creative writing describing hair

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Word lists, cheat sheets, and sometimes irreverent reviews of writing rules. kathy steinemann is the author of the writer's lexicon series..

400+ Words to Describe Hair: A Word List for Writers

(Discover even more words in The Writer’s Body Lexicon .)

Why Should You Worry About Your Characters’ Hair?

Audrey Hepburn said, “The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair.”

Audrey was right, but people still judge others and make snap assessments based on appearance. Hair reveals personality and lifestyle. Along with the eyes and prominent facial features, it makes a huge impact. I suspect it’s part of the reason somebody coined the phrase bad hair day.

Capitalize on that in your writing.

Does your protagonist have blonde hair with dark roots? Maybe she’s a hard-working businesswoman with no time to make a salon appointment; or perhaps she’s a harried mother who can’t afford a dye job because of a financial crisis in the family.

An affluent hotel magnate could flaunt a perfectly styled toupee, every strand in place. A homeless person’s mane might be unkempt, with patchy straggles that smell like mold or trash.

Match the hair to each character’s persona. The way people maintain or ignore their hair provides clues about their life.

From some of the word lists that follow, I created three short paragraphs.

Dionne’s gunmetal ponytail flowed behind her while she sprinted after her prey — me. I crouched behind the trash bin, holding my breath , as she swished so close I could smell the death in her hair.

What do you see? Perhaps a cold-blooded assassin or serial killer? Now contrast with another paragraph.

Helena’s voluminous champagne curls cascaded over white shoulders, wafting a delicate aroma of honeysuckle into the sitting room as she swished in my direction.

Another woman, perhaps affluent, in a long dress. This could work for the heroine in a Victorian novel.

Eddie’s pumpkin-orange hair bounced as he waddled toward me. The sickening stench of cigar smoke wafted from what I quickly realized was a poorly constructed toupee.

Did you envision a chubby man who chain-smokes cigars?

Judicious use of descriptors can augment a piece. However, beware of stacked modifiers . Consider these two paragraphs.

Bill’s balding, scraggly, dandruff-flecked salt-and-pepper hair barely covered his scalp, which reflected the fluorescent lights and made him look decades older than his professed age of thirty years.

All the commas in the description scream too much . Let’s try rewording it.

The fluorescent lights reflected off Bill’s scalp, which peeked through scraggly salt-and-pepper hair flecked with dandruff. Thirty years old? What a liar. He had to be at least fifty.

Same man, same basic description. Better phrasing. Although salt-and-pepper is cliché.

B to D balding, beautiful , bleached, bouncy, bristly, broken, brushed, buoyant, burnished, burnt, bushy, cascading, clean, clipped, clumpy, coarse, coiffed, combed, cropped, curly, damaged, damp, delicate, dirty, dull, dyed

F to P feathery, fine, flat, flowing, fluffy, frizzy, fuzzy, gelled, gleaming, glossy, greasy, groomed, heavy, highlighted, kinked, ironed, lacquered, limp, luscious, moussed, nappy, nubby, patchy, permed, plush, polished, puffy

S scorched, scraggly, severe, shaggy, shimmery, shiny, short, shoulder-length, silky, singed, slicked-back, slimy, sparse, spiky, springy, stiff, straggly, straight, straightened, streaked, sweaty

T to W teased, thick, thin, trimmed, uneven, unkempt, untamed, velvety, voluminous, wavy, wet, windswept, wild, wiry, wispy

Hair is usually a combination of a base color with highlights and lowlights that appear different in light or shadow. Study people on the street and in shopping malls. Visit YouTube. Scrutinize the offerings in a wig shop.

Some colors are considered cliché. Whenever you’re in doubt, click over to Google.

For instance, try the following searches, leaving the phrases in quotes for accuracy. The figures in parentheses are the number of results I received as I wrote this post.

“bleached blond” (1,010,000)

“champagne blond” (641,000)

“wheat blond” (348,000)

“bottle blond” (277,000)

“sun-kissed blond” (834,000)

“electric blond” (29,800)

Considering the frequency of each phrase, electric blond would be a more suitable choice than bleached blond.

Note: Although blond can describe the hair of either males or females, many writers prefer blond for males and blond e for females. Likewise with the hair or fur of gender-identified pets and animals.

Better than direct replacements, however, try exploiting the following suggestions as kernels, and brainstorm new color descriptions.

Blond/blonde amber, ash, blanched, bleached, bottle, brassy, bronze, champagne, dirty, electric, flaxen, frosted, gilded, ginger, golden, honey, peroxide, platinum, sand, straw, strawberry, sunkissed, Trump blond/e, wheat

Brown almond, caramel, chestnut, chocolate, cinnamon, dun, espresso, fawn, mahogany, mocha, mouse, nut, russet, sienna, taffy, tawny, umber

Black anthracite, charcoal, coal, crow, ebony, ink, jet black, midnight, obsidian, onyx, pitch, raven, sable, soot, tar

Grey/gray ash, charcoal, dove, graphite, gunmetal, iron, pewter, salt-and-pepper, shark, silver, slate, steel, tweed grey, wolf-grey, zinc-grey

Red auburn, brick, burgundy, candy, carrot, copper, crimson, fire red, fire-engine red, flame, flaming, ginger, maple-leaf red, pepper red, pumpkin, roan, rouge, rust, rusty, sorrel, titian, tomato

White angel, chalk, eggshell, foam, frost, gardenia, ghost, ivory, lily, lotus, paper, porcelain, Samoyed, sheet, skeleton, snow, starch, sugar, talc, wedding veil

See also 1000+ Ways to Describe Colors .

Styles and Cuts

A bowl cut imparts an instant image. Can you think of other everyday objects that would do the same?

Revise. Innovate. Invent.

A and B afro, beehive, Bettie Paige, Bieber cut, blunt cut, bob cut, bouffant, bowl cut, braided, brush cut, bun, burr, butch cut, buzz cut

C Caesar cut, chignon, chonmage, comb over, conk, cornrows, crew cut, cropped, crown braid, Croydon facelift, curtained

D to F devilock, dice bob, Dido flip, dreadlocks, ducktail, emo, Eton crop, extensions, fade, fallera, feathered, finger wave, fishtail braid, flattop, flipped, French braid, French twist, frosted tips, full crown

G to M G.I. cut, half crown, Harvard clip, hime cut, hi-top fade, induction cut, Ivy League, Jheri curl, layered, liberty spike, marcel waves, military cut, mod cut, mop-top, mullet

O and P odango, oseledets, pageboy, parted in the middle, payot, pigtails, pinned up, pixie cut, plaited, pompadour, ponytail, Princeton cut, psychobilly wedge, puffball, punk

Q to W queue, quaff, rattail, razor cut, recon, shag, shape-up, shingle bob, side parted, spiked, surfer hair, taper, tied back, tonsure, topknot, undercut, updo, wings

Hair damaged by over-perming won’t sway; it might ruffle, snarl, or tangle. Short hair could fluff, frizz, or spike. Curls might bounce, coil, or twist. Try the words here as starters for alternative suggestions from your favorite thesauruses.

B to R bounce, cascade, coil, curl, drape, drip, dangle, draggle, drift, droop, flap, flow, fluff, frizz, flutter, glide, knot, pour, puff, ripple, ruffle

S to W slap, slop, smother, snag, snarl, spike, spill, spiral, spring, stick, straggle, stream, sway, swing, tangle, trail, twist, unravel, wave, whirl, wiggle

Hair absorbs scent from the environment. House painters, garage mechanics, busy mothers, and hairstylists could smell of paint, grease, sour milk, or perm chemicals. You can often show readers a protagonist’s occupation without using a single word of tell.

