How to Do a Messy Ponytail for a Cheer Competition

A messy ponytail is a casual, appropriate hairstyle for cheerleading.

Stand out from your cheer competitors by flaunting an edgy, messy ponytail. Most competitive cheer teams, which are also known as all-star teams, prefer to wear the traditional, sleek high-up ponytail or a neat half-up, half-down hairdo. A teased, messy ponytail can help a team stick out in the minds of the judges and is particularly appropriate if your music, routine and competition uniforms are more cutting edge than traditional.

Things You'll Need

• Gel or mousse
• Clips
• Comb
• Hairspray
• Ponytail holder
• Snap hair clips

Instructions

1. Apply a little styling product, such as gel or mousse, to your hair.

2. Tease or "rat" your hair lightly. Start by taking a small section of hair that will fit comfortably in your hand. Holding onto the section by the end with one hand, use your comb and the other hand to back-comb or tease your hair backward toward the roots. Spray with hairspray as you work. Continue ratting sections lightly until you have completed teasing your entire head of hair.

3. Apply a dab of gel to the underside and sides of your hair, then gather it all in an upward motion into a ponytail. Use a hair rubber band to hold it in place. Cheer ponytails should be placed high on the head, almost at the crown, if possible.

4. Tease sections of the ponytail again so that it appears even messier. Apply hairspray. If your team typically uses glitter hairspray, apply that to your hair instead.

5. Pull out a few messy pieces, but choose wisely. For safety reasons, the hair should never be styled in such a way that it could fall into the eyes of the cheerleader during a tumbling pass or during stunts.

6. Use snap-style clips to control any loose hair that shouldn't be loose.

7. Attach or tie your team's hair bow to your ponytail. Double check that it is secure; a bow that hits the mat can cause a team a safety point.

Tips & Warnings

• Bobby pins are not allowed at many cheer competitions because they can fall out of the hair during a tumbling pass or during stunting and become a safety hazard.

References

• fashionoutsider09: Allstar Cheer Hair and Makeup!
• Beauty High: Learn How to Do This Fun, Messy Ponytail
• pixiepal1234: How to Achieve the Super High Cheerleading Ponytail Hairdo
• JR Lancer Cheer: Dress Code and Uniforms
• WLJFL Cheer Competition Rules: General Items