7 Hairstyles That Make Long Hair Look Short ...

1 Embrace Curls

One of the easiest hairstyles that make long hair look short is curls. The key is to embrace big, tight curls that instantly take inches off your hair. I use volumizing curl sprays and mousse to add body to the hair before curling. It helps the curls stay in place all day. Depending on the thickness of your hair, you'll need around 15-30 minutes for this one. For me, it look like I cut six inches off my hair just by curling.

2 The Sneaky Headband

I absolutely love this style because it only takes a few minutes. It gives you a faux bob look and makes it look like your hair flips under naturally without curling the ends. You'll need a wide elastic wrap around headband and a thin elastic band. Ensure your hair is smooth to avoid frizziness. Wrap the elastic band around the bottom inch or two of your hair in a tiny ponytail. Put on the headband and tuck the elastic band underneath the back side of the headband, just above your neck.

3 The Cute Waterfall

First of all, this style is difficult if you have extremely fine hair or very thick hair. I can pull it off only on dirty hair days. You'll need a long barrette that's approximate 3-5 inches and around ½ inch to 1 inch wide. Fold your hair up starting at your shoulders or immediately below your shoulders. Bring the fold up to mid-way on the back of your scalp. Flip the excess hair over the front of your head and put in the barrette. Let the excess hair flip back over the barrette in a waterfall style. This makes your hair look shorter and fuller.

4 Try the Tiered Look

If you have thick hair, the tiered look is probably much easier than the waterfall. I can't quite do it, but my friend's hair looks great this way. Divide your hair into a top and bottom section. Use bobby pins or snap barrettes to pin the ends of the bottom section at the base of your neck. Repeat the process with the top layer. Get a tiered or layered look by pinning the top section slightly higher. To make it easier, twist each section of hair as you pin it to make it stay in place and get a bouncier look.

5 The Hidden Bun

I tend to use buns to keep my hair completely out of the way, but you can also use it to shorten your hair. I personally love how much body this gives my hair while cutting the length almost in half. Start by dividing your hair into a top and bottom section. Pull the top section out of the way and style the bottom section into a small bun. Pin the bun in place and let the top section cascade over it. Divide the top section into small sections. Fold them in half and pin them underneath near the base of the bun.

6 Play with Bobby Pins

Messy styles are extremely popular, so I decided to make a short, messy look by playing around with bobby pins. To make it look a little neater around your face, use a thin headband or a few barrettes on either side of your head. Fold your hair in different lengths and pin it in place. Hide the pins by pinning on the underside of the fold. The differing lengths give you a layered, messy look.

7 The Half-Pony

I love ponytails, especially for active days. Plus, this style doesn't require any bobby pins or curling. All you need is a thin elastic band and a claw clip. I highly recommend using a claw clip with no-slip grip. Put your hair in a low ponytail. Sweep the ponytail up the back of your scalp and clip it in place near the center of the back of your scalp. Let the remainder of the ponytail flip over the clip to hide it. The flatter the claw clip style, the closer the ponytail will be to your scalp. I do this often and it makes people think I've cut my hair all the time.

I love how short hair looks sometimes, but I don't want to cut my long hair. It takes far too long to grow it back out. Instead, I experiment with different ways to style my hair when the short hair bug strikes. How do you take a little length off your hair without resorting to scissors?