Start with these ideas and analyze your characters’ environment for others.

A to C ammonia, antiseptic, apples, an ashtray, a bakery, bar vomit, beer, blackberries, bleach, car exhaust, cheap perfume, cigarettes, cigars, citrus, cotton candy

D to J death, decomposition, a forest, fresh-cut grass, a garage, gardenias, grease, gunpowder, honeydew melons, honeysuckle, a hospital, jasmine

L to S lavender, lemon cleaner, lilac, magnolia, mint, mold, moss, outdoors, paint, peaches, perm chemicals, pine, raspberries, roses, smoke, sour milk, sweat

Frequent Repetitions of Hair Will Annoy Readers

What about replacing it with nouns from this list?

B to W bristles, cap, cascades, coils, cloud, corona, corkscrew curls, fall, hairpiece, halo, mane, mass, mop, ribbons, ringlets, river, rope, snakes, spikes, spirals, sheet, spill, straw, stubble, tendrils, torrent, toupee, tresses, tufts, waterfall, weave, wig

Props to Augment Your Descriptions

Think of people you’ve met. What did you notice about their hair? What do you know about your own? Try these props.

• dandruff, flakes, flecks, lice, nits
• hair transplant, hair plugs
• fringe, bangs
• receding hairline, high forehead, sideburns
• split ends, humidity frizz, bald spot, alopecia
• itchy scalp, burning scalp, hives in hairline
• hairpins, barrettes, tiebacks, elastics, headbands
• feathers, flowers, garlands, bows, ribbons
• hats, berets, caps, kerchiefs, scarves, crowns, tiaras, fontanges

Now can you explain Lily Tomlin’s quote about hair? “If truth is beauty, how come no one has their hair done in the library?”

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12 thoughts on “ 400+ Words to Describe Hair: A Word List for Writers ”

Please help me with this; describing a long luscious braid.

Well, Mahnoor, that would depend on context.

A long braid could be tight or loose, messy or neat, flyaway or smooth …

Does your character respond impulsively? Maybe make the braid flyaway and swinging.

Is your character priggish? The braid could be neat and secured by several elastics or bows.

The possibilities are many.

Thanks for stopping by, and stay safe!

Kathy, this is my attempt at describing hair. A tad unconventional possibly: “To tell the truth, Tulip didn’t feel exactly qualified for the post of beautiful maiden right now. After her tortuous trek through the Swamp, getting scratched by thorns, caked in mud, covered in evil, stinky, sticky slime, perhaps she wasn’t as attractive as she might have been. Worst of all, she could feel some creepy-crawling thing had taken up residence in her hair. She didn’t like to think what her once-beautiful hair looked like now. Probably like it had been dragged through a hedge backwards. The toad was thinking along similar lines. His idea of a beautiful maiden fitted the traditional view. Modern thinking had not reached as far as the Swamp. He had been expecting her to turn up a supreme vision of loveliness in a pretty dress, looking fresh and clean, and smelling of roses. She’d have long, shiny black hair, an ample bosom and, most important, full, red, luscious lips especially designed, with one kiss, to rid unfortunate creatures like him of witches’ curses. The sight of this mud imp, however, was a bit of a shock. He wasn’t thinking her hair looked as though it had been dragged through a hedge backwards; rather it looked more like the hedge it had just been dragged backwards through!”

I love it, Peter. A touch of the familiar with a twist of humor. Or maybe the prince-turned-toad is a Brit? It’s humour then. 🙂

Thanks for stopping by!

thanks! I’m writing a book about alienation and being ‘nomal’ and this has really helped.

Great to hear from you, Lu. Good luck with your book!

Thank you for sharing with us this very helpful post! I’m a romance writer working on my next book, looking for new ways to describe hair. And I found the perfect resource here! Kindest regards Jackie

Thanks, Jackie.

Best of luck with your next book!

It really helped me do my descriptive Essay

Thanks, Lusanda!

I’m looking forward to your book of all of these!

Thanks, David. It should be released by the end of the month if all goes well.

Writers in the Storm

A blog about writing.

Writing About Hair: The Thick and Thin of Descriptions

You all are getting another peek into my magic notebook. This time we're taking a page out of my 17 page section that covers hair, wigs and every description of body hair you can imagine (and probably some of you can't). Now that I've scared you, we're going to talk about the hair on your character's heads - the color, the length, the style . . . We're covering it all. But there are a few very important points we should chat about first.

The #1 thing about hair descriptions is Do Not overuse them . You do not want to be known as "hair girl "or "hair boy!"

#2 on the essential List: Hair descriptions are a part of the character so make them work harder by using them to describe the person “inside,” not just what the person looks like outside.

•  A tomboy might have a very short, non-nonsense haircut. Then again, she might hide long tresses under a ball cap, because secretly she’d like to be noticed as the girl she really is.
• A man who works as an executive might conform to a short, and very tailored look. Or, he wears expensive suits but he wears his hair a little too long because on the weekends he caters to his passion and joins his buddies for motorcycle road trips.

Okay, because I have so many descriptions and definitions, I’m going to cut to the chase.

Alternative Generic Names For Head Hair

Coiffure Curls Down Fringe Fuzz Locks Mane Mop Ringlets Shock Strands Tresses Tufts Wig Wool

Descriptive Hair Phrases

Bangs obscured her eyes like a sheepdog Flaked with snowy dandruff Bleached, bottle baby Braid like a thick black rope Bundled at the nape Bun resembled a cow patty Cascading down her back Chemically damaged Coiled in a top-knot Crowning glory Cupie curls Curls foamed luxuriously Tendrils danced on the breeze Disheveled Downy bond hair sprinkled her arms Dramatic widow’s peak Elaborately dressed with ribbons Electrified Smelled like burnt chicken feathers Snow drifts of dandruff Veiled her expression with Greased into a ducktail Flaming locks fluttered to the floor Fluffy Frizz job, bad perm Glossy locks lifted on the wind Grew like a thatch of straw on a roof Grizzled, gray hair Hair drooped around pale cheeks Hair like Rapunzel Hairy as a dog Hung like a dark river Kinky perm Knotted Left unbound to tumble Like a clown wig, artificial red, plastic shine and fuzzy Like a thatched roof Like she put her finger in a light socket Limp and lifeless Long, shaggy hippy look Lustrous as onyx stone Marcelled into fingerwaves Matted to the scalp Perm fried Prematurely gray Puffed like a bubble around her head Ragged bangs Rat’s nest Ringlets Shock of hair stood straight up Slapped her face like wet worms Sleek and chic Smooth honey dripped over her shoulders Spiky Mohawk style of a punk rocker Spilled out of the hat Spread like feathers on a pillow Standing on end Stiff in front like a cockatoo Straight as a wire Streaked, highlighted Stuck to her sweaty nape Tangled mane Tousled pixie Two-toned dye job Unconquered curls sprang loose Unruly swirl Old-lady blue rinsed hair Vibrant color and shine Wet with sweat White Pigeon Wings at temples Wispy ringlets Wondered what rubble lay beneath that mess Wreathed her face

Hair Texture Phrases

Baby fuzz Bleached hair like mushy wet works Blue feather hair of old lady Bristle top Broom chopped Cat-fur fine Cotton candy hair, fine Cottony Dandelion fuzz Down Gummy Horsetail coarse Moldy hay Short-cropped and stiff Soft and lush Soft curls and waves Yellow straw

