50 Absolutely Gorgeous Natural Hairstyles for Afro Hair
Afro-textured hair is always a beauty to behold when in its natural form. However, women with this type of hair know how difficult it is to grow it out, maintain it, and find the perfect natural hairstyles to go with it.
The good news is that we have a great number of ideas for afro hair of all lengths, from super short to long and luscious.
So continue to scroll as we show you how to style your natural hair as you are growing it out, and how to enhance those delicious curls for flattering results. Style up, all below!

1. Scary Spice Half Up Double Buns
Even though our childhood heroes, the Spice Girls, stopped singing, their style continues to inspire us even after more than two decades. For afro-textured hair, Scary Spice showed us how half up double buns can make natural curls look adorable.
2. Natural Hairstyles for Kids with Ponytail and Braid
Not sure what to choose between a high ponytail or braids for your little girl? Mix these cute ideas for a unique natural hairstyle. Start with a goddess braid to the side and continue with a high ponytail for the second half. Style her baby hair in the front for a chic touch.
3. Twists Hair Styles
Half-up top knots are easily one of the sweetest hairstyles regardless of hair texture. However, you can style your beautifully thick natural hair into twisted braids before tying half up. Add some accessories – like beads – in the color of your choice. Don’t forget to smile to complete the look!
4. Half Up Half Down Natural Black Hairstyles
If you truly want to keep things all-natural, skip the braids and simply go for a sweet half up half down top knot. Make sure you comb the first half sleekly to the top and allow your curls to flow freely in the back.
5. Flat Twist Out Curls
The idea of flat twist out curls is a life-saver for women who want to enhance their natural hair. We recommend getting a stylish haircut to complement the look, such as this layered pixie haircut.
6. Large Puff and Swirling Braid
You can also mix a goddess braid with a large and lovely puff, instead of a ponytail. Start braiding in the front, near your hairline, and continue to the side into your puffy ponytail. Fluff up the back part as much as you can for some afro glam.
7. Feed-In Braided Hairstyles for Natural Hair
The beauty of feed-in braids is that they add dynamism. If you want a fancier approach to your natural hairstyle, combine two feed-in braids in a zigzag movement and finish it off in a low puffy bun. Alternatively, continue with a braided bun in a similar fashion.
8. Natural Hairstyles for African American Women
These corkscrew curls seem too good to be true. Nevertheless, we know what wonders flat out twists and other styling tricks can bring. After you get these dreamy curls, pin some of them up and leave some in the front for temporary bangs. Super easy and efficient!
9. Sleek and Pulled Back Buns
If you want to ditch the curls for a while, opt for a sleek and pulled back look. You can obtain this texture by investing in a quality hair product, such as butter for afro-textured hair or coconut oil. Part your hair as you please and bring the rest back into a classy chignon.
10. Big Puffy Buns
A good hair product like the examples we mentioned above can also be used to obtain this fabulous puffy bun. Please note that your hair needs to be a bit longer to obtain the large bun, but after that, it’s all about patience for carefully styling it.
11. Twisted Natural Braided Hairstyles
Long locks can also be accentuated by braiding down to draw attention to their length. You can create a twisted braid that flows down to the side. The longer the hair, the better the final impact of this natural protective style.
12. Huge Curly Hair
While other ladies need to get a perm for locks like these, this lovely gal sports them naturally. If your hair falls like this naturally, consider this: once you grow your hair to about halfway down your back (when straightened), highlight your natural features with this huge curly hairstyle.
13. Cute Short Natural Hairstyles
You can style your TWA (Teeny Weeny Afro) in a wide variety of ways. If you want to go past the classic, all-around afro style, you can part your hair to the side. It gives your TWA a boost of personality and it will also beautifully bring out your curl pattern.
14. Messy Half Up Styles
Have a long bob or shoulder-length afro-textured hair and need a quick hairstyle? You can never go wrong with a half up, half down! Consider leaving a few stray strands in the front to personalize the look and create a face-framing effect.
15. Natural Hair in Double Puffs
Pom-pom hairstyles are an adorable way to show off a young lady’s natural curls. This hairstyle is extremely easy to put together if you have medium-length hair. Just get two hair ties and some product to sleek down the rest.
