grown-up version usually means a cleaner shape and a more polished finish: a sleek low bun for a ghost bride, a slicked wave for a vampire, a neat braid for a witch who runs a tight meeting. These suit the office party and the pub crawl alike, and they hold up well because polished styles have fewer loose pieces to fall out.
Easy Halloween Hairstyles for Short Hair
Easy Halloween hairstyles for short hair are the quickest wins at any party, because there’s less hair to blow around, tangle or fall down. Short hair wins at Halloween for the same reason it wins on a windy day.
Easy Halloween Hairstyles: Slicked-Back and Spiky Looks
A slicked-back style suits a vampire, a gangster or a very serious ghost, and a spiky one suits a zombie, a punk or a creature that has seen things. If you’re going vampire, the vampire makeup look is the natural partner for a slicked-back style. Work a little product through the hair, shape it with your fingers or a comb and finish with a light hold spray so it stays put through the dancing.
Pinned Curls and Waves
Pin curls or waves close to the head, and add a small clip or a headband to anchor them. Short curls pinned this way last well, as long as the pins sit flat and you tuck the ends under, so nothing pokes out and gets caught on a collar.
Headbands, Hats and Accessories
Headbands, hats and ears all sit nicely on short hair, because the accessory has less hair to fight with. Pick an accessory that clips or hooks on firmly, and avoid anything heavy that slips with every nod, because a hat that migrates across your head by nine o’clock is its own kind of costume change.
Cute Halloween Hairstyles for Medium Hair
Cute Halloween hairstyles for medium hair rely on braids, buns and bows, and shoulder-length hair is long enough for most of them and short enough to stay out of trouble.
Cute Halloween Hairstyles: Space Buns and Pigtails
Space buns and pigtails suit cat, clown and doll looks and stay put with two strong elastics each. Pigtails and clown makeup go together like a bad joke and a good punchline, and clown makeup ideas has the cute end of the look to match.
Braided Half-Ups
A braided half-up holds the front back and leaves the rest loose, and it’s one of the easiest styles to keep going all night. Braid the top section tightly, pin the end under the loose hair and finish with a little spray. It looks cute with ribbons or a headband, and sits well under a witch’s hat.
Ribbons and Bows That Stay
A ribbon tied loosely in a braid will be gone by 9 pm, while one pinned through the braid with a small clip stays. For cat looks, a high ponytail with a bow pairs well with cat makeup for Halloween, and the ponytail holds if you wrap the base with a second elastic.
Halloween Hairstyles for Long Hair
Halloween hairstyles for long hair are about control, since long hair gets caught in everything: the door, the costume zip and someone else’s drink.
Halloween Hairstyles for Long Hair: Braids With a Twist
Braids are the most reliable style for long hair, and a few simple twists make them look different: a single side braid for a witch, two braids for a milkmaid or a crown braid for a fairy or a queen. Tight braids hold better than loose ones, and a spray of hold along the length keeps flyaways down.
Ponytails Built to Last
A high ponytail suits a lot of costumes, and it holds best with a strong elastic at the base and a little texture in the hair before you start. Wrap a small section of hair around the elastic and pin the end, so the base doesn’t show and the elastic doesn’t slip.
Keeping Long Hair Out of the Costume
Long hair and a costume are a risky combination, because zips, collars and capes grab it. Pin or braid the hair before you get dressed, and keep it off the neckline, so you’re not freeing yourself from a cape at midnight.
Halloween Updos That Last All Night
Halloween updos are the most dramatic option, and the hardest to keep together without help, so this is the first style to hand to a stylist.
Buns, Twists and Beehives
A tall bun, a twisted updo and a beehive each suit a different look: the bun for a ballerina or a ghost, the twist for a vampire or a duchess and the beehive for a retro witch or a zombie bride. Each needs strong anchors, a good base and a stylist’s eye for balance, since weight in the wrong spot is what makes an updo droop by ten o’clock.
Why Updos Are a Stylist Job
An updo has many parts: sections, pins, backcombing and hold, and every one of them has to go in the right order and sit at the right angle. A local hair stylist builds it to last through dancing, hugging and a few hours in a crowded room, which is hard to do on your own head in a mirror.
Pins, Spray and Anchors
Pins need to go in at the right angle and cross each other, not just sit side by side, and spray goes on in light layers, not one heavy coat. If you’re trying an updo at home, build a base first and test it with a quick shake of the head before you put on the costume.
Creepy Halloween Hairstyles: Messy, Matted and Mysterious
Creepy Halloween hairstyles trade neatness for drama, and the trick is making messy look deliberate.
Creepy Halloween Hairstyles: Zombie Hair and Witch Hair
Zombie hair looks teased, uneven and a bit flat on one side, and witch hair is wild, backcombed and full of volume. Backcomb sections lightly, pin them in odd places and add a little dirt-colored dry shampoo or powder if you like. Messy only works if the base is secure, so anchor the hair first and mess it up second.
Pair Creepy Hair With the Right Makeup
Creepy hair looks best with makeup that matches the mood: a pale vampire with slicked hair, a zombie with tangled hair, a witch with wild hair and shadowed eyes. The vampire look pairs well with a slicked-back or dramatic updo, and the zombie makeup guide pairs well with anything that looks like it went through a hedge.