Descriptive Hair Color Words & Phrases

Coal Crows wing Ebony Jet Indian Ink Midnight Obsidian Onyx Raven

Grays and Whites

Battleship gray, dull gray Blue dandelion fuzz Blue rinse gray Faded glory Flint Grizzled (gray) Gunmetal Maltese gray (blue gray) Mineral Mousy (gray) Pewter Salt and Pepper Shale Silver cloud Smoke Snowy white Swan’s wing Steel Wood ashes

Amber (reddish) Ash brown Auburn (reddish) Baked Clay Bison Brunette Burnished Camel Caramel Chestnut Cinnamon Clove Dark beer Dark Earth Dark toffee Dirt Fudge cycle Glazed ginger Maple Sugar Mink Mousy Muddy Nutmeg Pecan Rawhide, dark reddish Root beer Russet Tobacco Tortoise Shell Walnut

Auburn Berry Brassy Brightest Burgundy Burnished copper Carrot top Cinnabar Clown wig red Cognac Dull brick Flame Garish brass Orange Russet Scarlet Strawberry Wine

Professional Hair Color Descriptions

  Ash blond -- Lacks red or gold highlights (verges on green tones); light mousy blond, medium and dark blond, dishwater, beige

Ash brown -- Browns lacking warm/red tones tones; light mousy brown, medium and dark brown

Black -- Different shades of black vary according to the amount of highlighting or pigmentation shadings present in the hair; black lacking all highlighting will be duller, ash shade; black containing a lot of red may appear as deep burgundy

Red -- Warm shades; berry, russet, strawberry (red-blonde), rusty orange, wine, carrot top, etc.

Towhead -- Whitish blond; usually an ash blond lacking warm tones but not always

Warm blond -- Blond with touch of gold and red; whiskey, wheat, honey, strawberry, brassy, golden etc.

Warm brown -- Brunette, dark or light brown that contains red or gold tones; varies from light to nearly black; reddish brown, chestnut, dark amber, auburn etc.

Hair Styles Modern And Historical

It’s impossible to name all the hairstyles but the selection here should be a good start. Many listed here also are known by other names.

[See of some these hairstyles here .]

Afro -- Unisex style borrowed from the African Americans; short and very curly, forming a bowl shaped profile; a pick is used to pull the hair away from the head and shape it

Asymmetric -- Hair is cut long on side of the head and short on the other.

Bedhead -- Popularized in 1990s by starlet Meg Ryan; short to mid-length shaggy cut worn jelled or moussed in tossed fashion

Beehive   -- A 60’s French twist coiled at the back of the head and rising above it to form a cone shape (see upsweep)

Bob -- Introduced in 1915 this short cropped hair style was popular during the 1920’s; also called the shingle bob, the shingle, the Eaton crop. It is often cropped at the jawline and aligned close to the face.

Bouffant -- Puffy hair style’ hair is backcombed or ratted then barely smoothed, resulting in a bubble affect

Bowl -- Most commonly worn by young boys. The bang area cut straight cross the forehead as if measured by turning a bowl upside down on the head. The top layers are longer and cut along the this bowl line around the head.

Braid -- Plaited hair

Bubble -- 60’s hairstyle, short to mid-length, ratted/backcombed to appear like a football helmet or bubble surrounding the head

Butch/flattop/crewcut -- A man’s style; usually cut with electric shears; very short and stands on end at the front of the head and his shaved close to the head on the sides; sometimes called a GI cut.

Buzz -  Modern slang for a hair shaved close to the head

Chignon -- Bun, usually at the nape or top of head; topknot

Conk -- African American textured hair that is straightened

Cornrows -- Small tightly braided rows of hair that hug the scalp; most often worn by African Americans

Duck tail -- 50’s style worn by girls and boys alike; hair on either side of nape combed toward the center of the head; reminiscent of Elvis Presley, Fabian, Doris Day, Debbie Reynolds etc.

Farraha Fawcett -- Long layered hair flipped or feathered back off the face with a bang that feathers or rolls off the face as well; made popular by the TV star of the same name; late 70’s and early 80’s

Finger waved -- Usually short haircut in which a stylist uses lotion and her fingers to create deep waves that circle the head. Popular in the 1920s and 30s.

Flip -- Feminine hair style of the 50’s and 60’s; long hair usually shoulder length turned up at the ends, sometimes in a roll.

Fontange -- Worn 1690’s to 1710; a towering fountain of frills and complex, lacy intertwining shaped around a wire frame and considered the height of fashion; nicknamed by disdaining men, the “tower and the comet”

French twist/seam -- Hair swept back from both sides the head (front to back) and rolled down the center of the head into a roll or tucked to make a seam

Fringe -- Curly bangs worn in the 1880’s; in 1900’s worn straight; alternate name for bangs

Kiss curls -- Seen immediately after Civil War; ringlets of curls on the cheeks or forehead

London Cut -- Short female cut popular during the 1960s and early 70s. The hair was cut over the ears, leaving a fringe in front of the ears, often brushed toward the face or straight down. The nape hair was cut along the hairline like a boys but more rounded instead of squared off like a man’s neckline.

Mohawk -- Shaved head with a strip of hair growth down the center of the head from forehead to the nape

Pads -- Late 1830’s long coiled curls over the ears (looked like ear muffs); at the back of the head they were called a Grecian knot or psyche knot

Pageboy -- Introduced in late 1930s early 40’s; long, hair turned under, usually just touching the shoulders

Pigtails -- Same as pony tail only the hair is parted down middle and each section is cinched into its own tail above or below the ear

Pixie -- Female short cut; feathered around profile of face and onto cheek, short at the nape line; usually with full bang and combed forward onto face; also called an Italian cut; permed version called a poodle cut

Pompadour -- Style of wearing the hair high over the forehead usually in some type of rolled affect; in 1940’s women used rats (nylon mash) to roll the hair off the forehead and puff it; a version of this also worn during the 1700’s and early 1800’s by most and women; name comes from a lady of this era called Madame Pompadour

Ponytail -- Hair gathered together and cinched with a rubber band or barrette to make a tail at the back of the head; worn high or low; worn low it’s sometimes called a George (referring to George Washington) or a Paul Revere

Poodle cut -- Short, curly haircut

Powdered hair/wigs -- Unisex style worn from about 1760’s to 1820; after 1740 men were wearing shorter, simpler wigs and began to powder their own hair

Punk -- Usually short on top and styled with lotion to stand up off the head; often a mohawk fashion from forehead to nape; sometimes dyed bright neon colors of pink, purple, blue, orange etc.

Queue -- Pigtail, esp. that of a Chinese. (Chinese queue was braided) Men of Colonial America wore these as well, usually tied back with a ribbon and in some cases men wore a periwig styled with a queue

Roach -- Hair brushed into a roll

Sausage curl -- Long tube-like coils of hair; popular in early 1800’s; in the early 1970’s these were piled on top of the head in a cluster, esp. for formal dress for teens.

Shag -- Like a pixie, only long at the nape. Lengths vary from short to long layered cut; popular during the early 70’s

Skin heads -- Group of radical racist youths, men and women alike, who shaved their heads

Spaniel’s curls -- Late 1840’s into the 50’s; long thick curls worn by the ear (as worn by Elizabeth Barrette Browning)

Spit curls -- First seen in 1831; flat curls on women in front of the ear

Tonsure -- Shaven part of a monk or cleric’s head

Updo/upsweep -- Generic term for long hair styled high on top of head; hair might petaled (layered curls), barrel curled, arranged in a chignon, backcombed into a beehive or styled in French roll etc.