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16. Naturally Curly Hairstyles with Side Braids
One cornrow or a small French braid to the side is a super simple way to get an exotic look. All you have to do is get the braid done and leave the rest of your hair naturally curly on the other side.
17. Puffy Bun and Curly Bangs
Curly bangs really have a charm of their own. Flaunt your lovely little corkscrew curls to the front and wrap the rest into a cute puffy bun at the top.
18. All Natural Hairstyles for Medium Length Hair
What can be prettier than combining afro hair with wide crochet curls? After you style your hair this way, you can leave it down or tie it into a large puff. It will look stunning either way.
19. Side Twist and Curly Locks
If you don’t want the hassle that comes with intricate braiding, you can simply twist a part of your hair to the side. Secure the twist with a few bobby pins at the end and leave the rest of your hair fabulously curly.
20. Afro Ombre Black Natural Hairstyles
An afro ombre is truly a visual privilege. Not only does it boost the impact of the afro itself by contouring the ends, but it’s also a funky fresh way to sport one in the first place.
21. Straight and Shiny Natural Hair
It’s going to take a lot of hair product and patience, but you can obtain silky smooth straight looks even with afro-textured hair. After you wait to grow out your hair to medium-length, get a good haircut and straighten your locks, slightly curling them at the end.
22. Flat Twists with Puffy Ponytail
Flat twists can be used both for braiding and for outlining natural curls. For this look, you get the best of both worlds. Start with some swirling flat twists that spring from your part and leave the back with your curls.
23. Natural Short Hairstyles with Wrap-Around Braids
What makes this elegant natural hairstyle so special is that it literally works for any occasion. From weddings and other formal events to a day at the office or school, you can create this braided hair crown for effortless style.
24. Sweet Natural Curly Hairstyles
This natural twist out hairstyle looks wonderful, specially trimmed in the perfect bob. Make sure you do the twisting on wet hair, freshly washed, and with just enough hair butter. Leave it on overnight and unravel the twists the next day for this flawless look.
25. Shoulder Length Curly Hairstyle
If your natural hair has grown to shoulder-length, you already have numerous options for styling it. A great way to show off finger coils is to take two strands from each side and pin them to the back for face-framing effects.
26. Long Corkscrew Curls
As a reward for having the patience and persistence to healthily grow your natural locks out, let your hair down! Enjoy all the natural volume, optionally adding a bit of color with an ombre to boost the dynamism even more.
27. Natural Hairstyles for Short Hair
A TWA is a perfect reason for you to start stocking up on your favorite hair accessories. Even one as simple as this gold, metallic headband can make your whole look so much lovelier. Feel free to try out different materials and styles until you get the best one for your TWA.
28. Hairstyle with Bantu Knots
Like twist outs, Bantu knots are a fantastic way of getting those well-defined, eye candy curls. Nevertheless, they look just as adorable when leaving them in. Young ladies and adult women alike can sport Bantu knots beautifully.
29. Natural Hairstyles for Black Women with Headbands
Headbands are one of the top accessories for complementing naturally curly hair. They can be easily replaced with any narrow scarf and look just as pretty. After wrapping the headband or scarf around your head, puff up those curls for marvelous results.
30. Feed-In Zig Zag Cornrows with Double Buns
We’re used to seeing cornrows braided down vertically. However, feed-in, zig-zag cornrows are a fun approach to this traditional braiding technique. To adapt the look for girls, finish the braids off with two high double buns.
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31. Braid Up into Half Up Curls
If you’re tired of the same old half up, half down hairstyle, you can level up by adding some braids. Whether they be goddess braids, cornrows or French braids, we recommend braiding three to the front and ending them in your long curly locks.
32. Large Puff Easy Natural Hairstyles
A subtle headband can be a miracle worker for flawless large puffs. You can get a black headband to discretely blend with your natural hair color and leave the rest curly and puffy on top.
33. Twisted Hairstyles for Natural Curly Hair
You can leave your twist outs on for a funky medium-length hairstyle. Just pull them out a little bit on the sides and you have a faux locs appearance that’s definitely a sight for sore eyes!
34. Big Bouncy Finger Coils
Layers are your friend. If you want an afro-like hairstyle, make sure that you ask your stylist to trim your layers for a round shape. Puff it up for an outgoing natural hairstyle.
