5 Trendy Ponytail Hair Looks for Everyone to Update a Classic

Ah, the ponytail. Is any hairstyle more well loved by busy women everywhere? It’s easy and simple, keeping your hair out of your face in a pinch. It’s the go-to hairdo for gym-goers and errand-runners, but with a little bit of styling, it can be elegant enough for the red carpet. Here, we’ve got some ponytail hair styles you can try to take your regular pony up a notch.

It seems like every era has its high-pony poster girl, from the eponymous genie in I Dream of Jeannie in the ’60s to Blond Ambition-era Madonna in the ’90s to this generation’s Arianna Grande. This style has a lot going for it—it’s playful yet polished, it can make you look more youthful, and it can elongate the face and accentuate your cheekbones. 

If you don’t have your own personal hairstylist like Ari, you might have a tough time getting your high pony super sleek. Not to worry—we’ve got the next best thing: a little-known trick to help you cop that flawless ’do.

First, blow-dry your roots in the direction of the ponytail base, then—here’s the secret—gather your hair up in a high half-pony! This way, you can smoothen out any bumps and secure your base before brushing the rest of your hair up into your ponytail. Finish things off with another elastic and smooth out stray baby hairs with a toothbrush spritzed with TRESemmé’s Compressed Micro Mist Boost Hold.

A quick way to inject life into your regular ponytail? Turn up the volume!

You can take your tresses from flat to voluminous in one of two ways. First method: Split your hair into sections, use a comb to tease each part, spritz with some TRESemmé Compressed Mirco Boost Texture Hold then gather it all up into your regular pony. Second method: Tie a half-pony, then tie another one underneath it with your remaining hair. Tease the top layer to camouflage the bottom layer and voila—a longer, fuller-looking ponytail!

Nothing says “relaxed” quite like a messy ponytail. It’s easy, casual, and cool in a #wokeuplikethis kind of way. 

Although you can probably get away with rolling out of bed and quickly sweeping your hair up, hairstyles that look effortless look best when, well, you put even just a teeny bit of effort into them. To get the perfectly tousled look, spend a few minutes with a curling iron before tying it into a loose pony. No need to get it smooth—the bumps are part of the charm. Bonus points for wispy bangs or loose tendrils! To hold those in place, spray a little bit of TRESemmé Compressed Micro Mist Extend Hold.

You might have to raid your mom’s hair-tie stash for this one: The ’90s are back in a big way with the scrunchie!

Carrie Bradshaw actually made fun of this humble hair accessory on Sex and the City—but that’s because she didn’t see its potential. You can up the scrunchie cool factor by pairing it with a high, textured pony and keeping the rest of your look sleek.

Show up looking polished and profesh for your next Zoom meeting with a ponytail, but better—three times better to be exact!

Get this clean look by starting off with frizz-free hair. Try Cream Silk’s Standout Straight Conditioner to tame flyaways. Tie hair in a half-up ponytail, gather and tie more hair halfway between your first pony and your nape, then gather the rest of your hair at the nape and secure with an elastic.

A ponytail never goes out of style, but as these ponytail hair styles show, you can always find ways to have fun with a classic!