How to do a hair updo for prom or homecoming?

i have a lot of hair... and its very long... so whenever i go to get it done for homecoming or prom it ends up being a very outrageous price!!

how would i do a very elegant and complicated beautiful updo by myself? im looking for something kindof victorian... with curls and such... but i have every striaght hair and i never do anything with it excpet a ponytail everyday...

so i dont knwo the first thing about hair updos!!!

please help!

thank you =]

How to do a hair updo for prom or homecoming?

where to start?

not with super clean hair. dirty hair curls better and pins hold dirty hair better.

if you went into the salon with wet hair or told the stylist you shampooed it within the last 12 hours you probably got charged for it. (i charge at least 3 times as much for doing it because i make sure to tell all clients to wear a button up shirt and do not shampoo within 12 hours of appointment.)

product, product, product

to do spirally curls:

grab a section of hair about 1-1/2 inches, spray with a setting lotion or curl enhancer, smooth it out then twist it, twist it into a curl and pin it.

remember that the hair will lay in the direction it was twisted. i like to roll it towards the back. holding it straight up will give it more body and holding it down (the way it grows) will give it no body (only curl)

How to do a hair updo for prom or homecoming?

Well, the first thing I would suggest is to find a local cosmetology school, and get it done there. It's HALF the price, if not less, and the students are generally JUST as good (if not better) than salon stylists.

If not, I would suggest probably leaving your hair down with ALL spiral curls. LOTS of hairspray, but don't overdo it. If you're totally in the mindset of having your hair up, get a LOT of bobby pins, and start playing around with your hair. I suggest curling all of it and THEN attempting to put it up. Take small sections of hair, lightly spray it with hairspray, and curl. Repeat all over your head. Mind you, it'll probably take you a while. But if you start playing with it now, you'll be able to decide on what you want to do by prom.