There are countless reasons to go short. Short hairstyles can highlight your best facial features, make you look younger, or simply free you from the prison of constantly clogged drains. But once you make the decision to chop your hair, you're faced with the ultimate quandary: How do I style my new short 'do?

"Don't fear short hair!" says Alissa Murphy, a stylist at Chicago's Urban Lift Salon and an expert on all types of hairstyles for short hair. She loves to rock cropped locks herself, whether it's a wildly colorful pixie or a completely shorn head. With Alissa's help, we outlined the products and tools necessary to style three popular short hair hairstyles—both for everyday wear and for a night out.

Undercut Pixie

Everyday Style: Polished and Structured

How to Get It:

1. Towel-dry hair, and then apply a firm-hold gel such as American Crew Superglue ($11.49), using your fingers to "comb" hair away from the face.
2. Create a slight finger-wave texture by finger-combing hair in an S shape. Air-dry.

Time Commitment: 5–10 minutes

Fun Style: Textured and voluminous

How to Get It:

1. Enhance your hair's natural wave by scrunching in a texture spray, and then blow-dry with a diffuser.
2. If your hair is fine or straight, add volume with a thickening spray like Bumble and bumble Thickening Dry Finish Spray ($31). For either look, build up texture using a boosting powder, or create a piecey look and add shine using a pomade like American Crew Pomade (from $7.99).

Time Commitment: 10–15 minutes

Asymmetrical Curly Cut

Everyday Style: Easy Air-Dried Curls

How to Get It:

1. Apply a detangler such as Unite 7 Seconds Leave-In Detangler ($9.99), and then finger-comb it through hair.
2. Scrunch hair dry with a microfiber towel or soft T-shirt, and then apply a moisture-rich product with hold, such as DevaCurl Coconut Curl Styler ($20.99). Air-dry.

Time Commitment: 10–20 minutes

Fun Style: Piecey Pinned Curls

How to Get It:

1. Piece out curls to show definition and add volume with a whipped molding paste. Alissa really likes Evo Casual Act, which can be used on damp or dry curls and "works great to reactivate second-day hair."
2. Use a diffuser and blow-dry, rather than air-dry, hair to create a more voluminous look. Pin back the shorter side for an exaggerated asymmetrical look.

Time Commitment: 15–20 minutes

Long Bob

Everyday Style: Sleek and Polished

How to Get It:

1. After showering, apply a smoothing balm, Chi Straight Guard ($12.99), and then blow-dry, using your fingers to comb through your hair in a rough-drying technique.
2. Use a flat iron or round brush to smooth it out.

Time Commitment: 20–30 minutes

Fun Style: Beachy Waves

How to Get It:

1. On dry hair, apply a heat protectant, and then use a curling wand to create loose, laid-back waves.
2. Lock everything in place with a lightweight hairspray like Fekkai Sheer Hold Hairspray ($18.99/5pk.) and a dry shampoo at the root.

Time Commitment: 30–40 minutes

Illustrations by Jessica Snively

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