Wedge cut -- Also called Dorothy Hamill cut; short cut worn mostly by women; sides feathered off the face, back cut longer from the drown to the occipital bone, where its layered into a wedge; nape is trimmed close the head and short; a late ‘70’s and early 80’s style.

Sharla has published three historical romances and her fourth, How to Fell a Timberman, is impatiently waiting to be formatted for Kindle.

When she’s not writing and researching ways to bedevil her book characters, Sharla enjoys collecting authentically costumed dolls from all over the world, traveling (to seek more dolls!), and reading tons of books. You can find Sharla here at Writers In The Storm, on Twitter at @SharlaWrites or on Facebook .

25 comments on “Writing About Hair: The Thick and Thin of Descriptions”

Thanks for sharing this wonderful list, along with the great pic!

Thank "you" for dropping by Erin.

Sharla, once more I must say ... you are amazing. How in the world do you do this ?? Reading your posts is like having our own personal writing coach. Each element of each writing technique in such amazing detail, that I need a workbook for your posts only.

Thanks ... everything I ever wanted to know about hair 🙂

Thanks for such a great compliment! Glad you enjoy my lists.

Goodie, another list of descriptions to add to my personal long list. Thanks so much for posting this - you save all of us a lot of long hours researching those perfect terms/descriptions for our manuscripts. Always, V

Glad you like the list Virgina. I wasn't kidding when I said I could only post a section of my hair list. But I figured you guys would be most interested in this one. 🙂

You've done it again, Sharla. The descriptive range you provide for such everyday characteristics is beyond impressive. Thanks.

Wow, you just made my top of the list for awesome. Thank you for all the work, and sharing.

Thank you ladies for stopping by. I'm happy to share. That's the best thing about being a romance writer. We share. 🙂

Wow! I'll never look at hair the same again.

Thanks Janie and thanks for stopping by WITS today.

Sharla, Thanks for the detailed description of HAIR that all writers can use in their stories.

what a helpful library you've created for hair. thank you

Thanks for posting such a useful resource! I made my own reference table, leaving a space for blonde and bald 🙂

My characters will never have a "bad hair day again!" Unless it furthers my plot, of course. 🙂

Thanks for taking so much time to compile these lists for us. It's so appreciated.

You are all welcome ladies. Now I wonder if I should tell my daughter, I used her punk hair style for my blog today. 🙂

What a great collection of facts! Thanks, Sharla! One of my characters, a Las Vegas showgirl, wears her hair in a "bob." Now I know what to call it.

Thanks for opening up your magic notebook, Sharla. I tend to get in a rut with hair and eye descriptions.

Thank you, wonderful descriptions. In Australia we also have (or had, it's a bit retro), a men's style called "short back and sides", like a crew cut but not as short. It was a conservative style that was the socially acceptable opposite of long hippy hair in the nineteen sixties. Hair styles carry a strong social message.

I love this regional information. Every country is different and sometimes even states here in the US. Thanks for sharing.

Very informative and fun, Sharla! I write stories set in the 15th century, and you included descriptions that I can use, also. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks. I write American historicals so I wanted to include styles from the past. Also I think sometimes it's fun to refer to old styles even for contemporary stories as they make great descriptions themselves.

This will save time I would have spent googling--thank you!

Your welcome Toni. You can find pictures of many hairstyles at the link I included above if that helps.

I must admit I only skimmed this, but I pinned it. It's an excellent resource. Thank you!

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Gentle hair that tumbled in such rich autumnal hues, was the restful visual poetry of my soul, for that is how she was upon the day we fell in love.

If the origins of her hair were the black heavens, if the divine universe were woven into such buoyant threads and placed upon her head, it would explain so very much.

Hair sits in neat yet wild waves upon her dreaming head, for beneath it all is an ocean of creative conjuring.

Her hair was as black as the most pure of velvety nights.

The soft curls fell in cinnamon swirls to a face that was as sweet as a white chocolate button.

His hair moved in the wind as if it felt the need to add an exclamation point to his cuteness.

His hair was curls as jubilant as any storm-whipped sea.

When the grey roots of mama's hair began to show, she took to wearing a vibrant headscarf. She looked beautiful every day, the breeze billowing the ends of the long silk as if they were the ribbons of a kite.

Sarah's hair moved much as soft beach grass in the wind, back and forth, revealing and hiding the gold of her eyes.

One hand scrunched into that tumble of hair, those curls that defied rules and gravity with equal contempt. As she pondered, that great brain of hers solving problems that had defied geniuses for all our age and more, she'd never been more beautiful... my philosopher...

If a beam of light could weave itself into a strand, that was her hair; I always felt it glowed from within rather than relying on the sunshine. It was as if the universe had conjured her matter in a ripple of laughter - as if all she was composed of was a sort of musical and loving happiness.

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How to Describe Hair in Writing: Tips, Examples & Techniques

By Happy Sharer

Introduction

Writing effective descriptions of hair can be challenging, but it is an important skill to master if you want to write vivid, captivating stories that draw readers into the world you’ve created. Whether you’re describing a character’s hair or the setting of your story, it’s essential that you know how to accurately portray this important element. In this article, we’ll explore several tips and techniques to help you describe hair in writing with clarity and precision.

Using Sensory Language

When describing hair, it’s important to use words that evoke the senses. This will help readers get a clear image of what you’re trying to portray. For example, when describing curly hair, you could say “it was tightly coiled like a spring” or “it cascaded down her back in gentle waves.” You could also use words such as “silky” or “lustrous” to evoke a feeling of smoothness and shine. Additionally, you could incorporate sound and smell into your descriptions by saying things like “the wind made her hair rustle like a field of grass” or “her hair smelled of freshly cut lemons.”

Comparing Hair to Elements in Nature

Nature is full of wonderful elements that can be used to effectively describe hair. To find the best comparisons, think about the texture, color, and movement of the hair you’re trying to portray. For instance, if you’re describing dark, straight hair, you could say “it was as black as a raven’s wing” or “it hung like a curtain of midnight.” You could also use elements from the sea to describe wavy hair, such as “it crashed against her shoulders like a stormy ocean” or “it shone like the sun on a ripple of waves.”

Focusing on Texture and Color

Texture and color are two of the most important aspects of hair that need to be accurately portrayed in writing. When it comes to texture, there are many different types, such as curly, wavy, straight, coarse, fine, and more. Make sure to use specific words that clearly convey the texture you’re trying to describe. For example, you could say “her hair was a wild tangle of curls” or “it was as soft and silky as a feather.” When it comes to color, try to use words that accurately describe the hue. For instance, you could say “it was a deep mahogany brown” or “it was a bright, fiery red.”

Incorporating Metaphors and Similes

Metaphors and similes can be incredibly effective when describing hair. They provide readers with a vivid image of what you’re trying to portray. For instance, if you’re describing long, blonde hair, you could say “it was a river of golden silk” or “it cascaded down her back like a waterfall.” To make your metaphors and similes even more effective, you could use elements from nature, such as “it shone like the sun on a field of wheat” or “it was as wild and untamed as a thunderstorm.”

Utilizing Personification

Personifying hair can help make your descriptions even more vivid and captivating. To do this, you could give the hair its own personality or characteristics. For example, you could say “her hair was rebellious and unruly” or “it seemed to have a mind of its own.” You could also use words such as “playful” or “mischievous” to give the hair a unique personality. Additionally, you could use verbs such as “dancing” or “twirling” to give the impression that the hair is alive and has a life of its own.

