How to Do a Neat Middle Height Ponytail

Co-authored by Shun Pittman

Last Updated: September 9, 2021 References

A middle ponytail can look as pretty with a t-shirt and jeans as it does with an elegant dress. The trick is to make it look neat and intentional, rather than just thrown up in a hairband. Straightening the ends of your hair, hiding the hairband, and adding volume to your ponytail are all great ways to take it up a notch.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Making a Basic Ponytail

1
Straighten your hair or define your curls. The difference between a neat ponytail and a messy one is how much care you take with your hair. Frizzy or unkempt hair will result in a ponytail that sticks out in the wrong places or hangs funny. Depending on your hair texture, do one of the following to neaten your hair before you even put it up:
- Straighten it with a straightening iron. You don't have to meticulously straighten all of your hair; focus on the ends and the sections that will be hanging down in your ponytail. This will help your hair fall more neatly. Even if your hair is relatively straight, give it a try.
- Enhance your curls or waves with a curling iron. This will keep your ponytail from looking frizzy or too stiff. Defined curls make for a prettier ponytail.
2
Create a neat part. Use a comb to create a neat part on the side or in the middle, depending on your preference. Run the tip of the comb along the part to move stray hairs and make it look nice and neat.

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3
Gather your hair into place with a comb. Use a comb to smooth down the top, sides and the area underneath your ponytail, and gather it tightly in the spot where you want it, right in the middle of your head. A middle height ponytail should be a few inches below the crown of your head, not too high and not too low.
- If you have a lot of flyaways, try spritzing your comb with hairspray before you use it to put up your hair. You'll comb hairspray into your hair for natural-looking hold.
4
Secure it with an elastic. Use one that works with your hair type, that won't shift around and fall out over time. Silk hair elastics are known for being healthy for hair, since they don't cause breakage. Avoid using uncovered rubber bands.
- A cloth-wrapped elastic band is a great option.^{[1]
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  Expert Source
  
  Shun Pittman
  Master Cosmetologist, Global Salon Educator & Author
  Expert Interview. 7 September 2021.}
5
Make sure it's centered correctly. Take a look at your head in the mirror from behind. Is your ponytail in the right place? See if you need to shift it a little to the right or the left.
6
Check your ponytail's swing. Does it hang the way you want it to? If the shape seems off, use a straightening or curling iron to polish it up and give it the appearance you want. You can also apply gel or cream to create a smooth, defined appearance.^{[2]
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7
Finish with extra hairspray. Add a spritz to the top and sides of your hair and to the ponytail itself. Your look is complete.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Covering the Hairband

1
Put your hair into a neat ponytail. Follow the instructions above to create a neat ponytail held firmly in place in the middle of your head. Use a straightening or curling iron to help your ponytail look as neat as possible.^{[3]
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2
Take a strand of hair from the bottom of your ponytail. Choose a thick strand from the underside, so you won't be able to see where it came from.
3
Wrap it around your hairband. Keep wrapping until you run out of hair. When you're finished, the hairband should be completely covered.
4
Secure the end of the strand with a bobby pin. You should only need one or two pins to secure the hair in place.
5
Check to make sure it looks neat. Covering your hairband adds an elegant touch that makes this look appropriate for any type of event. Accent it further with pretty barrettes, and you're good to go.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Adding Volume

1
Put your hair into a neat ponytail. Follow the instructions above to create a neat ponytail held firmly in place in the middle of your head. Use a straightening or curling iron to help your ponytail look as neat as possible.
2
Pull out the top section of hair. Take the section of hair at the top of your head and alongside your temples, and pull it out of the hairband. You want to remove a large handful of hair. It will eventually go back into the ponytail, but for now you want to pull it out.
- If you need to loosen the ponytail to take it out, that's fine.
- The purpose of putting it up in a ponytail first is so you can make sure you grab a section of hair that will sit right on top of your head when your hair is in a ponytail.
3
Hold the section of hair straight above your head. Use one hand to hold it while the other grabs a comb.
4
Backcomb the section from the tips to the roots. Run your comb from the tips to the roots in order to tease up the hair and add volume. Keep doing this until you have the amount of volume you want.^{[4]
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5
Smooth the top layer of hair. Lay the section against your head so you can see where it will fall. Take your comb and carefully smooth out just the top layer of the hair, leaving the bulk of the hair underneath teased. That way it will retain volume in the finished style.
6
Redo your ponytail. Pull it out and put your hair back up, including the teased section. Now the hair at the top of your head will have some pretty volume, rather than lying flat against your head.^{[5]
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7
Wrap a strand of hair around your hairband. Pin it in place with a bobby pin to hide the hairband from sight.
8
Finish with hairspray. Spritz in both the front and the back to hold your style in place.

Expert Q&A

Question

How do you do a ponytail with hair wrapped around?

Shun Pittman
Master Cosmetologist, Global Salon Educator & Author
Shun Pittman is a Master Cosmetologist, Author, Owner, and Founder of Corps d’Elite Salon and Corps d’Elite Beauty. With over 25 years of international experience, she is dedicated to and specializes in providing luxury salon services to all hair types and textures and every skin tone and shade. Her services include hair conditioning treatments, cutting, coloring, styling, extensions, and makeup application. Shun has experience working with, coaching, training, and mentoring beauty professionals from multiple companies including L'Oréal, Wella, Matrix, Paul Mitchell, Redken, Big Sexy Hair, and Toni & Guy. She is also a host for national and local media outlets and her work has been featured in The Washingtonian, The Cheddar Network, and WJLA Good Morning Washington's Beauty and Fashion Police segments. Shun is the author of “50 Things Your Hairdresser Wants YOU to Know (and a few things we don’t...)".

Shun Pittman

Master Cosmetologist, Global Salon Educator & Author

Expert Answer

Brush your hair and section it in two parts, then wrap the hair around each other until you get to the end of the strand. Then, you can wrap that twisted hair around the pony and secure it with a bobby pin.
Question

My hair gets a ton of bumps when I do a ponytail. How do I fix it?

Community Answer

As you're pulling your hair into a ponytail, brush it with a comb to get rid of any bumps. If the bumps remain, you could try straightening your hair prior to putting it up. Finally, if nothing else works, you could try using a little bit of gel to push the bumps down.
Question

How do I create a high ponytail with short hair?

Kate Busby

Community Answer

Follow the ponytail instructions, then use bobby pins to stick back up any parts that hang out at the bottom.