• Long hair can be difficult to style and maintain.my long hair image by Frenk_Danielle Kaufmann from Fotolia.com
  
  While long hair can be beautiful, it can also be a pain to try to style. You might want to grow your hair longer but struggle with the perfect style for that length. A few simple hairstyles are quick and easy to pull off. It is best to choose a style that goes well with the shape of your face.
  
  

Side-Swept and Wavy

• Work in a bit of styling lotion into your hair while it's damp, and then blow dry sections of your hair with a round brush. Apply styling spray to the lower part of the sections, and curl your hair with a curling iron. Sweep your hair to the side of your neck, and use a pin and a bit of hairspray to keep it in place. This hairstyle might take a bit of time to perfect, but it's ideal for formal occasions.
  
  

Ponytails

• There are three kinds of ponytails for long hair: pulled back, inside out and high on the head. The pulled back style is the most commonly used kind of ponytail where the hair is tied back at the base of the neck with an elastic band. For something a little different, try the inside-out ponytail. To do this, put your hair into a normal ponytail, and then place your fingers just above it, parting the hair. Pull the bit of hair below the band down through the part your fingers make to create this style. The high on the head ponytail is a great hairstyle for summer. This time, instead of placing the ponytail at the back the neck, you pull the hair through an elastic band at the back of the head.
  
  

Buns

• Another good hairstyle for the summer is the bun. Some people tend to reserve this for formal occasions. Start out the same way you would as a ponytail, and twist the hair. Spiral it around the base of the ponytail. Buns require pins or other accessories to help keep them in place. They are easily customizable to suit the wearer's individual tastes.
  
  

Accessories

• Sometimes, all it takes is a few accessories to complete a look. Use barrettes in place of elastic bands. Add chopsticks, both the restaurant kind and the kind made specifically for hair, to a bun hairstyle. A headband is a great way to help keep cool in the summer and keep your hair out of your face.