Describing the Way It Moves

The way hair moves is an important aspect of hair that needs to be accurately described in writing. To do this, you could use words such as “swirling” or “undulating” to give the impression of movement. You could also use words such as “billowing” or “flowing” to evoke a sense of gracefulness. Additionally, you could use phrases such as “it swayed in the breeze” or “it blew in the wind” to give the impression that the hair is being moved by an outside force.

Describing hair in writing can be a challenge, but with the right techniques, you can create vivid, captivating descriptions that draw readers into your story. By using sensory language, nature comparisons, metaphors and similes, personification, and descriptions of movement, you can accurately portray any type of hair. With practice and patience, you’ll be able to craft beautiful descriptions that bring your stories to life.

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Hi, I'm Happy Sharer and I love sharing interesting and useful knowledge with others. I have a passion for learning and enjoy explaining complex concepts in a simple way.

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Tricks for Describing a Character’s Appearance (With Examples)

Introducing a new character to your story can be difficult. There’s a lot that goes into it, and to make matters worse, you only have one chance to give readers a good (and memorable) first impression of that character. One of the ways you can do this is by giving them a distinct appearance, but many writers tend to fall short of describing appearance well. 

We’ve all heard the same cookie-cutter descriptions for characters a million times before. Golden hair, a heart-shaped face, a chiseled body, piercing eyes, yadda yadda… The problem with these descriptions is that they’re bland, they’re cliché, and they don’t really help your characters stand out. 

However, if you break from clichés, you can create uniquely vivid descriptions that will give your characters life. There are endless ways you can describe characters, and I’m not going to walk you through how I would describe every single possible human feature (or humanoid, animal, alien, etc). For one thing, that would take too long, but for another thing, descriptions are based on more than just the character’s physical appearance—their personality plays a part too. 

Tips for Describing a Character’s Appearance in a Story

There are a number of things to keep in mind when describing a character’s appearance. Here are just a few general tips before we dive into some more specific techniques for describing different parts of a character’s appearance. 

Don’t Make Everyone a Supermodel

This is probably one of the most (if not the most) important things to remember when describing a character. You should never objectively describe your characters as flawless. Humans aren’t perfect, so if you describe your characters like perfect little supermodels, they just won’t feel authentic. Worse still, they won’t stand out from the protagonists of every single young adult novel out there. You need to make them distinct, and to do that, you need to give your characters flaws . And I mean real flaws, not fake flaws that are actually just endearing traits packaged like flaws. 

Don’t Dump Everything Out at Once

Describing your characters is important, but you need to be able to keep it concise. No one wants to read a 7-page summary of every detail of a character’s appearance. You can go in-depth, sure, but don’t put your readers through a word-avalanche just for them to figure out what the character looks like. 

Remember, you can reveal more about the characters over time. When you introduce a character for the first time, you should focus on the things a person would naturally notice first, such as their face, hair, clothing, voice, and general energy. You can further elaborate on their appearance later when it is relevant, and describe their gait, posture, temperament, and more. 

There is one exception here I want to highlight. If you are telling a story from the first-person perspective, and you want to illustrate a character’s obsession with another person, hyper-fixating on the details can be a good way to show this. It can make the character seem creepy , and it can foreshadow the protagonist doing something bad to the person they are obsessing over. 

Don’t Sell Them Short

Opposite to the point above, you shouldn’t make your introductions too short. To some extent, it can be good to leave some parts of the character’s appearance up to the reader’s imagination. However, you should give them something to help them visualize the characters in the beginning. Otherwise, if you later reveal that the character has dark hair, all the readers that imagined them with light hair might have a difficult time accepting that. 

Descriptions are important, and they help to include a reader in the narrative. Like a well-described setting, vivid characters can help immerse readers into the world and make them part of the story. 

Use Their Personality

A character’s personality can have a large impact on how they are perceived, and therefore should alter the words you use to describe them. Two characters might have similar features, but based on their personality, you would describe them differently. 

For example, two characters might both be tall, but one would be described as “awkward and long” while the other is “towering.” In this case, the characters’ levels of confidence impact how they are perceived. For another example, think about two characters who both have light skin. You could describe one as looking like “porcelain” and describe the other one as “pasty,” depending on their other traits. Those two descriptions create very different perceptions from each other.   

Use the Point of View

If the character in question is being described from the first-person perspective of another character, then the protagonist’s opinions should sneak into the description. Your protagonist probably isn’t going to objectively evaluate the other person—they’re likely to rely on stereotypes, biases, and things they have heard from others about the character they’re looking at. Rely on that to make the description fit into the story more organically. 

Here are some examples: 

• She had no right to have such a disarming smile.
• His expression was empty—just like his head.
• His dark, tangled hair reminded me of a swamp.
• She didn’t even wear any makeup! But even more frustratingly, she didn’t really need it.
• They looked divine… like I wasn’t even worthy to look upon them. 
• He looked like the type of person to stare at his own reflection before getting in the shower. 
• They were short and stocky, but they could still probably beat me in a fight. 

Remember, your protagonist can make speculative judgments about the character they’re looking at. You’re telling the story as they experience it, so their judgments are part of the narrative!

“…he was greeted by the barista—a young teen who had not yet matured enough to be handsome. Once his soft cheeks hollowed and his jaw squared, and the childish optimism fled his eyes, then he would have the chance to smolder. That crooked smile would win over many hearts in the blink of an eye, but not just yet.”  – excerpt from a draft

Keep the Description Balanced

A good rule of thumb when describing characters (or anything else really) is to create a balance of concrete details and flowery imagery. You should alternate between those two, as well as general and more specific details, to make the description flow more naturally, and to make it more interesting to read. 

Imagine reading a description like: 

“His hair was red and curly. His eyes were large and green. He had freckles, but they weren’t that noticeable. He was tall but very thin.” 

That’s so dry, and it’s not fun to read. Compare that to a description that varies how the information is provided:

“His hair was like a massive red bush surrounding two wide, green eyes. Freckles faintly dotted his cheeks, but they were only really visible in the sunshine. His long, lanky body and large hair made him look a bit like a big red lollipop—which was only heightened by his tendency to blush often.”

Wasn’t that a lot more fun to read? Not only does it make the character description more interesting, but it also influences a reader’s perception of what the character is like. Certain words help readers to gauge what kind of person this character is. The first example gives no indication of personality, but the second one uses words like “sunshine” and “lollipop” to associate the character with lively, happy things. Additionally, using words like “lanky” and “blush” suggests that the character is awkward or shy, saving you the time of having to spell that out for readers. 

Give them Something Special

One helpful thing that I’ve learned over the years is that you should give your main character some distinctive feature that sets them apart from the other characters around them. Diverse descriptions are great, but it never hurts to make your main character a little more unique. This could be something like a distinctive scar, a tattoo, a weird eye color, a patch of silver or white hair, a missing or extra finger, a birthmark, or something else along those lines. That can make them stand out more, and it can be a really clear indicator that they are special. 

Although your story won’t suffer if you don’t give your main character a distinct feature like this, it is usually a good bet—especially if you think your story could ever conceivably be adapted into a visual medium, like a comic, animation, or film. That character could become iconic. People may just see your character somewhere and that alone could motivate them to read or watch the whole story. As another plus, it could give you a cool opportunity for your story’s cover. 

How to Describe a Character’s Face

When describing a character’s face, the easiest way to do that is to first break the face down into its essential parts: the eyes, the mouth, the nose, and the facial structure.

