Know Your Style
Taking a good look at hair type, face shape, and individual style could help you to create a personalized image. Devour style magazines and beauty blogs. Research and acquire a trusted stylist who could make sure your hair color matches your skin tone. Look at what you like about other people. Courtney Hulet recommends looking through pictures of people in the spotlight that have a face shape similar to yours. Hulet, who’s been in the industry for more than ten years, works with the Miss Washington organization and encourages girls to play around with their hair. Also encouraging is Coletti Starks, a Virginia stylist who teaches girls how to use one tool at a time to master their skills. 

“I want to give them something they can do later when they go out,” said Starks, who’s an advocate for simpler looks that girls could duplicate on their own. Once they could pull off those styles, versatility is next. Starks believes that girls who don’t change their look on stage have more trouble winning. “They are looking for something different for each look—swimsuit, talent, interview. Change up your hair, but still look like you.” 

Focus on the Face
Contemporary styles that play up natural and approachable hair are trending now. Fine hair needs to look bigger and fuller, and knowing your products could help—from Hulet’s cornstarch trick (it could substitute for dry shampoo) to finding a good aerosol spray to lessen backcombing time, giving a lift at the root that you need on stage. Not all hair works the same, but it should work for you. 

Get a Good Haircut
If you want to wear your hair more naturally, spending more on the cut is a fine start. Take a good look at your hair’s layering. A stylist could choose what’s best for your texture. Long hair has more trouble holding curls, so forget trying to keep every inch of hair and instead add layers for more body. With so much hair, zero in on taming it for a sleeker look with a bun or low ponytail. 

Take Your Time
Consider also that the fastest route may not be the best. With limited prepping and primping time, hot rollers could be an easy way for fast volume and style, yet may be the reason everyone looks so “pageanty,” thinks Hulet. “I’d like to see less of the hot roller look. It’s almost outdated.” 

In the pageant world, your hair should look as though it belongs on your head. Your hairstyle should enhance your body shape and your wardrobe—it should never conflict. Once onstage, you want people to only see the full picture. 

Written by: Missy Black is fourpoints magazine's freelance writer. Photo: Colettie Starks