A bandana can make a woman look youthful. It not only helps during bad hair days but also gives a distinctive panache to every hair look. Just pick a bandana hairstyle to suit any occasion and grab the focus instantly!
Bandanas will enhance your look right away, whether you have long locks or short curls. Although this fashion has been around for decades, we have gathered the following 40 hairstyles with bandanas that still appear brand new.
Best Bandana Hairstyles for Women
A Bandana can help your hair look cool and unique. Women often complain about the lack of hairstyles and that’s where the accessories come in. There are different hairstyles with bandanas that can diversify your appearance and make you look stunning.
The variety of hairstyles with bandanas depends on your creativity. If you are looking for new ways to wear your bandana, below are some of the hottest short and long bandana hairstyles to try.
There are different ways you can wear a bandana with your hair. Without further ado, go through these styles and find the one that suits you best.
1. Braided Pigtail
On busy days, a simple bandana hairstyle like this remains intact all day long. The middle-parted hair is styled into two pigtail braids with a head bandana that is pushed slightly away from the hairline. Rock some cute earrings on the exposed ear lobes to complete the look.
2. High Puff with a Knotted Bandana
Afro curls can be styled perfectly with a bandana. Hold the strands away from the face by pushing them back and securing them with a bandana for a puffy updo. Keep the knot at the front for a chic finish.
3. Swept-Back Braids
Long braids fall over the shoulders, with dark roots blending into blonde ends. Use a printed bandana to hold them back from the face.
4. Silver Locs with a Forehead Bandana
Looking for something to style your dreadlocks? Have a glance at these silver dreads where a bandana is tied in a way that it covers half of the forehead. Pair this look with sunglasses, and you are ready to rock the world.
5. High Jumbo Bun
This chic look is ideal for the summer. The hair is brushed up and styled into an oversized bun at the top with a vivid-colored bandana matching the earrings wrapped around it. Don’t worry about the flyaways as they accentuate the style.
6. Curly Bangs
Instead of using the bandana as a headband, make it into a triangular shape and cover the head, leaving the curly bangs peeking through at the front. This look has a careless appeal and gives 90’s-inspired vibes with matching sunglasses.
7. Vintage Bandana Style
Rock a vintage look by styling the hair in a large bun at the back. The front has puffy bangs that are curled inwards to cover the forehead. Top off this retro style with a colorful bandana having an oversized bow behind the front bangs.
8. Dutch Braids
Dutch braids are elegant and timeless. This look is ideal for long hair where the strands are crimped and twined into two braids starting from the front. Two strands are left loose on the front with a bandana pushing back the remaining hair.
9. Long Waves with a Top-Knotted Bandana
This bandana hairstyle is the best for long hair. It is knotted at the top for a cute girly appeal. Half of the chocolate brown locks lay on the front while the remaining sway at the back. Finish off the look by adding wavy curls midway to the ends.
Short Bandana Hairstyles
Pick up a few bandanas in colors that suit your wardrobe, and the fun experiments can begin. Below are some awesome ways to wear a bandana on your short hair.
10. Rounded Pixie with a Bandana
If you have a simple pixie, you can use a bandana to create some volume and a resemblance of beehive hairstyle. You will need to tie the bandana around your head and pull it up and backward with the hair.
11. Top Tie
This is a great short hairstyle using a bandana that can keep your bangs out of your face. You’ll need to brush the bangs backward and secure them with a wide bandana. The tie on top gives it an extra oomph.
12. Asymmetrical Tie
Asymmetry is conquering the fashion world and you can achieve it just by tying a bandana on one side. While an asymmetrical short hairstyle is not always appealing, such bandana arrangement is perfect.
13. Tousled Undercut with a Bandana
If you are tired of making a statement with women’s mohawk or an undercut, you can use a bandana to hide it. Bandanas can turn your out-of-the-ordinary style into something softer and more mainstream.
14. Kerchief
You can use the bandana to cover most of your hair. This is a great option for sunny days or cooking sessions. Another opportunity to use a bandana this way is when you don’t have time to wash your hair.