So let’s start with the eyes since they are the focal point of the face. Stay away from the descriptions you’ve heard a million times, like “piercing” or “doe-eyed.” The eyes are the window to the soul, and they can tell a reader a lot about a character. Instead of “piercing,” try “icy” or “sharp,” and instead of “doe-eyed,” try “wide,” “innocent,” or “full of wonder/awe.” The goal is to describe the character in a unique way to make it more interesting to read, while still creating a vivid image of that character. 

You can describe the shape, color, and depth of a character’s eyes, but you should be careful not to rely on insensitive generalizations. For example, instead of “Asian” eyes, use “almond-shaped” or “mono-lid.” Not all Asian people have mono-lids, so simply using the word “Asian” to describe the character’s eyes doesn’t actually narrow down what they look like. 

That goes for all the other features of the face, too. Though it is true that some features are more prominent in certain races, nothing is inherent. You shouldn’t rely on the character’s race or ethnic background alone to be the basis of your description. Saying that a character is Japanese or Jamaican without giving other details doesn’t do any more for the character’s description than saying they are European or white. Doing this only encourages your readers to stereotype your characters, even if that wasn’t your intention. 

With that said, don’t get too caught up in describing every detail of a character’s face. Give the most important information, such as the eyes, face shape, scars, and other notable details or imperfections, then move on. If a character has an exaggerated feature, such as a large nose or bushy eyebrows, then that’s important to mention too.

How to Describe a Character’s Hair

There are lots of different types of hair colors, textures, thicknesses, and shines, so try not to make all your characters have the same kind of hair—unless they’re related or part of a small, isolated community, of course. Hair can be curly and blond, sleek and black, coily and auburn, and even dyed wild colors. Making your characters’ hair more distinct will make them easier for readers to visualize, especially if you introduce many characters at one time. 

Beyond the basics, you can use words to describe a character’s hair that reflects who they are as a person. For example, describing a character’s hair as springy or bouncy could indicate the character is upbeat and moves excitedly. Slick, greasy, or wispy hair could suggest an untrustworthy or sneaky character. The words you use to describe the character’s hair will be subliminally applied to the character themself. 

How to Describe a Character’s Clothes

Clothing is an important element of self-expression, and what your character decides to wear can reflect a lot about them. However, unlike with the character’s face, you should not spend a lot of time describing their outfit. For one thing, they’re probably going to change their outfit at some point in the story—likely more than once. Secondly, readers just won’t care unless you give them a good reason to. 

If you want to describe what your character is wearing, make sure to keep it short. If it’s just a simple way of helping the reader visualize the character’s style, present the information objectively and in only a paragraph or two, such as: 

“She wore short-shorts and a denim jacket, and pink thigh-high socks that she had to keep pulling up because they always slipped down to her knees. Her tennis-shoes were white and bulky, as was the belt bag she wore off to one side. This free, laidback style was completed by the two messy buns her faded purple hair was pulled up into.”

However, there are a few times in which you can use clothing to explore more complex ideas in the story. For example:

• An article of clothing might have special significance to a character. It could have been handed down from a relative, it could be a favorite shirt, or it could be meaningful in other ways. That would merit drawing more attention to it. 
• An article of clothing might have special significance to the story. This could be a type of ceremonial outfit, a piece of magical armor, or something along those lines. That would require a more thorough in-depth description of the item. 
• An article of clothing may be unfamiliar to most of your readers, such as a specific cultural outfit or an unusual costume, in which case a descriptive explanation could help illustrate what it looks like. 
• A particular outfit could draw attention to a character, such as an attractive or surprising outfit, that could merit taking more time to describe it (and explain why it garners the character extra attention). 

How to Describe a Character’s Body

Describing a character’s body is fairly straightforward. Like with many other aspects of a character’s appearance, there are a few methods you can use to approach describing their body. You could take the objective approach, which would do just fine in most cases, or you could toy with your readers’ perceptions. 

I’ll start out with a word of caution. Too many times, I’ve seen unrealistic descriptions of characters’ bodies. Whether it’s a waist that’s impossibly thin or muscles like a bodybuilder on a teenager, people tend to push the boundaries of what the human body is even capable of. You need to keep your characters within the limits of what’s actually possible, unless you have a good reason for doing otherwise (genetically modified supersoldier, not actually human at all, etc). 

Now, as with some other aspects of the character’s appearance, you can get away with a simple, objective description, like “tall and muscular” or “short and curvy.” Honestly, that’s usually all you’ll need to do. However, bodies are commonly associated with physical attractiveness, and if attraction is the point of your description, you need to take a different approach. 

Writing about attraction is tough (which is why I go more in-depth about how to write about attraction in my other article, Romance 101: How to Write Characters Falling in Love ). You’ll want to highlight the positives of the character’s body—the elements of them that have caught your protagonist’s attention. Whether it’s biceps, legs, or a large chest, you’ll want to describe it in detail, as well as highlight what it is about them that has the protagonist so interested. Here’s an example:

“He was tall and sturdy, and even in this relaxed environment, his pose held power. The way his shirt stretched taut around his shoulders when he shifted snagged and held my attention—I couldn’t help but stare. Did he pick that shirt on purpose? He had to know the thin fabric clung close to his body, showing off every rippling muscle underneath…” 

How to Describe a Character’s Posture and Body Language

Body language is an often overlooked element of describing a character, but you should give it some thought even if you don’t intend to draw a lot of attention to it in the story. How does your character stand? How do they emote? Do they gesture when they speak? Do they fidget? Try to envision what they look like when they are waiting, actively engaged in a passionate conversation, and when they are uncomfortable. 

People move in different ways, even if they aren’t thinking about it. Come up with a list of movements and behaviors that are typical for the character, and utilize those movements to make dull scenes and conversations more interesting. Instead of just dialogue, you can give readers more to imagine as your character shifts their weight, runs their hand through their hair, or twists the hem of their shirt. This can also help to establish the tone of the conversation.  

A person’s body, personality, and mood will all influence how they move. If you establish a baseline for how the character stands and behaves when they are in a neutral mindset, this will help you keep them consistent over time by casually mentioning their body language throughout the story. As a bonus, it can also help you tip readers off if you want them to notice that something is bothering the character. If you have established that a character is pretty relaxed in most situations, readers will instantly notice if they exhibit anxious body language even if you don’t draw a lot of attention to it. 

For more tips and tricks on writing about body language, be sure to check out Writing Body Language: Bringing Your Characters to Life next!

How to Describe an Attractive Character

Describing an attractive character isn’t all that different from describing any other character. You still shouldn’t make them flawless, but you can put off mentioning their more negative qualities until later—especially if another character is looking at them through rose-colored glasses . 

One recommendation that I have for describing a character who is supposed to be extremely attractive is to keep their description vague. Beauty is subjective, so each reader is going to have a different idea of what “attractive” means. By all means, describe the basics of their appearance, such as hair color, eye color, skin tone, and whatnot, but don’t dive deep into the shape of their features. This will leave a little bit up to the reader’s imagination, and they will fill in the gaps in the character’s description with the traits that they find most attractive. 

Another helpful tip is to utilize the reactions of background characters to establish that the character is, in fact, attractive. Other people staring at the character or nudging and whispering to each other about them would help your reader understand that the character is good-looking, and alter their mental image of them accordingly. 

The Importance of Creating Vivid Visual Descriptions for your Characters

Creating vivid visual descriptions for your characters is incredibly important for a number of reasons. For one thing, being able to imagine the characters will help draw your readers into the story and immerse them in the world. Additionally, by giving your characters more distinct appearances, they will stand out more from each other, and from characters in other stories. The more complex and interesting the character, the more likely they are to stick in a reader’s mind for years after they finish reading the story. 

Good luck with writing your descriptions! I know you’ll write something great.

