Cindy Lou Who Hair – How to do This Hairstyle

Dr. Seuss’ ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ will always hold a special place in our hearts.

No holiday season is complete without children being read by the original book in their Christmas PJs while they’re waiting for their gingerbread man to bake, or the family flocking in the living room to watch Jim Carrey’s playful adaptation of ‘The Grinch’. The tale of the grumpy green beastly creature and his comical attempts to steal Christmas sure delivered us laughs but also teaches us as a kid about the true meaning of Christmas.

And who cannot forget little Cindy Lou Who, the sweet kind-hearted girl who made the grumpy Grinch’s heart grow three sizes bigger and changed his cynical view about Christmas? I know I speak on behalf of most little girls when I say I always fantasize about the idea of being that adorable Whoville girl — with that cute little button-nose and mesmerizing blue eyes — who saved Christmas and made a great difference in the story.

The Cindy Lou Who Hair Guide

It’s always fun to revive Cindy Lou’s character, a representation of a bright-spirited girl who believes in everything good. And no transformation is complete without coveting her iconic cone-shaped ‘do. If you are planning to recreate the look for you or your child, you’re in for a treat.

Today we are going to provide a step-by-step guide on how to achieve the Cindy Lou Who hair — from creating the cone, ribboning the locks down to the braiding process. But before you grab that comb and hairspray, let’s get a little more acquainted with our favorite Christmas girl’s legendary hairstyle, shall we?

What composes the hairstyle?

There are countless versions and modern uptakes of Cindy Lou Who hairstyle but the 2001 movie adaptation of the classic tale features our girl in a high looped up hairdo with her hair adorably sticking out — the main focal point of the hairdo. She has these arched bangs that frame her little face which makes us want to squish and pinch her little hamster cheeks even more!

Adorning the pulled up look are a  couple of cascading braids that are pinned on top of the floating laced locks, topped off with decorative ornaments mimicking the look of a ribboned Christmas tree. The hairstyle is generally eye-catching and the wackiest yet most creative hair design ever invented and we live for it.

How to perfectly achieve the Cindy Lou Who Hair

Looking at that Whoville hairstyle, there seems to be a lot going on. But don’t let that intimidate you. With dedication, basic know-how and right technique you can achieve that famous holiday hair. Before we dive in further with the procedure, let’s familiarize ourselves with the materials needed to nail the look.

What You Will Need:

• Empty Water Bottle / Disposable Cup: The bottle will serve as the foundation so your hair has something to hold onto and create the illusion of the gravity-defying hairdo. You can use the whole water bottle to hold up a long hair high. If you are working with shorter hair you can cut the bottle into two and use the top part or you can alternatively use a sturdy disposable cup, soda can or any structure that can hold the body to your hair.

• Hair Brush: A quality hairbrush can make all the difference in styling, particularly one that is as intricate as Cindy Lou’s. Make sure your brush has rigid and soft spokes like that of BESTOOL Hair Brush. This brush has boar bristles with nylon pins, ideal for gentle detangling and styling. The paddle is made with bamboo which allows hair to stay smoother as compared to its plastic counterparts, thereby creating a frizz-free canvas for flawless styling.

• Teasing Comb: You will use this type of styling comb later for back-combing to give the style an extra body. Use the pin handle to tease the hair and create well-sectioned parts.

• Hairpins and Bobby Pins: Make sure you have enough pins on hand especially if you have thicker or longer hair to work on. Since we are doing an elaborate updo, it is more practical to use a variety of pins. You can use the bobby pins (or those pins that have one ridged side and a flat side on the other) to secure the base of your hairstyle which requires stronger hold.

Hairpins ( or those skinny U-shaped pins with squiggles halfway each side) are great to set style and do not require much hold. You can use it to set your bowed locks and braids later since they disappear into the hair better than bobby pins, making your hairdo look more natural.

• Hair Clip: At least have two sectioning hair clips onhand. Hair clips are very beneficial especially if you are styling thick and long hair. They are used to hold a section of hair so it will not get in the way of styling.

• Hair Ties: Utilize different sizes of hair ties. Use regular-sized hair ties, preferably a firm solid hairband to set the ponytail. To secure the ends of your braids and to tie off the top of your ponytail ends, make use of smaller elastic hair bands that are much slimmer and offer a tighter hold. Use elastics of the same color as your hair unless you intend to accessorize hair with colorful bands.

