Do a Basic Ponytail

Ponytails aren't just practical for keeping your hair out of your face, they can be great fashion statements as well. This guide will help you achieve a basic ponytail and demonstrate ways to put a trendy spin on a classic hairdo. Follow these steps for putting a pony-tail in your hair.

Steps

Wavy Low Ponytail

1. Use a 1 1/4-inch curling iron to curl the ends of your hair. The goal here is to create a wavy texture in your hair.
   • Rake the curls out with your fingers once you're done to avoid spiral curls.
2. Create a center part using your hands. Gather all the hair at the nape of the neck.
   • This ponytail should look messy and loose, so use your hands to part and shape instead of a comb or brush.
   • Leave hair in front of the ears instead of pulling it tight so that the style doesn't look so polished. You are trying to achieve a messy look, so the more fly-aways the better.
3. Place your hair through a scrunchy or hair tie. Twist the scrunchy so that it creates a figure-8, then put the ends through the new hole. Continue until your ponytail is as tight as you desire.
   • You can also give your hair extra texture by spraying it with a saltwater solution.

Deep Side Part Ponytail

1. Spray your hair with root lifter before you begin shaping. Root lifter is a styling spray which boosts your hair's body and adds volume where you need it.
   • Root lifters contain a blend of resins that give your style volume and lift that is strong, flexible, and long lasting.
   • These sprays can be found at most drugstores and grocery stores in the hair care isle.
2. Rough blow dry your hair to create even more volume. If this doesn't create as much volume around the crown as you desire, you can also backcomb it a bit.
3. Pull your hair to the side of your head and towards your neck. This is called a "deep side" part and is situated on either the left or right side of your head rather then the back-middle.
   • Don't worry about grabbing hair tightly and precisely. This style looks best messy and undone, and is ideal for wearing at the beach.
4. Thread the hair through a small elastic. This will keep your messy do intact. Follow the previous steps for securing your hair in a ponytail, and you're finished.

Messy High Ponytail

1. Use your hands to gather hair at the top of your head. Again, this style is meant to look and unruly to create a wild, sexy look.
   • Keep the hair at the nape of the neck very tight as you gather it towards the top.
   • To create an even messier look, backcomb the hair in medium-sized sections for more volume. To backcomb, simply comb the hair backwards towards the scalp. This will cause it to slightly tangle and knot up.
2. Secure your hair in an elastic and tighten. Be sure that the elastic is positioned closer to your crown rather than the nape of your neck.
3. Take a large section of hair from the back of the ponytail and braid it. Wrap the braided hair around the elastic to hide it.

Basic Ponytail with Volume

1. Blow dry your hair straight and part out the crown (top) section of hair. Use a comb to help you part your hair.
   • Comb through hair with a wide-toothed comb, making sure there are no tangles. This will make your hair easier to ponytail and will make it look cleaner.
   • If you have short, uneven hair, a high ponytail may not be the best. However, you can still achieve this by using bobby pins to hold your hair up in the back.
2. Lift up a 3-section of hair just behind the top of your head. Use the comb to gently tease hair on the underside of that section.
3. Backcomb the section of the crown. This is where you want the most volume.
   • Comb the hair in 1-inch sections working towards the front.
4. Brush your hair back into the shape that you want. For those with longer hair, a low ponytail towards the neck or a high ponytail will both work.
   • For those with shorter hair, a low ponytail is recommended although a high one can be achieved using bobby pins to hold hair up in the back.
5. Ponytail your hair with a scrunchy/hair-tie as you normally would. Either place the elastic high up or lower for your choice of style.
   • It's very important that the hair by the nape of the neck is tight. This will help your hair stay in the ponytail and keep it from slipping out of the scrunchy or hair-tie.
   • Spray any "fly-away" strands of hair with hairspray to keep them from sticking out. Push the ponytail up to tighten it even further.
6. Wrap a strand of hair around the elastic so that no one can see it. This will make your hairdo look beautiful yet natural.
   • For a polished low ponytail, spray the end of your ponytail with hair spray, grasp it with one hand, and tug along the hair to smooth it out. You can also apply some hair oil to add some sheen to the ponytail.

Combining Braids and Ponytails

1. Put a rope braid in your hair before you braid it. Once you've got the type of braid you want, secure the bottom end with an elastic.
   • This will spice up a regular ponytail with a beautiful design rather than just plain volume.
2. Make a waterfall braided ponytail. This design is slightly more intricate but is well worth the trouble as it will create a unique design that really "pops." A waterfall braid is guaranteed to make anyone look twice.
   • A waterfall braid is a diagonal braid that cascades from the top corner of your head to the bottom corner.
   • Even a simple waterfall braid is prettier and more eye-catching than your average ponytail. The more elaborate styles not only add design to your hair, they add personality.
3. Style a French Braid french braid into your hair. A french braid is easier than a waterfall braid and somewhat resembles a rope braid.
   • The main difference between a rope braid and a french braid is that french braids start from the forehead and extend down to the nape of your neck. This creates a continuous design throughout your hair.
   • You can have a single french braid which runs from the very front of your hairline to the back, or you can have two french braids on both sides of your head which meet in the middle, making a single braid at the bottom.
   • You can even take the end of the french braid, which resembles a braided pony-tail, and wrap it around the base of the ponytail, creating a Make a Bun with French Braid. This great for keeping your hair out of your face when playing sports, or it can be a stylish way of wearing your hair up.

Tips

• There are different types of ponytails
• You can wear ponytails anywhere and not just while doing sports; it is very stylish!

Things You'll Need

• Brush (if needed)
• Comb or wide-tooth comb
• Gel or grease
• Bobby pins (if needed)
• Scrunchie or hair tie
• Hair accessories (optional)

Related Articles

• Make a Hair Roll
• Make a Bun
• Make a Beachy Ponytail
• Put Your Hair up With a Pencil
• Brighten Up the Basic Ponytail

See also

• Do Pigtails
• Create a Woven Ponytail
• Make a Ponytail
• Use a Banana Clip
• Do a Neat Middle Height Ponytail
• Make a Curly Ponytail
• Make a High Ponytail
• Do an Ariana Grande Ponytail
• Do a Side Swept Pony Tail
• Make a French Ponytail

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