Anyone with thick hair knows it can feel like both a blessing and a burden. There’s the extra drying time and the seemingly endless packages of hair ties sacrificed to the cause. On the other hand, when it’s time to create an updo on thick hair—whether formal or just for the hell of it—that abundance actually becomes your best friend.

“Thick-haired girlies often complain about how much work their hair is, but when it comes to updos, it is a definite advantage,” says Billy Hannam, hairstylist at Anushka Spa and Salon in Palm Beach, Florida. “Thick hair provides natural volume and fullness.”

In other words, the very thing that can make washday feel like an endurance sport is what opens the door to some seriously stunning updo options. Whether you’re inspired to wear a polished chignon, a romantic bun, or a runway-ready beehive, thick hair offers the kind of built-in body that hairstylists love to work with.

“One of the biggest advantages of thick hair is that it provides built-in volume and hold,” says Marcos Diaz, a New York City-based hairstylist. “The key is choosing styles that work with that density rather than trying to control it too much.”

Ahead, we’ve rounded up the best updos for thick hair that make the most of every last substantial strand.

Meet the experts

Textured, mid-placement bun

Photo: Getty Images

Photo: Getty Images

Photo: Getty Images

Photo: Getty Images