15. Messy Arrangement
Bandana hairstyles for short hair don’t always need to be neat. If you are into messy and windblown styles, you can arrange your bandana in a way to mess up your locks even more.
16. Scrunchie Replacement
Some types of bandanas can be used as a colorful scrunchie replacement. Tie your hair with an elastic band and arrange the bandana around it to make an appearance of a bright bow.
17. High Contrast Bandana Hairstyle
You can use hairstyles with bandanas to change a long haircut into a short one within minutes. Lifting your long locks up and arranging them under a bandana will make an appearance of short hair.
18. A Tousled Knot Wrap
Simply run a brush through your messy short hair in the morning and tie a bandana around it to look stylish, well prepared and chic. It is as close to zero-effort as a styled look gets.
19. Side-Swept Bangs with a Bandana
Side-swept bangs look cool with a gathered hairstyle. To dress up the look, tie a bandana around the head with the knot on top.
Leave the bangs loose across the forehead while the bandana sits behind them. The gathered hair keeps the rest of the style lifted, and the loose front pieces soften the look.
20. Back-Combed Afro with a Bandana
One way to make your afro haircut appear a bit sleeker and neater is to make it sleek at the front by applying gel to about 3-4 inches of hair starting from the roots and combing it to the back. To hold that in place and finish the hairstyle, tie a bandana around two inches behind the hairline.
21. Side-Parted Ringlets with a Kerchief
This hairstyle has become iconic thanks to the famous feminist poster. While the retro updo with a bandana does have variations, we suggest putting your hair into an updo and securing it with hairpins, then wrapping a bandana around the updo and tying it on the top. Leave the bangs outside the bandana and curl them.
22. Big Curls with a Headband
This is another simple, retro hairstyle with a bandana that reads playful and polished. To freshen up big curls in seconds, choose a colorful bandana to spice things up.
23. Women’s Messy Short Haircut
If you want to soften a short crop, mess your hair out to look natural, sweep the bangs to the side and tie a bandana around your head as decoration. The tousled crop leaves a long fringe outside the bandana, with uneven ends covering part of the forehead and one eye.
24. Messy Bob
Bandana hairstyles don’t only make you look girlier, but they sometimes achieve quite the opposite effect and can make you look like a true rock chic. Just spray some texturizing spray to add a bit of definition to your bob and tie a bandana right at the hairline for a rock ’n’ roll look.
Bandanas for Long Hair
These are the most unique ways to wear a bandana with long hair for modern women! Sneak a peek to get inspired.
25. Long Layers
For a Janis Joplin vibe just blow-dry your long hair without styling it and tie a bandana around your forehead. Pair the look up with some cool round sunglasses.
26. High Side Ponytail with Twisted Bandanas
If you are someone who is young at heart and free-spirited, then you will love this high side ponytail with twisted bandanas. Just tie a side high ponytail and spray it with some texturizing spray. Then take two bandanas, tie them to each other, and twist them together around the head, leaving the ponytail free.
27. Long Twists
Long twists are a statement on their own, but with a bandana, they are even bolder and more emphasized. A bandana is not only a great accessory, but it can also effectively cover up the untwisted roots.
28. Straight Bangs and an Asymmetric Tie
This is only an example of how you can combine a long hair bandana with absolutely anything, even a straight purple wig with asymmetric bangs. If you like wearing wigs, a bandana can also be a great tool to secure the wig in place.
29. Side Dutch Braid with a Top Tie
The combination of a side braid with a bandana for women with long hair is one of the more unusual combinations but it works beautifully.
On one side of your temple start braiding a Dutch braid, or a French braid if you prefer, first towards the back and then towards the side. Secure the braid with an elastic band and decorate the whole look with a bandana tied on the top.
30. Messy Low Bun
It is very handy to take a bandana with you in the bag in case you need a quick, practical hairstyle. For instance, when you don’t want hair all over your face, use an elastic band to tie a messy bun on the back, and then tie a bandana around the head to keep the bangs in place.
A low bun leaves room for the bandana to be the main accent, with the tied hair sitting below the scarf’s upper edge.