How to Write Amazing Hair Descriptions

Trying to describe a character can be one of the biggest challenges of writing. Let’s say you have a character who is loud and brash. You may know that, but saying, “Jackson was a loud, brash man,” doesn’t make for an engaging story.

So how do you talk about who a character is without talking about who a character is? One of the best ways to do that is through hair descriptions. It may seem strange, but describing a character through their hair can be powerful.

Maybe there’s a proud landlord who has some super hair pieces hiding in his closet. Maybe there’s a little girl whose dirty, matted hair tells you everything you need to know about her life.

No matter who the character is, describing their hair in the right way can add amazing depth to your story. Read on to learn about more great ways to describe hair in your story.

Make It Describe the Character

The first and most important thing you want to do when talking about a character’s looks is make sure they aren’t just that – looks. Every aspect of a character should tell you something about them. If you show the reader what a character is like through what they look like , you won’t have to tell them later.

For instance, let’s say you’re writing about a warrior woman who worries about her father’s expectations and wishes she could be gentle as well as fierce. When this woman is in battle or around her father, she’ll have her hair pulled back into a tight braid. She’ll have discipline, and there won’t be a hair out of place.

But when she’s on her own, she’s likely to let her hair fall down loose. She might worry about anyone else seeing it down. But she’ll take good care of it and keep it clean and strong.

You see, in a few sentences, we’ve given the reader a sense of this character’s deepest fears and desires without talking about them. Showing what the character is like in this way, rather than telling the reader makes the reader connect with the character and will help your story flow. Hair descriptions can be an important part of this.

Use All Five Senses

When describing hair , the instinct of a lot of writers is to only describe the way it looks. It makes sense. Unless it is your own hair, it’s likely that you’ll only ever look at hair, rather than experiencing it with all five senses.

For a character, you want to make sure the reader had as much sensory detail as possible. (A note here: make sure you work these details into the story. You don’t want to pile a bunch of descriptions on a reader all at once.)

When you’re describing hair, make sure to use all five senses. Let’s go back to our warrior woman example. We know that when she’s around people, her hair will have tight braids, perhaps so tight it’s pulling at her scalp. When she’s alone, it will look soft and shiny.

Her hair will also probably feel soft, like silk or water running over your hands. When she’s in battle, her hair may smell like sweat, blood, or even smoke. When she moves, her braid may smack against her armor, or it may whisper when she takes it out of the braid.

Using all your senses to describe how a character’s hair looks will give the reader a richer experience of that character. Again, be sure to work these details into the story naturally. But you’ll find yourself with a much more captivating story for including those descriptions.

Describe How It Moves

One of the most common ways to describe hair is by how it moves. And it’s no surprise. Showing how a character’s hair moves can help inform a lot about them.

Once again, let’s look at our warrior woman. Her braid may jut out from the base of her neck stiffly. When she’s fighting, it may whip around behind her. The end of it could flick like a lion’s tail when she’s stalking towards an enemy.

When she has her hair loose, though, this character’s hair may flow down her back. It may cascade over her shoulders and cover her face. It could hang in dripping strands when it’s wet.

The way a character’s hair moves can be an extension of the way they themselves move, and that can inform a lot about them. Again, show who your character is through how they carry themselves. That will carry over to the way their hair moves, and your reader will have a better picture of who your character is.

Don’t Forget the Body Hair

When you’re describing a character’s hair, it can be easy to forget their body hair. Granted, this is less likely to come up in normal descriptions than head hair is. But it can be a powerful tool to set a scene when it does.

For example, our warrior woman might come out of a fiery battle to find her eyebrows singed. Her eyebrows could even be thick and straight. When they’re furrowed or knit, those close to her might know that it’s time for them to get out of her way.

Or if she sees a friend fall in battle, all the hair on her arms might stand up. She might feel the hairs on the back of her neck prickle if someone’s watching her while she has her hair loose. Or she could have to wash the blood and sweat out of her leg and armpit hair after a fight.

Body hair descriptions will be sparingly used. But in the right places, they can add yet another dimension to your reader’s experience. You want to use every tool at your disposal to immerse the reader in the story, and body hair descriptions can be one of those tools.

Writing Powerful Hair Descriptions

For many people, their hair is a huge part of their outward identity. Think about how good you feel about yourself when you get a great new haircut. That same sense of identity tied to hair carries over to your characters, as well.

Using hair descriptions to talk about a character can be a powerful way to immerse the reader in who this person is. Follow the tips above, and you’ll have an amazing character ready to guide your reader through the world you’ve created.

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WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®

Helping writers become bestselling authors

Physical Attribute Entry: Hair

March 9, 2013 by BECCA PUGLISI

Physical description of a character can be difficult to convey—too much will slow the pace or feel ‘list-like’, while too little will not allow readers to form a clear mental image. If a reader cannot imagine what your character looks like, they may have trouble connecting with them on a personal level, or caring about their plight.  One way to balance the showing and telling of physical description is to showcase a few details that really help ‘tell the story’ about who your character is and what they’ve been through up to this point. Think about what makes them different and interesting. Can a unique feature, clothing choice or way they carry themselves help to hint at their personality? Also, consider how they move their body. Using movement will naturally show a character’s physical characteristics, keep the pace flowing and help to convey their emotions. Descriptors :  curly, ringleted, straight, kinky, wavy, wild, lank, blunt, tame, bushy, frizzy, silky, long, short, flowing, buzzed, cropped, chopped, coifed, styled, gelled, loose, flat, shiny, dull, bouncy, thin, thick, wiry, dyed, streaked, layered…

Things Hair Does  (and other words/phrases to describe those actions)

• Flip : toss, jerk, flick, shake,
• Blow (in the wind) : float, flutter, sail, waft, fly, skim, whip, tear, thrash, twirl, buffet, lash, shimmy, sway, slap, flap

Key Emotions and Related Hair Gestures:  

• Though hair doesn’t do much on its own, people often touch their hair to indicate certain emotions. When nervous or feeling insecure,  people do pretty much anything with their hair, such as touching, patting, twisting, pulling, compulsively braiding/unbraiding, pulling, jerking, and finger-combing their locks.
• At times of high anxiety or stress.. .

Clichés to Avoid : Bleached blondes that are dumb or gullible; sexy, sassy redheads; lice as a sign of dirty hair…

HINT:   When describing any part of the body, try to use cues that show the reader more than just a physical description. Make your descriptions do double duty.  Example:  I tried not to stare at the matriarch’s hair but didn’t quite succeed. It was the color of rich loam without a hint of white—a glossy shade that inspired both envy and debate among the village women. My mother liked to say that no one Bentri’s age kept such hair naturally .

BONUS TIP: The  Color, Texture, and Shape Thesaurus  might help you find a fresh take on some of the descriptors listed above! 

Describe your character’s features in a way that reveals more than just a physical description. Show what he looks like while also reinforcing his personality and emotional state, thereby doing more with less.

Need concrete examples of how to describe your character in a compelling, magnetic way? Good news!  This thesaurus has been integrated into our online library at  One Stop For Writers . There, you can find help with  metaphors and similes , as well as the best ways to  describe your character using movement.  The entire Physical Feature collection is cross-referenced and linked for easy navigation. If you’re interested in seeing a  free  sampling of the updated Physical Feature Thesaurus and our other descriptive collections, head on over and register at One Stop!  

Becca Puglisi is an international speaker, writing coach, and bestselling author of The Emotion Thesaurus and its sequels. Her books are available in five languages, are sourced by US universities, and are used by novelists, screenwriters, editors, and psychologists around the world. She is passionate about learning and sharing her knowledge with others through her Writers Helping Writers blog and via One Stop For Writers —a powerhouse online library created to help writers elevate their storytelling.