• Hairspray: You will want a hairspray that will hold your style so you can wear them longer. Nothing is worse than pouring all efforts on your style and only to have it flop with clammy weather. TRESemmé TRES TWO Extra Hold Hair Spray is a good product to stand by. It offers an all-day extra-strong hold without the stiffness so you can rock that Cindy Lou hairstyle even with humidity and breeze.

• Wire: A couple of thin wire or any bendable stick can be used to create perfectly arched braids.

• Red Bow: You can also use gift wrap ribbons or any holiday ornaments to dress up your style.
• Curling Iron (Optional)

Prepping and sectioning the hair

1. Brush your hair. A smooth tangle-free hair takes the hassle out of styling.
2. Part your hair in the middle. If you don’t have bangs, this is the stage wherein you can attach your fringe hairpiece.
3. Section your hair into three triangular parts. One on the top and two on the bottom.

a. Sectioning the top part: Unless you are a seasoned hairstyler, you can easily pull up an evenly sectioned hair. For beginners, you can section the top part into two pieces before combining them together. Start by pulling up a hair near your right temple using a styling comb.

Still holding the strand, do the same sectioning on the other side. Then pass the left section to the right to join them together and make one full section. Make sure the part across your head looks straight. Then start isolating this section by twisting the strand up in a knot. Fasten it with a hair clip.

b. Creating the bottom sections. Divide the rest of your hair into two equal sections then use another clip or band to isolate each section. By now you should have three equally sectioned hair.

Creating the cone

1. Remove the clip of the top section.
2. Locate the center of the crown section.  This will serve as the base of the water bottle.
3. Start backcombing the roots of your hair using the teasing comb. For those who are not familiar with the technique, backcombing is essentially what it sounds like — combing your hair backward in a back and forth motion. The aim is to give your hair extra volume and lift essential for the updo look you are going for.
4. Sit the water bottle on the crown center.
5. Cover the bottle with your hair. Start by pulling up sections of hair around the structure, making it as neat as possible. You can use the teasing comb or hairspray to smoothen any stray strands.  Tie the top  — where the end of the water bottle is — with a hair tie. Use hairspray to lock in the style. You should be left with a fringe of loose hair on the top.

Styling the top of the cone

There are a lot of creative ways in which you can style the end of the ponytail. You can simply curl the ends or if you are left with longer strands, you can pull-up one or two bubble ponytails.   To get the bubble effect, you need to again tease the hair strands and tug it into a loose round shape before securing the tie. Curl the end of each strand.

Another way to dress up the end of the cone is by creating a ribbon-bow look. Basically, this styling technique involves rolling the sections of the hair inward starting at the tip. Secure each rolled sections with hairpin against the bubble ponytail or the cone. You can roll the hair all the way through the end, halfway or mix of both to create the ribbon-like effect. Use hairspray to polish your look.

Creating the arched braids

1. Ponytail each of the bottom sections. Make sure you tie it firmly and as close to the ear.
2. Attach the wire on each of the tails by inserting it into the bands.
3. Braid the tails including the wire.  If you are new to the braiding process check out our braiding tutorial post. You can do the basic three-strand braid or go as elaborate as the fishtail. Braid all the way to the end then secure it with the elastic tie. Trim off any excess wire. If you still have a little bit strands, curl them up for an added style
4. Arch the braid and secure it against your hair, just around the top of your head. Finish it off with a hairspray.

Accessorizing the hairstyle

This is like the icing on the cake. The look wouldn’t be complete without the classic red bow on the front. You can continue dressing up your hair by putting more bows and ribbons. Or lace Christmas garland around the cone much like a mini Christmas tree. Top it off with miniature bells and balls. You can even glitter spray your hair. Get creative as you’d like.

And that ladies and gentlemen is how you Cindy Lou your hair!

Next time you are invited to a costume party or you need to pump up the kids for the holiday, surprise everyone with the Cindy Lou Who hair. Got short hair? No problemo. You can easily create the style using a wig or hair extension without a fuss. Just don’t forget your red winter cape and checkered dress and you’ll be the most adorable Whoville girl. Have fun Cindy Lou-ing!