11 Hair Tutorials That Will Change Everything

Hair can be complicated. Anyone who has ever attempted to do their own fancy updo or try out a new style can tell you it's never as easy as it looks. Lucky for us, a little thing called YouTube exists, and there lies some of the best hair tutorials you can find — and for absolutely free of charge.

For most of my life, I had exactly three hair styles. The ponytail, the messy bun, and just plain down (real fancy stuff, I know). But as I got more and more into YouTube makeup tutorials, my eyes would invariably shift to similar videos for hair. There was literally a treasure trove of step-by-step how-tos for all sorts of styles I had never dared to try because they always just seemed way above my expertise level.

However, not all YouTube hair tutorials are created equal. Some are awesome and genuinely provide useful tips and replicable results. Others have a more "Wait... how did she do that?!" effect and leave your hair looking like a sad amateur version of whatever it was supposed to actually look like.

If you're looking for an awesome new hairstyle to try, but don't especially want to sort through the thousands of videos out there, I've got you covered. Here are 11 of the best hair tutorials on YouTube.

1. Super Voluminous Ponytail

Most of us relegate ponytails to the go-to style for when we just want our hair out of our faces and can't be bothered to do anything else. The tragedy is, ponytails can look absolutely gorgeous and the right kind can be awesome for special occasions — it just takes a little extra TLC.

2. The Messy Bun (Done Right)

I know, I know — a messy bun seems totally self-explanatory. But Zoella provides a few pro tips and tricks to ensure your bun looks cute messy, and not just, well, messy messy.

3. Twisted Updo

The thing that I love about this is that it looks way harder than it actually is. It definitely takes some practice (and admittedly works best with longer hair or extensions), but the end result looks like some seriously professional hair.

4. Super Quick Accessorized Hair

This is a super helpful tutorial for a hairstyle that works when you don't have any time but still want to look pulled together — plus, it's easy to get right every time on your first try. I personally love this look for Spring and Summer.

5. Victoria Secret Waves

If you've ever wondered how some people seem to have effortlessly sexy waves, rest assured that nine out of 10 times they were not effortless and actually required some legwork. Here's a simple tutorial for achieving volume and subtle waves with velcro curlers.

6. Easier-Than-It-Looks Fancy Updo

This looks way fancy and is actually crazy easy. But note: it's super important to start off with the right hair texture to achieve the right results, so I'd recommend you do some light curling with a curling iron and have some dry shampoo on hand to get that more textured feel.

7. Faux Fishtail Braid

This is perfect for if you love a traditional fishtail braid but don't have the time or the expertise to do the real thing. This looks great with an overall boho aesthetic.

8. Lana Del Rey-Inspired Retro Waves

This is pretty similar to the Victoria Secret sexy wave look, but it has a much more retro flare. This is perfect for when you want to feel your most glamorous.

9. The Wavy Bob

This is awesome for pumping up shorter hair and just looks super fun and bubbly. Plus, it's perfect for more formal events or dressed down with a t-shirt and jeans.

10. A Home Blow Out

A blow out can make a huge impact on our overall look (like, seriously, huge). But we don't all have 100 bucks to drop whenever we want our hair to look awesome. The good news is you can achieve beautiful results at home with the right products and techniques — take a look at the above video for a step-by-step walk through.

11. Hair Extensions

OK, this isn't actually a "style" per say, but if you do as much hair tutorial perusing as I do, you'll notice that a lot of the tutorials start with the assumption that you own clip in extensions (which makes sense — most of the hair styles you see on red carpets and in magazines use them). If you're interested in purchasing extensions for yourself, check out the above video on the best way to wear them.

Don't be intimidated by seemingly complicated hairstyles. In today's age of the YouTube tutorial, there's really nothing you can't master — and that includes totally awesome do!