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Reader Interactions

November 6, 2013 at 9:44 pm

I used to chew my hair. I liked the crunchy texture.

March 10, 2013 at 6:01 pm

Great one Becca–there is so much we do with our hair–it really is a way of expressing who we are!

March 10, 2013 at 3:26 am

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March 9, 2013 at 4:55 pm

Cynthia, you’re right. That’s a point I hadn’t considered, which would bring the percentage of redheads higher. Even considering that, though, I stand by my opinion that there are far more redheads in literature than are represented in the general population :).

March 9, 2013 at 3:27 pm

Nice. This is the kind of thing I try to work on with on edit pass.

March 9, 2013 at 1:34 pm

Always find these posts very useful. Thank you=)

March 9, 2013 at 1:12 pm

My character does tons of stuff with her hair. How much is too much!Trying to figure it out. It is definitely her tic. Great post.

March 9, 2013 at 11:33 am

Are red heads really that rare? That makes me feel special 🙂 Stereotypes aside I think certain hair colors DO give impressions. I gave each of my characters their hair and eye color for a reason. My heroine has big brown eyes, because I wanted them to capture, and be all-encompassing. Her honey-blonde hair too, was meant to give an impression of softness.

March 9, 2013 at 10:21 am

My cheerful counter to the 2% statistic is that it doesn’t seem to consider that not all redheads have been that way since birth.

There was an MFA class at Vermont College that had a half dozen redheads.

Many of my friends are redheads. How many of them are natural? I’d never ask. But if you’re scanning the general U.S. populace…

March 9, 2013 at 10:20 am

Good stuff. Keep ’em coming:)

March 9, 2013 at 9:25 am

Thanks for sharing your tips.

March 9, 2013 at 8:07 am

Excellent, as always.

March 9, 2013 at 6:14 am

Great one!!

March 9, 2013 at 5:58 am

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Writing Tips Oasis - A website dedicated to helping writers to write and publish books.

How to Describe Hairstyles in Writing

By Isobel Coughlan

Do you need some help in describing the hairstyle of a character in your story? In this post, we explain how to describe hairstyles in writing using the following 10 words.

1. Extravagant

Something that’s impressive , elaborate, or costs a lot of money.

“The young girl looked into the salon and admired the extravagant hairstyles. She wished she could have her hair professionally styled.”

“Your hair is looking rather extravagant this morning. Did you take inspiration from the latest fashion show?”

How it Adds Description

“Extravagant” shows that the character’s hair is elaborate and detailed, and therefore, it might impress other characters in the book. An “extravagant” hairstyle might have more volume, lots of color, or many accessories. Sometimes, “extravagant” hairstyles might cost a lot, and this may frustrate the character who has to pay for the service.

2. Conventional

Something that’s normal or ordinary .

“John’s hair was always conventional . Many thought he was a square for ignoring the trends, but he wasn’t comfortable with taking risks.

“Penelope secretly wished her daughter would opt for conventional hairstyles. But she had to admit, there was a strange charm to her neon yellow mohawk.”

Not all hairstyles are dramatic or unique, and you can show a character plays it safe with their locks via “conventional.” Characters with “conventional” hairstyles might follow the rules and avoid making controversial statements. They could also value tradition, and therefore, they don’t try out any modern hair trends.

3. Flammable

Something that catches fire or burns easily.

“Do you need any more hairspray, Ella? Your hair is positively flammable !”

“Wendy had to steer clear of the smokers outside of the club due to her flammable hair.”

If a character’s hairstyle uses a lot of hairspray, it’s more likely to catch fire . In pop culture, it’s common to call these kinds of styles “flammable.” This shows they’re at risk of burning, but it also portrays how much time and effort has gone into styling it via hairspray. Characters with “flammable” hair might value style over comfort, which shows they care what others think of them.

Something that might shock or anger others.

“Andrew stocked up on bleach, dye, and scissors. He was ready to create the most daring hairstyle in the world.”

“The woman looked around the room at the young students. Each had a daring hairstyle, and she wondered how they all persuaded their parents to approve the cut.”

Hairstyles that are deliberately shocking can be called “daring.” For example, this could include bright colors, shaved patterns, or experimental cuts. Sometimes, a “daring” hairstyle will even anger a more conservative character, as it doesn’t fit within their traditional worldview.

5. Minimalist

A style that takes inspiration from minimalism and uses simple elements.

“The boy wanted his life to be simple and straightforward, so he opted for a minimalist haircut.”

“Verity’s blunt bob was endearingly minimalist . Not many people could pull off such a simple hairstyle.”

You can show a character has a very simple hairstyle via the adjective “minimalist.” This shows that the cut is very simple or doesn’t include over-the-top details. A “minimalist” cut doesn’t mean they’re boring, though. It can be a style statement that illustrates their commitment to being fashionable without effort.

6. Feminine

Something that had qualities associated with women .

“Grace tied an ornate bow onto her head to complement her feminine haircut. She instantly felt silly and longed to cut it all off.”

“Billy’s long, hippy locks made everyone stare. Some even called his hair feminine , but he knew he was channeling the rock legends of the past.”

The adjective “feminine” can show your reader that the hairstyle in question mimics qualities typically associated with womanhood. This could be because it’s long or delicately styled. Some characters might embrace the “feminine” style. In contrast, others might be uncomfortable with it, especially if they don’t resonate with womanhood.

Hair that looks shiny, smooth, and healthy .

“The TV showed images of dancing girls and their sleek hairstyles. This enraged Jenny, even though she knew their hair didn’t really look like that.”

“Maintaining sleek hair was Beth’s only life goal. Every morning, she woke up, brushed her tresses fifty times, and generously applied argan oil.”

“Sleek” describes hairstyles that are very healthy and shiny, which further implies that the character either takes care of their hair or uses expensive products to keep it looking smooth. Other characters might be jealous of someone with a “sleek” hairstyle, as they may secretly wish their hair looked better.

Something that is very firm and doesn’t bend.

“Hailey, you’ve gone overboard with the gel again! Your hairstyle’s so stiff that it’s not even moving with the wind!”

“The makeup artist made sure the actor’s hairstyle was stiff enough to withstand the on-set wind machine.”

If a hairstyle has lots of products in it (e.g., gel, mousse, or hairspray), it becomes hard or “stiff.” “Stiff” hairstyles are great if you want to keep everything in place, but they don’t always look good. Therefore, a character with “stiff” hair might be unhappy with their look, and others might laugh at their failed hairstyle.

Hair that’s very tightly curled or unruly .

“Sam wanted to leave the salon with beachy curls, but instead, she was left with a rushed and frizzy hairstyle.”

“We need to get out of the humidity now. My hairstyle has turned frizzy !”

When a hairstyle becomes “frizzy,” it means the style is either losing shape or becoming curlier than planned. This can happen due to humidity, time, or lack of product. A character will probably become annoyed or upset when this happens, as “frizzy” hair isn’t usually in fashion.

10. Voluminous

Something that’s extremely large .

“Every day, Simon backcombed his hair until it reached his trademark voluminous style.”

“As the old man walked down the street, he couldn’t help but notice the kids were all wearing their locks in voluminous hairstyles.”

“Voluminous” shows that the fictional hairstyle is very tall or wide to the point that it stands out from the rest. If a character chooses to wear a “voluminous” style, they might like attention and look different. This may also imply that they’re confident, as they’re not scared of being different.