How to Make a Ponytail

Co-authored by Christine George

Last Updated: June 28, 2024 References

A ponytail is the most universal of all hair styles. Its simple elegance and practicality crosses age borders, as it is worn by all girls and women, young and old. With a little practice and time, you can be a master at this versatile style.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Making a Polished Ponytail

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1
Begin with unwashed hair. While you can wear a ponytail with freshly-washed locks, this style is great for second or third-day hair—even if you're aiming to create a dressy, polished look. You'll have fewer fly-aways, and the natural grease that comes from not shampooing will help hold your style and give you a bit of shine.^{[1]
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- Don't fear if you decide you want to wear your hair in a ponytail and have just shampooed: you can still style your hair into a polished ponytail, but may you need to use additional product to get the volume and texture you want.
2
Use thickening spray or dry shampoo before you begin. Spray on a bit of thickening spray or a little dry shampoo, focusing upon the roots of your hair. This will give you more volume and hold.^{[2]
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Expert Source

Christine George
Master Hair Stylist & Colorist

Expert Interview. 10 January 2020.}
- If you don't have either of these products on hand, baby-powder can work in a pinch. Sprinkle a small amount into your palm and massage into the roots of your hair. The baby-powder will help absorb excess oil and will add texture and lift to your roots.
- Be sure to thoroughly brush the powder out, though, so that you won't have white or grey streaks throughout your ponytail.
- You can even make your own dry shampoo at home. If you have darker hair, add a bit of cocoa powder to darken the final product—be prepared to develop a sudden craving for brownies, though!
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3
Curl your hair. Use a curling iron to create soft curls or waves (curl your hair in 2-inch sections). Your curls will last longer if you lightly spritz the sections with hair spray before curling, or if you run a small amount of gel or mousse throughout your hair before you curl.
- Alternatively, you can set all of your hair in hot rollers. Leave them in until they are fully cooled.
- If you have longer hair, you can pile your hair high on the crown of your head, place into a ponytail, and then add rollers. This won't be your final ponytail, but is a way for you to curl your hair more quickly and efficiently. However, you won't get as much volume at your roots as you would if you curled your hair normally.
- Once your curls (or rollers) have cooled completely, loosely comb through your hair with your fingers. Don't use a comb or brush, or the curls will relax too much.
- You can speed up the cooling process by quickly blasting your hair with cool air from your blowdryer (if yours has that setting) to help your curls set.
- Avoid curling your hair too often, as using too much heat can damage your hair.^{[3]
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  Christine George
  Master Hair Stylist & Colorist
  
  Expert Interview. 10 January 2020.}
Lift up a three-inch section at the front/top of your head and gently backcomb the underside with a fine-toothed comb. Gently smooth the front of the hair with a brush.
Then gather your hair into a ponytail using either your hands or a brush. Do this carefully, so as not to brush out your curls and volume. For a classic ponytail look, center the ponytail midway between your crown and the nape of your neck (it should be level with the tops of your ears).^{[4]
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In order to make sure that your style will last and that no fly-aways will escape, give your hair a light misting with hairspray. Using a fiber-wrapped elastic band can help keep your hair in place all day.^{[5]
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Expert Source

Christine George
Master Hair Stylist & Colorist

Expert Interview. 10 January 2020.}

Jen Atkin, Celebrity Hairstylist

You can salvage a bad hair day. "Play with hair accessories — put your hair up in a ponytail or a bun and add a few statements pieces and clip-in accessories, that’s my quick fix. I’m always a sucker for a really nice chic chignon, and just having the hair off your face."

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Making a Side Ponytail

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You want your hair to look soft yet shiny for this style, so add a small amount of product designed to enhance your hair's shine before you begin.
2
Create a deep side part. It's up to you on which side of your face you want to make your part. Most people's hair falls naturally to one side over the other. For a natural look, go with your natural part. If you'd like a bit more volume at the top of your head, part your hair on the opposite side.
- A good guide is to begin your part at the highest point of the arch in your eyebrow.^{[6]
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For example, if you've parted your hair on the left side, gather your hair to the right side
4
Secure your side-ponytail with an elastic low behind your ear. Choose an elastic that matches your hair. To hide your elastic, section off a small piece of hair from the ponytail, then wrap it around the elastic. Pin it in place using a bobby pin.
- Alternatively, you can choose a fun ribbon, or tuck a flower step into your elastic

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Create an "Undone" Ponytail

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1
Begin with bed-head. For this style, your hair shouldn't be too smooth. As with just about any ponytail style, it is well-suited for unwashed hair. Even if you have washed recently, though, you are aiming for tousled or wavy hair.
- An easy way to get soft, unfussy waves is to braid or twirl your slightly damp hair into a bun and sleep on it. This will require a bit of planning ahead, but can save you precious time in the morning and sets you up for a simple and quick styling session in the morning.
Use your hands or a brush to do this; make sure that you don't have any major knots in your hair, but don't over brush it. You want to keep that slight bed-head look.
Next, tie the two sections together as though you were beginning to tie your shoelaces.
Once you've completed your knots, loosely wrap an elastic around the ponytail.
If you're worried about the style staying in place, you can leave the elastic, but removing it will make your ponytail look even more casual and undone.
Instead of securing and tying your hair at the nape of your neck, make a side part, and gather your hair below your ear. Divide the hair into sections and knot twice. Using a thin elastic, secure the hair directly under the knots.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Trying Variations

