Quick Fixes for Long Hair
Layered Ponytail
A common complaint among women (and some men) with long hair is the amount of time it usually takes to style it. In an effort to help with this problem, we're going to offer you a few tips for some simple and quick hairstyles for those women with long hair. The style shown here is a variation of the simple ponytail. On the following pages, we will show the Curl Fall and the Braided Bun.
For most women with long hair, a ponytail is a staple in their repertoire of styles. No time to fuss with your hair? Need to keep your hair out of the way while you work out, do housework, or complete a project? Pull it back into a ponytail and go. But while a well-groomed ponytail can look very sleek and stylish, many women find it to be incredibly boring.
What You Need:
• Snag-safe elastic bands
• Small bobby pins
• Sprayer bottle with leave-in conditioner or setting lotion
How to Create the Style:
Creating the Layered Ponytail is possibly the easiest style we've ever demonstrated. It works with unwashed or freshly washed hair and can be created in minutes. For our demonstration, our manikin has freshly washed and conditioned hair that has been dried with a blow dryer. To ensure a smooth look in our style, we lightly misted the hair with leave-in conditioner and combed it smooth to make sure it was free of tangles.
We began creating the style by gathering up the hair at the top and sides of the head. This first section is marked by parting the hair in a line from the tops of the ears to the point where the crown and top of the head meet. All of the hair in front of this line is gathered at the top center and secured with a snag-proof elastic band. Be sure to comb the gathered hair smooth before you tie it with the elastic.
Once you've bound the hair, pull a slim strand of hair from the inside of this first ponytail and make sure it is combed smooth. Then wrap it around the elastic band enough times to conceal it. You should then secure the strand in place by using a small bobby pin inserted on the underside of the ponytail. The remaining end of the strand can be either tucked out of sight or smoothed back into the ponytail if long enough.
Next, we gather a second section of hair using a horizontal parting line from the back of the left ear to the back of the right ear. This section is gathered loosely with the initial ponytail and secured using another elastic band. Then, as we did before, use a slim strand of hair from the underside of the ponytail to conceal this new elastic band, secure it with a bobby pin, and continue.
Finally, we move down and create our third "ponytail". This gathering-point should be the same distance from the second elastic band as the second was from the first. This ensures a symmetrical look to the finished style. Comb the remaining section of loose hair smooth (re-moisten if needed to prevent flyaway hairs) and gather it loosely with the central ponytail. Secure the hair with an elastic band and conceal it as you did the others.
The remaining hair should be combed smooth but may optionally be curled if desired. I personally prefer to keep smooth lines with this particular style. Additionally, you can dress this style up using a number of accessories if you desire (ribbons, jeweled pins, etc.), but again, I think the simplicity of this style is what makes it attractive.
See also:
Braided Bun
Long Hair Curl Fall