The Perfect Ponytail

The ponytail has been the perennial coif of choice for generations for both little girls and grown women alike. The perfect answer to a bad hair day, ponytails are the perfect way to get your hair out of your face and into control. It's also the quintessential summer hair-do keeping hair off of your neck on hot sunny days.

Ponytails are perfect for wearing to the market, the beach or even to a black tie event. While you can casually sweep your hair up and back with a hairband and head out the door , with a little extra effort you can create a sleeker, more stylish ponytail. If you have a few extra minutes to spare in your beauty routine, here are some great ways to polish your ponytail so that you looked groomed and gorgeous.

1. Try pulling your hair up into a high ponytail rather than a low one. The higher the ponytail, the longer and more elegant your neck will look.

2. To make your ponytail look more stylish, create some lift at the crown. Lightly backcomb the hair at the top of your head with a fine toothed comb, then smooth it back out. Spritz a little hairspray to keep the volume and shape then pull the rest of your hair up into ponytail.

3. Use a boar bristle brush if you can when creating the perfect ponytail as these types of brushes brush the hair tighter and closer to the head for less limps and bumps. Hair brushes with natural fibers tend to create less static than synthetic ones as well.

4. Use a ponytail holder or rubber band that is the color of your hair so that it blends in.

5. For an extra sleek look, try using a flat iron to straighten your hair before you put it in a ponytail, and if you prefer waves or curls, run a curling iron through your locks for a springier, flirty ponytail.

6. To catch random small hairs at the back of your head that don't quite make it up into your rubber band, comb a small pea sized amount of gel or mousse up towards your ponytail in order to catch these fly aways and keep them in place.

7. To avoid damaging your hair when you pull it back into a ponytail, try spraying some leave-in conditioner in it in order to add elasticity and shine.

8. Tame your actual ponytail by running a frizz smoothing product or a dab of conditioner or even hand lotion through it.

9. Make sure your ends are always trimmed and healthy. This will ensure that your ponytail looks healthy and full of bounce rather than bedraggled.

10. Remember that a ponytail tends to look best on hair that is not freshly washed. When hair is "day old dirty" it tends to hold styles better. Freshly washed hair can frizz out and look less sleek when gathered up in any type of up-do.

Follow these tips for a ponytail that will compliment your cutest bikini and your most fabulous cocktail dress as well as everything in between! It takes a few extra steps and a couple of extra minutes to turn your run of the mill, errand running hair-do into something chic, sleek and perfect for summer!