35. Straightened and Braided
If your little girl now has super long hair, you can straighten it for a special occasion. If you don’t want it to be simple, you can create two braids to the side and bring them together in the middle into one. The look is truly pretty and will make your daughter feel like a princess.
36. Faux Hawk Protective Hairstyles for Natural Hair
Many women love the edge that a regular, shaved mohawk brings. However, it can be incredibly challenging to grow the sides out properly afterward. For this, you can create the illusion through a faux hawk, which will allow your curls to bounce around on top and in the back.
37. Fancy Twisted Updos
Another chic wedding or black tie event hairstyle that looks charming on natural hair is this twisted updo. Start with twisted braids on the side and continue in a swirled updo at the back.
38. Quick Head Wrap for Natural Hairstyles
There are countless ways to style natural hair with a head wrap. For a bold appearance, consider getting a wide head wrap and tying a large bow at the top. You’ll glow like an African princess!
39. Gold Accessory Curly Styles
As you have noticed, gold hair accessories are often used for afro-textured locks. One of the reasons why is that they contrast amazingly with dark hair and skin tones, creating an all-around glow. This metallic headband can be paired with a gold necklace and earrings for magnificent results.
40. Scarf Hairstyles for Naturally Curly Hair
Any old scarf can be transformed into the ultimate hair accessory. This messy yet well-studied hairstyle is just what you need for a casual summer outfit. Tying the hair up will help you beat the heat with style while leaving loose curls around will define their beauty.
41. Simple Natural Hairstyles with Thin Wraps
A thin headband in the color of your choice can also be used for contouring your hairstyle and keeping your hair out of your eyes. You can go for the main shade of your outfit to match.
42. Full Cornrows with Side Chignon
An elegant approach to sporting cornrows is to model them into a specific shape. For example, you can begin from a side part and braid your way all-around to a chic side chignon.
43. Twist Out Curls and Feed In Braids
If you want thicker braids, you can go for this feed in style that starts from the back of one ear. Bring the twisted curls to the front on top for a super sweet natural hairstyle.
44. Shaved Short Natural Hairstyles for Black Women
One of the prettiest ways to rock a shaved haircut is to mix it with a pixie. You can shave the sides and back and style the rest of your curls to the side or front.
45. Short Finger Coils
Show your love for the 90s with these beautiful finger coils. You can add a side part for a modern approach to this classic look, which works well for any hair lengths.
46. Tapered Natural Hairstyles
This undercut is an excellent way to show your rock glam personality. We recommend this natural hairstyle for women with oval-shaped faces, but it will look awesome on anybody who has a bold personality.
47. Short Ombre Curls
This gray TWA shows just how gorgeous ombre hair can look on short curly cuts. You can leave your roots in their natural color and get just the top part of your pixie cut done in silver or charcoal.
48. Retro Hairstyles for Short Natural Hair
All classy ladies will definitely appreciate this vintage pixie haircut. Defined by soft waves that amazingly frame the forehead and sides of your face, this retro hairstyle is nothing less than glamorous.
49. Short Natural Curly Hairstyles with Undercut
Another way to rock an undercut is with this edgy mohawk. In addition to the curly top and back, the shaved line design on the sides and at the back of the neck make this look truly memorable.
50. Twists and Wooden Beads
Lastly, wooden beads are an accessory to keep in mind when spicing up natural hairstyles. You can get twist braids all around and top them off with two wooden beads for each braid. Going back to the roots has never been so stylish!

So, What Is YOUR Hair Motivation?
To put it in a nutshell, it all comes down to creativity when choosing the natural hairstyles that work best for you! We know it’s hard to find the perfect idea when just starting to grow your natural locks, but a TWA can look as glam as any waist-length hairstyle
Invest some time in choosing the best natural hairstyle and rock it like a queen! And then let us know what you picked!
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[…] anything you can do with it. There are all kinds of flattering styles like these ones on Hair Motive that give your hair a major wow factor. You can try buns, braids, dreadlocks and more. These are […]
i have very thick and nappy hair what can I do with mine that’s quick
It’s a bit hard to recommend something without a picture, and we aren’t certain how quick you want to be with your hairstyle – however, you just might find this useful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CrySoEjbMk&t=20s – Hope it helped, at least a bit! 🙂