How to Do a Braided Side Pony

Lay your secured side braid on your shoulder casually.

Braided, side ponytails are a casual, simple style that any girl can execute. French braids, which run down the back of the head, are almost impossible to achieve without help. Side braids are loose and even embrace slight imperfections, which suits them perfectly to solo styling. That is not to say the style is not fitting for formal occasions. Embellish the style with a glamorous hair accessory to ensure its special occasion-worthiness, or simply sport the chic style any time the mood strikes.

Things You'll Need

• Hairbrush
• Hair dryer
• Hair styling cream
• Hair elastic

Instructions

1. Brush freshly washed hair to remove any tangles. Dry your hair thoroughly with a hair dryer or by air-drying it. Avoid brushing your hair as it dries -- unless it is to prevent tangles -- so that your hair has a natural texture.

2. Apply a bead of hair styling cream to your palm. Rub your hands together to distribute the product. Run your hands through your hair to apply the cream. This helps manage potential flyaways since applying product to a braid is almost impossible.

3. Gather your hair in a low ponytail at the nape of your neck. Move the ponytail to the side of your head. Secure the base of the ponytail with one hand. Hold it close to the top of your ear.

4. Pull one or two short pieces of hair out of the ponytail to frame your face, if desired. Choose pieces of hair that are longer than bangs but shorter than chin-length.

5. Run your fingers through your hair, into the hand that is securing the ponytail. Loosen your grip on the ponytail slightly to keep the arrangement from looking too tight or severe.

6. Separate the hair into three equal sections near the top of your ear. The sections likely vary in length since you are styling your hair to the side. Hold two sections in one hand and hold the remaining section in your other hand.

7. Cross the left section over the middle section. This action requires you to swap sections of hair between your hands. Throughout the process, you alternate which hand holds two sections at a time.

8. Cross the right-most section over the middle section. Ignore where each section used to be. Pay attention only to where the section is in your present arrangement.

9. Repeat the crossing process: left over middle, right over middle. Braid the hair until you reach the end of the shortest section in the arrangement. Hold the bottom of the braid in place with one hand.

10. Pick up a hair elastic. Wrap it around the bottom of the braid until it is secure. Though you began the braid near the top of your ear, the arrangement should loosen and appear to begin closer to the bottom of your ear.

Tips & Warnings

• While you can style your hair in a side braid when it is not freshly washed, it looks best with loose, soft hair around the crown, which is harder to achieve with hair that already has a slight buildup of products and natural oils.

• Some girls must look in the mirror as they braid their hair to ensure they are doing it correctly. Others don't look in the mirror and braid by feel. Determine which method works best for you and braid accordingly.