How to Do a Half Ponytail With Volume

Choose a volumizing method that works with, not against, your natural hair type.

Like a traditional, full ponytail, the half ponytail ranges in style from sporty to red carpet worthy. A half ponytail includes only the top half of your hair in the elastic, letting your lower tresses hang freely. How you volumize your hair before styling determines the type of half ponytail you create. For example, combing your half ponytail straight back before wrapping it tightly with a hair elastic creates a different style than a half ponytail that spouts voluminous tresses behind a subtle bump.

Things You'll Need

• Volumizing shampoo
• Towel
• Wide-toothed comb
• Volumizing mousse
• Round brush
• Hairdryer
• Non-rubber hair elastic
• Decorative clip

Instructions

1. Wash your hair with a volumizing shampoo to lift your hair cuticles. Skip the conditioner, as heavy creme rinses prevent volume by weighing hair down.

2. Pat, don't rub, your hair with a dry towel to remove excess moisture without increasing frizz.

3. Comb your hair with a wide-toothed comb to remove any snarls or tangles before blow drying.

4. Massage a golf ball-sized amount of volumizing mousse through your tresses using your fingers.

5. Blow dry your hair in 4-inch wide sections and wrap each section around a wide-barrel brush as you blow dry. Point the blow dryer at the hair wrapped around the brush while pulling the brush upward and away from your scalp. Releasing the hair by lifting the brush upward gives your strands more volume than pulling the brush straight down.

6. Part your hair horizontally so it arches between the tips of your ears, like a headband, and measures 4 to 6 inches behind your forehead hairline.

7. Gather the hair above your horizontal part loosely. Pulling the hair taunt reduces the visible volume of your locks. Twist the gathered hair once at the scalp, then push the twist up toward the forehead hairline. The result is a subtle but voluminous bump that doesn't require teasing.

8. Secure a decorative clip directly below the twist of your half ponytail. Wrap an elastic immediately below the clip for extra security.

Tips & Warnings

• Secure stray wisps and loose strands with decorative hair pins or tiny clips.

• Curl the loose hair below the half ponytail using a wide-barrel curling iron for an extra bouncy style.

• Only apply mousse to hair within 2 inches of your scalp if you hair is fine, oily or becomes limp with styling products.

References

• "Dateworthy Hair in 20 Minutes or Less," by Rayna Fattouh. Glamour Magazine: August 2009.
• Kao Liese: Ladylike Half Ponytail for Semi-long Hair