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1
Style a sleek ponytail. Spritz your hair with a heat protectant, then run a flat iron over your hair. Brush your hair into a tight ponytail. Then, apply a mousse or pomade to your hair to smooth down any flyaways. This will create a sleek, professional ponytail.
Start with a curled ponytail, such as when you style a polished ponytail. After you've curled your hair, barely brush the curls. You're aiming for tight and shiny curls. Gather your ponytail higher up on your head. You can leave your curls in ringlets, or you can brush through them from root to tip, guiding your hand underneath them. This should encourage your ends to flip up.
3
Make a 1960s inspired ponytail. Begin with a curled ponytail, as though you're styling a polished ponytail. Tease the top quarter of your hair. Flip the teased section of your hair back and gather it into a ponytail near the back of your head. Use the tips of your brush bristles to smooth down the front of the teased section, using gentle motions. The bottom half of your hair will be hanging down. Gather the rest of your hair and pull it into a ponytail as well, directly underneath the top ponytail. Divide the lower ponytail in half and pull the ends in opposite directions to move the ponytail up and tighten it.
- After you secure your hair, cover the elastic with a piece of hair. Section off a small piece of hair, then wrap it over the elastic. Finally, pin the hair in place with a bobby pin.
4
Try a teased and braided ponytail. Divide the front portion of your hair into 3 sections, with a small section at each of your temples and 1 large section at the top of your head. Tease the underside of the top section, smooth over the top, and pin it into place with a bobby pin. Then, french braid each of the side sections, securing them with a hair tie. Next, gather all of your hair, including the braids, into one big ponytail.
- The bottom portion of your hair should be smooth.
5
Try a flip-through ponytail. Start with a loose ponytail; this style works best with a fairly low ponytail. Place your finger just above the center of your ponytail and create a part. From the underside of the ponytail, reach up through the opening you've created, grab the entire ponytail, and pull it up and through the opening.
- You can also wear this style in a half-ponytail. Gather only the top portion of your hair into a ponytail and flip it through, leaving the bottom half of your hair hanging down.
6
Wear pigtails. Divide your hair into two sections by parting your hair down the middle of your head, and create a ponytail on each side. The position and placement of your pigtails can vary according to your preference: experiment with low, loose pigtails (situated low behind your ears), or high, tight pigtails (situated above your ears).
- Classic pigtails are symmetrical (the same amount of hair gathered on each side).
- This playful style works well for shorter hair that can't be pulled all the way back.
- Experiment with a straight centered part, but don't be afraid to try a funkier zigzag part, too.
Before you style your hair, you can switch up how you start your ponytail to match your natural hair texture. Straighten your ponytail with a flat iron if you have straight (or mostly straight) hair; this will make your strands even more sleek and shiny. For wavy or curly hair, use a cream to define and separate your curls.

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Question

How do you do a sleek ponytail?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist based in Milledgeville, Georgia. She has been working as a hair stylist since 2007, and began a career as a cosmetology teacher in 2013. She worked as a teacher at Arrojo Cosmetology School, teaching cosmetology practices, hairstyling, and hair color application. She also brought her cosmetology expertise to her work as a staff writer for fashion blog Style Noted, writing pieces related to hair and fashion. She received an MFA in Creative Writing from Georgia College & State University, where she was also an English Teaching Fellow. Additionally, she received a BA in Creative Writing and Literature from New York University.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

Use a brush to pull your hair tight against your scalp and back toward where you want your ponytail to sit. For extra-sleek roots, mist with water before brushing.

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Question

How do you make a simple ponytail?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist based in Milledgeville, Georgia. She has been working as a hair stylist since 2007, and began a career as a cosmetology teacher in 2013. She worked as a teacher at Arrojo Cosmetology School, teaching cosmetology practices, hairstyling, and hair color application. She also brought her cosmetology expertise to her work as a staff writer for fashion blog Style Noted, writing pieces related to hair and fashion. She received an MFA in Creative Writing from Georgia College & State University, where she was also an English Teaching Fellow. Additionally, she received a BA in Creative Writing and Literature from New York University.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

Use a brush or your hands to gather all the hair together in one area of the head. Then pull the hair through an elastic band, folding the band over and pulling through until there is no slack in the band and the ponytail feels secure.

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Question

How do you style a ponytail?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist based in Milledgeville, Georgia. She has been working as a hair stylist since 2007, and began a career as a cosmetology teacher in 2013. She worked as a teacher at Arrojo Cosmetology School, teaching cosmetology practices, hairstyling, and hair color application. She also brought her cosmetology expertise to her work as a staff writer for fashion blog Style Noted, writing pieces related to hair and fashion. She received an MFA in Creative Writing from Georgia College & State University, where she was also an English Teaching Fellow. Additionally, she received a BA in Creative Writing and Literature from New York University.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

You can use a curling iron or straightening iron to refine the texture of the ends. You can also set the hair in the tail on rollers.

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Tips

When gathering your hair into a ponytail, lean and tip your head back. This will give you volume and will prevent lines and bumps.^{[7]
X
Research source} You can flip your hair forward (head upside down) to gather it into a ponytail, especially if you're going for a very high ponytail, but you won't necessarily get more volume and it may be harder to center your ponytail.^{[8]
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For a more romantic or casual look, leave your bangs out of the ponytail or let a few face-framing tendrils hang loose.

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Style just the front of your hair if you're short on time. While a ponytail is a great style choice for days you don't have a lot of time to spare, consider styling your bangs and/or the front of your hair before pulling your hair back. You'll have more volume and shine, and any pieces that fall out will do what you want them to (as opposed to sticking out willy-nilly!).

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