31. Jasmine Hairstyle
Girls have always admired the hair of Jasmine from Aladdin. The good news is that you can create a modern Jasmine hairstyle with the help of a nice bandana. Twist your hair on both sides and tie a low ponytail.
Then tie a bandana around the head and around the ponytail. Part the hair in the ponytail, braid it a little bit and secure it with an elastic band. Take a strand from underneath and wrap it around the elastic band.
32. Loose Side Braid with a Top Tie
Braid a loose side fishtail braid and secure it with an elastic band. If the bangs are not already loose, pull them gently out of the braid. Take a colorful bandana and tie it underneath the braid and behind the loose bangs for a charming, boho effect.
33. Braided Ponytail with a Bandana Bow
There are many different ways to wear a bandana, one of them being around the elastic band that secures your loose Dutch braid. Use the bandana to mark the end of the plait in this braided ponytail, making the switch to loose ends look intentional.
34. Halo Braid
For this gorgeous hairstyle, first, tie a bandana around the head. Then start braiding a halo braid that almost completely covers the bandana, only leaving the bow on the top visible as a little pop of color.
35. Straight Half-Up Ponytail
Part the hair in different layers and use a hair straightener to straighten each layer. Then just tie a medium-high half updo and secure it with an elastic band. Tie a bandana around the elastic band.
36. Side Dutch Braid with Trailing Scarf Ends
Comb your hair to untangle it completely. Start braiding a Dutch braid on one side towards the other side and secure the braid with an elastic band. Stretch the sections of the braid a little bit so that the braid appears bigger. Finally, tie a bandana somewhere around the middle of the braid.
37. Loose Pigtail Braids with Face-Framing Strands
Even a simple, stretched double braid can be nicely decorated with the help of a pretty bandana. This bandana hairstyle for long hair looks just amazing!
38. Messy Half-Up Bun
A samurai bun is not only popular among boys but among girls too. You can tie a high samurai bun carelessly, with the rest of the hair being loose. Then tie a bandana unconventionally, over the hair instead of underneath it.
39. Low Ponytail with Beach Waves
If you want a long hair bandana style with a beautiful boho vibe, just use a bit of salt spray to achieve the beach wave effect and tie your hair into a simple low ponytail. Then take a bandana and tie it around the ponytail into a bow.
40. Half-Up Knot with Long Scarf Tails
For this easy and charming hairstyle, use an elastic band to tie a medium-high half updo at the back with the rest of the hair completely loose. Decorate the bun with a colorful bandana tied around it.
What Is a Bandana?
A bandana is a piece of clothing that you can tie around your head. Bandanas come in different fabrics, prints, and shapes which means that you can get one to your liking.
Bandanas are meant to tie the hair in a way that it is kept away from the face while making sure that there is no compromise on style or being fashionable.
A bandana can make you look cool, chic and aesthetic if you make the right choice of print and know how to put it on. Bandanas come in several sizes and shapes as you can find bandanas which are long enough to fall down your shoulders along with the hair. Also, there are bandanas which are just the size of a clip which is attached to your hair.
Where Did Bandanas Originate?
Skimming the pages for the history and origin of the lovely bandanas that we use today for bandana hairstyles has told us many things about it.
The bandana has been around for centuries. From Sanskrit ‘Bandhnati’ which means to tie or to knot, it is evident that the bandana has an origin in South Asia (particularly India). The classic prints that we associate with bandanas trace their origin to the kind of prints common in Kashmir’s culture.
How to Wear a Bandana with Short Hair?
Bandana hairstyles are lovely for both short hair and long hair. They are a nice accessory for your hair with a retro fashion vibe. Wearing a bandana around your head with short hair is quite easy.
It can be done in any of the three popular forms: skull cap bandana, traditional scarf style, and headband style. All of these are attractive and impressive in their own way, so choose the style which appeals to you the most.
Watch The Following Video about How to Wear Bandana with Short Hair
Bandana hairstyles are a great way to give a playful look without any haircutting or dyeing. Every girl with short or long hair should have a bandana in her beauty arsenal.
So fascinating and well produced!