12 Long Curly Hairstyles That Celebrate Every Coil

Long curly hair takes patience to grow and even more patience to style well, so once you’ve got the length, it deserves styles that actually show it off. The biggest mistake I see is treating long curls like straight hair with texture, when really they need their own approach entirely.

Here are twelve styles built specifically for long curls at their fullest, most defined best.

The Wash and Go

Apply curl cream to soaking wet hair and let it air dry or diffuse undisturbed for maximum definition down the full length.

[IMAGE 1] Long curly hair styled with a defined wash and go · Alt: long curly hairstyles wash and go · Pin title: “12 Long Curly Hairstyles to Try”
[IMAGE 2] Close-up of the defined curl clumps

High Curly Ponytail

Gather your curls high and let the length cascade down for a look that’s both practical and stunning on long curly hair.

[IMAGE 3] Long curly hair gathered into a high ponytail
[IMAGE 4] Close-up of the cascading curls

Curly Half-Up

Section the crown and let the rest of your curls fall naturally for a style that balances control with all that beautiful volume.

[IMAGE 5] Long curly hair in a half-up style
[IMAGE 6] Close-up of the crown section

Pineapple Updo

Gather curls loosely at the very top of your head for a protective, cute style that shows off length while keeping curls off your neck.

[IMAGE 7] Long curly hair styled in a pineapple updo
[IMAGE 8] Close-up of the gathered curls

Curly Hair With a Headband

A wide headband controls your hairline while letting the rest of your long curls stay big and full.

[IMAGE 9] Long curly hair styled with a wide headband
[IMAGE 10] Close-up of the headband detail

Curls Pulled Back at the Crown

Twist just a small section back from the crown and pin it, letting the rest of your curls fall free and full behind it.

[IMAGE 11] Long curly hair with the crown pulled back
[IMAGE 12] Full look of the finished curly style

Complete the Look: More Long Hairstyle Ideas

For more texture-focused ideas, our long wavy hairstyles post is worth a look too. Which of these plays up your curl pattern the best?