Ponytails are the plain white t-shirts of the hair world. The most casual version is great for the gym (or super-sweaty summer days); a sophisticated and sleek version is perfect for work; and with proper styling, the fanciest one in your arsenal would look right at home on a red carpet. In other words? They're easy, versatile, and go with everything.
That's why one of the main reasons why people shy away from cutting their hair short is the fear that they won't be able to put it into a ponytail. The style is too much of a staple to say goodbye to! But, we're here to tell you that you don't have to.
With enough elbow grease and creativity, even the shortest strands can be pulled into a pony. Don't believe us? Here are 18 ponytails for short hair ideas to serve as proof.
Meet the Experts
- Gina Riverais a hair artist and founder Phenix Salon Suites.
- Clyde Haygoodis a celebrity hairstylist and PURA D’OR partner.
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Bowtail
Bows are an easy—and highly on-trend—way to make a DIY pony look professionally styled. All you need is a piece of ribbon, and you’ve got dozens of different ways to play.
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Chain Tail
Give a simple sleek pony an edgy, unexpected upgrade by using a jewelry-inspired adornment to hide your hair tie. For an easy hack, secure your pony with an itty bitty braiding elastic, then loop it through a ring you’ve already got in your collection. Secure it from underneath using bobby pins, and voila—you’ve got a fresh new hair accessory you didn’t have to spend a dime on.
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Tousled Texture
For achieving these sorts of undone waves, a texture spray will be your BFF. "Don't fight your waves embrace them!" says Rivera. " To add body at the root and ends, scrunch and place your pony at the occipital bone leaving the remaining hair left to its natural wave. Pull out some face-framing pieces to add to the softness."
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Simple Pull Back
Yara Shahidi's mini ponytail proves that you don't need any extra glitz and glam to make the style work for short strands. Her simple pulled-back look includes some loose curls around the face for an extra effortless result.
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Va Va Volume
This look is a master class in tricks you can use to add a little extra volume to a short ponytail. Curling your hair before styling, wrapping your elastic with hair, and teasing in multiple different directions will all help give itty-bitty poniesa little extra oomph.
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Puffed Short Pony
A set of perfect curls gives this puffy pony its high-impact energy. To keep your own coils this bouncy, a hydrating conditioner and a lightweight, nourishing styling cream should be routine staples.
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Golden Cuff Accent
We all love a ponytail that sits on the top of the head, but sometimes it's just easier to quickly secure hair at the nape of the neck. Using a hair tie with a built-in accessory, such as this gorgeous golden cuff, will make your simple style look elevated and elegant.
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Knotted Pink
Not only is is this sculptural ponytail extremely cool looking, but it also comes with the added bonus of helping you fake more volume in your short-haired pony. Knotting the hair around your elastic helps to prop it up, giving the look a little extra lift.
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Wide-Wrapped Pony
There’s something so understatedly elegant about this middle-part low ponytail. Whether it’s done with a section of hair or a ribbon, wrapping an elastic around nearly half your ponytail length is one of the easiest ways to instantly make your style feel fancy.
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Double Delight Bows
In hair, much like in tying your shoes, two bows are better than one. A double dose of ribbons gives you even more options for experimenting. Steal a page from Lucy Hailey and use a bow duo to decorate an undone, half-up pony.
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Pearl Detailing
To create this Disney Princess-worthy ponytail, celebrity stylist Kristen Ess loosely twisted together two sections of hair and pinned them together with a pearl. It’s hard to decide which we love more: The fairytale styling or the thoughtful finishing touch.
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Micro Ponytail
This look is proof that you can turn even the shortest cut into a polished ponytail. The trick? A lot of gel, and an elastic that is small enough (and tight enough) to hold your hair in place.
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Silk Scrunchie
Scrunchies do more than just hold up our hair. The 80s hair accessory is the perfect way to add a bit of flare to the classic updo. In this case, the silk material also helps prevent breakage.
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Preppy Half Pony
Zendaya served up some serious style with this tennis-inspired look. In her case, the preppy pony was much more "red carpet fashion" than "on the court function," but you can tailor your version to meet your needs.
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Mid-Ponytail Braid
Ponytails often vacillate between the "high" and "low" extremes but don't sleep on the oft-forgotten mid-height option. To achieve this ideal position, secure your pony slightly lower than the peek of your scalp. Feel free to dress things up with a little braid detailing.
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Looped Ponytail
Though Vanessa Hudgens' boho-chic look may technically be a looped bun, we say it counts considering the majority of the hair is left out of the elastic. This is an easy style that can span edgyand romantic, depending on your makeup and clothing choices.
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Bobby Pin Pony
Add an element of interest to a classically sleek ponytail by decorating it with a line of bobby pins. The stark contrast between Khloé Kardashian's bright blonde hair and these ebony black pins looks especially cool.
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Pinned Back
When you've got cropped hair, it can be hard to get those super-short pieces to stay in an elastic—which is where bobby pins come in. "Take your time getting short pieces to lay right. Secure with a ponytail holder and then use either a gel or hairspray to topcoat hair and hold anything loose," recommends Haygood. Steal some inspo from Sarah Paulson, and make them a part of your look instead of trying to hide them.
FAQ
How can I make my ponytail more voluminous?
Whether you're working with thinner hair or not a whole lot of length, it can be tricky to fake avoluminous ponytail. To pump things up, stylists recommend propping up the base of the pony with some pins, teasing it in different directions, or wrapping the elastic in a section of hair. Of course, extensions can also help.
How can I use ponytail extensions?
Speaking of extensions, these days it is extremely easy to pop a set into your own hair and make your puny ponytail look a whole lot bigger.Clip-in extensionswork well with updos and give you instant volume, and these days there are a lot of really great options on the market that aren't super expensive.
To use them, begin by brushing your hair and then sectioning it. Next, clip in an extension to each section of hair from the nape of your neck to your crown. Finish by brushing hair out and styling it into your ponytail of choice.
How short can I cut my hair and still be able to wear it in a ponytail?
These examples go to show that almost *every* short hairstyle can be pulled into a ponytail—but there are, of course, some exceptions. Generally speaking, the question of "how short is too short" depends on how you style your ponytail (e.g. a low ponytail can work with shorter hair lengths than a high ponytail). To be leave your styling options open, stick with shoulder length hair, which should give you versatility with your looks. For instance, with shoulder-length, pieces won't fall out when styling hair into a high ponytail.