What This App Actually Offers
Hairstyles step by step is a free video tutorial library aimed at girls and women who want ideas for braids, buns, curls, and updos without paying for a stylist. The app organizes tutorials by occasion: work styles like Dutch braids and low buns, party looks for weddings and birthdays, school hair, and long versus short hair categories. It’s built for casual users who want to try something new for a special event rather than professionals looking for technical training.
Where the Tutorials Really Shine
The strongest praise from real users centers on variety. Multiple reviewers say the app introduced them to hairstyles they’d never seen before, moving them beyond a basic bun or ponytail. One user specifically mentioned using a style for a party and getting compliments afterward, while another said they now do their sister’s hair in many different ways instead of just braiding. Reviewers also like that the video clips are short, some noting under 20 seconds per tutorial, which keeps the instructions focused and easy to follow without wading through filler content.
The Doll Hair Problem
The most serious recurring complaint is that many tutorials use doll hair or mannequin heads rather than real human hair to demonstrate techniques. Reviewers say this makes styles look deceptively simple, since doll hair behaves differently than real hair, and some steps end up skipped or unclear when you try to replicate them yourself. This is a legitimate functional weakness, not just a nitpick, because it directly affects whether users can actually complete the hairstyle they came for.
Ads, Buffering, and Missing Details
Beyond the doll hair issue, users report that videos frequently hang or buffer, making it hard to watch a tutorial straight through, and that ads interrupt at short intervals throughout the app. Another common frustration is that tutorials skip finishing details, like how to bobby pin a style in place or where exactly to add grips, leaving the overall shape done but the securing steps a mystery. There’s also a practical complaint that some styles simply take too long to be realistic for a squirming child or a quick morning routine, which matters given how many parents seem to use this for kids’ hair.
Who Should Actually Download This
If you want a free source of hairstyle inspiration and don’t mind sitting through ads or occasional buffering, this app delivers real variety and has clearly helped a lot of users branch out from basic styles, reflected in its very high install count. It’s a reasonable pick for teens and adults styling their own long or short hair for parties, school, or work. It’s a weaker choice if your main goal is styling a young child’s hair quickly, or if you need every step demonstrated on real hair rather than a doll, since you may hit a wall partway through a tutorial and have to guess the rest.
