Her hair is too short for the style I picked

What style were you trying?

• A ponytail or bun

  Where does her hair reach?

  • At or above the chin

    Do this

    Switch to the clip-back style. It works at chin length

    Chin-length hair doesn't have enough length or weight to stay in an elastic. The clip-back baby wisps style works down to the chin line and uses clips rather than elastics, which work with shorter lengths.

    See: Clip-back baby wisps

  • Between the chin and the shoulders

    Do this

    Use a low ponytail at the nape. Gravity helps

    At between-chin-and-shoulder length, a high ponytail will slip out. A low one, secured right at the nape, uses gravity to help. Apply two elastics: wrap the first at the nape, then wrap a second 3cm below. Two anchor points hold far better than one at this length.

    See: Snag-free elastic

• A braid

  Where does her hair reach?

  • Above the shoulders

    Do this

    A braid needs shoulder length at minimum. Try a half-up instead

    For a three-strand braid you need enough length after the first crossover to have something to work with. Above shoulder length there simply isn't enough. The half-up half-down style works with shorter lengths and gives the same neat front-of-head result.

    See: Half-up half-down

  • At the shoulders

    Do this

    Start the braid low and braid tightly

    At shoulder length you have just enough for a short braid. Start lower than feels natural, at the nape rather than the crown. Braid as tightly as you can without hurting her. Use a fine elastic at the very end: a thick elastic swallows length and leaves almost nothing to secure.

    See: Snag-free elastic

• A half-up or clip style

  Do this

  Gather a thinner section from the top of the crown

  If the front sections aren't reaching the clip or elastic, gather only the very top layer, crown to about an inch back. Half-up styles need less hair than people expect. If there are still gaps at the front, add a small clip on each side to pull those short sections in.

  See: Half-up half-down