Temporary Color: Sprays, Chalks and Wash-Out Shades
Temporary color is a short-term relationship with your pillowcase, and it can turn a plain style into a statement for one night.
Sprays, Chalks and Color Wax
Sprays give an all-over wash of color, chalks suit stripes and tips and color wax is good for streaks. The best choice depends on your hair color and how bold you want to go. Follow the instructions on the product, and ask a stylist if you’re not sure which one suits your look.
Keeping Color Off Your Costume
Temporary color can rub off on collars, pillowcases and anyone who hugs you, so apply it before the costume goes on and let it dry fully. Keep a dark scarf or a spare top in your bag if you’re wearing something pale.
Washing It Out
Wash-out color comes out best when you follow the instructions on the pack, so read them before you start. It can take more than one wash, and a regular shampoo and a little patience beat a hard scrub. If the color is stubborn, ask your stylist what works for the product you used.
Making Halloween Hairstyles Last All Night
Making Halloween hairstyles last all night is mostly about what you do before the style goes in, and what you add after it.
Start With Texture, Not Fresh Hair
Freshly washed hair is slippery, and slippery hair slides out of pins and elastics. Hair that’s a day old, or hair with a little texture spray or powder in it, grips better, so save the fresh wash for the day after.
Pins, Elastics and Hold
Use pins that match your hair color, elastics with a strong grip and a hold spray in light layers. Cross the pins, and wrap elastics twice at the base of ponytails and buns. A quick shake of the head before you leave tells you whether the style will survive the dance floor.
A Pocket Fix-It Kit
Pack a small kit of spare pins, a spare elastic, a mini hold spray and a comb, because it fixes most problems and fits in a coat pocket. Touch up in a mirror away from the crowd, and avoid pulling the style apart to start again.
Group Bookings: Getting Ready Together
Group styling is the Halloween plan with the best mood, because five friends in one living room with a hair dryer, a playlist and a few opinions make for a good night before the party even begins.
Why Group Styling Works
A group session means everyone gets ready together, with no salon queue in Halloween week and no one arriving at the party an hour late. Everyone gets their own look, and the group gets a shared start to the night. If you want makeup done at the same time, a hair and makeup booking sorts both in one visit.
How to Plan a Group Session
Agree on the looks before the day, so the stylist knows who’s having what. Pick one address and a time that suits everyone, and add each person’s hair length, any temporary color and any accessories to the booking notes, so the stylist arrives with everything needed.
When to Hand It to a Stylist
Easy styles are a fine DIY job, and updos and group styling are where a stylist makes the biggest difference.
Updos and Group Looks Are Stylist Jobs
An updo needs a stable base, careful pinning and good balance, and a group needs someone to keep the schedule on track. A stylist handles both, so you can focus on the costume and the party, and you avoid the moment at 6 pm when the bun collapses and the taxi is already outside.
What a Local Stylist Booked Through Blys Does
Booking a local stylist through Blys brings them to your home before the party, or to your group’s getting-ready spot, with no salon queue in Halloween week. Blys is a booking platform: you pick the service, a local stylist accepts the booking and bookings run from 6 am to midnight, seven days a week. The stylists are independent business owners, and if you want makeup done in the same visit, a hair and makeup booking sorts both at once.
What to Put in the Booking Notes
Say in the booking notes that it’s a Halloween hairstyle, and mention your hair length and any temporary color or accessories, so the stylist comes prepared. Add the look you’ve seen, the time the party starts and the number of people if it’s a group.
Checking the Cost First
Mobile hair stylist costs are easy to check before you decide, and it helps to know the range before you send the request. Mention if it’s a group when you ask, so the quote matches the plan, and add each person’s hair length if you can, since longer hair and updos take more of the stylist’s time.
Booking Halloween Hairstyles Through Blys
The easy styles are yours to do at home, and the updos and group looks are the ones to book if you want your hair to survive the whole party.
If you’ve picked your style, send Blys the details: the look and the time, plus the address and a note about hair length, color and accessories, so the stylist knows what to bring.
Arrange Your Halloween Hairstyle at Home →
Frequently Asked Questions
These questions come up the week before the party.
How far ahead should I book a Halloween hairstyle?
Same-day bookings are possible subject to availability, though earlier is easier, especially in Halloween week. Setting a time a few days ahead gives you room to share a reference photo and plan any color, and it means you aren’t hunting for a free slot when every salon in town is full.
Can I have hair and makeup done in one visit?
Yes, a hair and makeup booking lets you sort both in the same visit, which saves you from juggling two appointments in one busy week. Mention both looks in the booking notes so the stylist and artist can plan the order.
Will my hairstyle survive a hat or a mask?
Plan the order: style the hair first, then put on the hat or mask, and choose a style that sits flat under it, such as a braid or a low bun. Mention the hat or mask in your booking notes so the stylist can build the style around it.
Do wigs work better than styling my own hair?
A wig can be a good choice for a very dramatic look, and it takes less time to put on. Pin your own hair flat first and use pins to secure the wig, and mention it in the booking notes if you want a stylist to help.
