How Do I Make a Straight Ponytail?

There is nothing simpler or more polished than a straight ponytail. Start with wet hair and blow-dry it with a large, round brush so that it is as smooth as possible. In sections, straighten your hair with a high-quality flat iron, spraying each piece with a heat protectant spray before you style it. Brush your hair up into a ponytail at a height that suits your face shape and secure the hair with an elastic. To finish the look, wrap a piece of your hair around the band and spray everything with hairspray so that your straight ponytail stays smooth and sleek.

For the smoothest finish, start with wet hair so that you can style your straight ponytail in stages, as this will give you the most staying power for your finished look. Blow-dry your hair until it is almost completely dry and then smooth out each section with a large, round brush. Start with the bottom sections and work your way up for the best results. If your hair is naturally straight, you may be able to skip this step.

No matter what your hair texture is, flat ironing your hair before pulling it into a straight ponytail will generally give you the sleekest, shiniest result. Pin your hair into three sections: two on either side of your face and then one in the back. Starting in the back, release a small section of hair from the bottom, spray it with a heat protectant spray and flat iron it smooth. Repeat this process until you’ve straightened the entire back portion, and then move on to the sides, again working from the bottom up. Once your hair is completely straight, run a small amount of finishing cream through the ends to seal them.

After your hair is straight, all you have to do is pull it into a ponytail. For most people, a ponytail looks best when it is at the same height as the eyebrows; however, you can also do a high or low straight ponytail as well. Using a brush, gather all of your hair to the back of your head, making sure that everything is smooth, and secure your hair with an elastic that matches your hair color. To keep your hair at the height that you want while securing it, tilt your head backward slightly so that gravity works in your favor.

While you have a basic ponytail at this point, take the extra minute to finish the look by concealing the elastic. Take a piece of hair from underneath your ponytail and wrap it around the base of the tail where the elastic is, pinning it in place with a bobby pin. Then, give your hair a light spritz of hair spray to set everything, using the palms of your hands to smooth over any flyaways or frizz.