Ponytails are a classical look that combines the best of girly hairdos and professional updos. They are easy to make and cool to look at, giving both a wild and tame vibe.
Braids are also amazing, as they exist in so many forms that allow for a lot of creativity and pizzazz. There’s a lot of types of braids (You can check our blog for more types), each with its own quirks and upsides, but they can be combined with other hairdos. But, when you combine ponytails and braids, you get an amazing hairstyle that looks fabulous. It is easy to make, though it does take a bit of patience and concentration. Don’t worry, here’s a lot of cool tips on how to make a sleek braided ponytail.
Sleek Braided Ponytail — Prepping The Hair
First of all, the prepping part. Your hair should ideally be clean and dry, which would make it flow smoothly. You can do any kind of hairdo, including braids and ponytails, with dirty or wet hair, but it’s a bit trickier. Such hair would stick and overall flow wherever.
You can brush or comb the hair as well, just to get rid of all tangles and knots. Don’t get too obsessed with it, just make sure the major ones are gone.
Use some hair product if you’d like, but just go easy on your hair. The idea is to learn how to work with your hair at its most natural, not bulk it up with chemicals that wear off and cause the hairdo to fall apart later on.
Damp hair will make it much easier to do any kind of hairdo, including this one. However, it shouldn’t be wet, because it will clump up. Use a wet towel to dampen the hair or just a spray bottle with some water. Keep it simple until you master the basics and then add the accessories or add-ons.
How To Make It
The formula is simple: make a ponytail and secure it, take two other bunches of hair and then combine them with the ponytail for a braid.
Make a ponytail and clip the rest of the hair below it with a hair clip. Straighten out the ponytail and tie it slightly above the hair clip with a hair band.
Grab the band with two fingers of one hand and use two fingers of the other hand to gently but firmly pull out a few bunches of hair from the ponytail. The bunches shouldn’t come out all the way but should just be out enough so the ponytail gets some volume. Give the lower part of the ponytail a quick brush and fasten it above your forehead so it falls between your eyes.
Place two fingers on either side of your hairline and trace down the head, picking up two bunches of hair. Pick up those two bunches of hair with one hand; smoothen them with a brush or a comb for a more elegant look.
Tighten them as well with an elastic on the same spot, right above the hair clip. Plump them up just like you did with the ponytail and let them fall over the hair clip. Now comes the fun part.
Unfasten the first ponytail and let it fall over the second one. Divide the first ponytail in two parts and bring them around the second one. Take the second ponytail and bring it up to your forehead, where you will fasten it with a hair clip.
Now again place two fingers on either side of your hairline and trace them down your head, now following the first ponytail. Secure it with a hair band, again plump it up and release the second ponytail.
Repeat the process as many times as you can, combining the hair bunches. When you’re done, finish off the rest of the hair with a hair band and a small strand of loose hair. Tease out the sections to add volume and add some haircare product to your fingertips. Massage the base of the ponytail, right where you finished it off with the strand of hair and the hair band.
Accessorize
You can add all kinds of cool accessories to your braided ponytail, including beads, cords and charms but strings and ribbons look amazing as well. It all relies on how well you know them, so use only those you know will look good.
Later on, you can use flowers or anything else, depending on what the occasion is. There are all sorts of accessories, some of them fancy and some simple. Experiment and you will discover an entire world of beautiful hairdos.
Take It Easy
You’re likely to start off all excited to make a braided ponytail but quickly give up because it’s just so much effort. That’s how it goes, especially if you’re a newbie to braids. Relax as much as possible and don’t obsess about making it perfect.
Go through each step relaxed and with as much comfort as possible. This will give you much more staying power and let you experiment more. Put a bunch of pillows behind your back or lean against your sofa so you don’t crane your neck. Find whatever position suits you the most and you’ll never stress out and feel like you should give up.
Sleek Braided Ponytail — Practice
You need a lot of practice to make a braided ponytail, so don’t give up before you’ve mastered it. You’re bound to fail a lot at first until you relax and stop overthinking it. Practice as much as you can, in particular on other people and on all types of hair. That will give you a lot of feel for different textures under your fingers.
If you have a shaggy dog, mess with its hair for as long as it will tolerate you. Any tassels around? They are a great chance to practice braids, though not so much for ponytails. The point is to start seeing opportunities for practice all around you and the expertise will come easily.
