Table of Contents
Introduction
The messy ponytail haircut is in itself a staple in hairstyles these days; beloved for that chilled and fashionable feel it gives out. It’s informal chic, meaning it will get along very well for so many different reasons. Quick fix on an overly busy day, just to get some volume added on, or maybe just love to have the effortless look – there’s a little bit of everything you may want.
Let’s discuss different ways you can style a messy ponytail. I have talked about the classic look as well as the trendier variations such as braids and colorful accents. This guide will set you off experimenting in your forays into this versatile, fashion-forward style!
The Classic Messy Ponytail

A messy ponytail is one of those classic go-to hairstyles for a chic, effortless look with almost no time and effort invested at all. It is a style with just a little playfulness of messiness to it, thus being suitable for nearly any type of occasion, whether it is a casual outing or an even more polished event The messy ponytail is a very casual yet stylish hairdo where the hair gets pulled back into a ponytail but with an undone soft look.
Rather than a sleek and perfectly combed ponytail, the messy version allows for volume, texture, and natural movement, making it appear as though you’ve spent little time styling, even though you’ve carefully crafted the perfect amount of mess.
Achieving the Perfect Messy Ponytail:
- Start with either clean hair or slightly textured hair, as freshly washed hair can sometimes be too slippery to hold a messy style.
- Spritz with texturizing spray or dry shampoo for a relaxed, piecey effect.
- Sweep hair back to one side, and secure with an elastic band, leaving the ponytail a bit loose on top for added volume.
- Brush some stray hairs around your face out of the ponytail for that undone look.
Braided Messy Ponytail

The braided messy ponytail is a twist of creative ways that add braids to give it texture and dimension making it sort of classy. The overall look blends the playful fun of the messy ponytail with intricate braids to come out with something very versatile that works out in quite several settings. Great for someone who wants a little more detail within the ponytail but maintains that undone, effortless look.
A braided messy ponytail is adding braid or multiple braids to a ponytail to incorporate texture and visual interest with some structure. It keeps the same loose, tousled texture of the classic messy ponytail but adds this dimension of complexity and movement that lifts the whole look. You can use one big braid down the middle or several smaller ones to come up with variations of this style.
How to Create a Braided Messy Ponytail:
- Take your hair into a loose ponytail with some volume at the crown.
- Braid one section of hair from the nape. It could be a regular three-strand braid, a fishtail braid, or even a French braid for added details.
- Loosen it by gently pulling apart sections of the braid after braiding.
- Braid the rest and secure with a hair tie. Let the rest of your hair fall loose into a messy ponytail.
Half-Up Messy Ponytail

The half-up messy ponytail combines the best elements of both the half-up hairstyle and the classic messy ponytail, making it a fun and practical style for those days when you just want to keep your hair out of your face but still have the natural texture and volume come through. This look is stylish yet easygoing, thus ideal for a wide range of events-from rather casual excursions to slightly more polished affairs.
A half-up messy ponytail gathers the top half of your hair into a ponytail or bun but allows the rest down with texture or waves added in. The mess comes from the loose, relaxed, and voluminous nature of the ponytail, and sometimes the bottom is curled or waved to add to the texture of the ponytail. The result is a very carefree yet put-together look that works for almost all hair types.
Achieving Volume and Texture:
- Comb your hair, letting it divide the top half from the rest. Let the bottom half loose.
- Tease that top section just at the roots to get a volume going. Bring up into a loose ponytail or bun the top half of the hair.
- Let that fall back and secure using ties or clips and leave the rest loose, but with waves or curls falling out.
- You can add some texture by spraying light texturizing spray or mousse to give that whole voluminous outlook.
Messy Ponytail with Hair Accessories

Hair accessories may make the normally messy ponytail look good; this is one of the easier ways to make a simple but elegant hairstyle. For a more playful, sophisticated, or edgy look, the messy ponytail can be turned into a statement hairstyle with accessories, such as scrunchies, clips, and ribbons, which bring character to the ponytail.
A messy ponytail with hair accessories is a casual, textured ponytail embellished with fun or elegant additions such as hair clips, scrunchies, ribbons, or headbands. These accessories add another dimension to your look, giving it a personal touch that may reflect your style or the occasion.
Popular Accessories to Add to Your Messy Ponytail:
- Scrunchies: Perfect for achieving a vintage look they are available in a tremendous amount of fabric and colors with a personality attached to them.
- Clip: Any ornamental clip or bobby pin used can pin the stray hair pieces that appear loose. Or with some messy strands, defined hair appears more.
- Ribbon: With a playfully feminine ribbon tied in the bottom part of the ponytail. Textured Messy Ponytail
Check Out: The Bubble Ponytail Haircut: A Haircut That’s Here T0 Stay.
Textured Messy Ponytail

It is a textured messy ponytail, as opposed to the classic messy ponytail. Here, the texture plays the hero, whereas, in the case of the classic messy ponytail, it is about letting it be because of the natural volume. A lot of creating depth and dimension would give it a more voluminous and lived-in look. A textured messy ponytail can look effortlessly chic, giving you the best of both worlds when it comes to relaxed and polished looks, working well with nearly any hair type. A simple ponytail can become dynamic and fashion-forward if you use the right techniques and products.
A textured messy ponytail is a style where the ponytail is styled deliberately to create volume, waves, and a bit of a disheveled look. Texture gives this ponytail the deliberately messed look but adds fullness and movement to the same ponytail. The texture usually includes curled or wavy ends, tousled layers, and volume added on top to give a more dynamic and full-bodied appearance to the ponytail.
Recommended Products for Texture:
- Sea Salt Spray: Adds to natural beachy wave and enhances your texture for that messy ponytail
- Mousse: Keeps hair holding volume with lifting at the root without the weigh-down
- Texturizing Spray: Provides hold while offering fullness, thereby making it easy to maintain a look voluminous and pretty messy using holding up well throughout the day.
Techniques for a Textured Finish:
- Apply your chosen texturizing product to damp hair before blow-drying for volume and texture from the get-go.
- Once dry, simply use your fingers to tousle your hair for added volume or curl random sections of your ponytail for a more relaxed, tousled look.
Low Messy Ponytail with Face-Framing Layers

A very classy and carefree version of the classic ponytail, the low messy ponytail with fringe brings softness and movement to your whole look. In this sense, it incorporates the ease of the messy ponytail with the glamour and the flattering touch of layers. It would be a chic and relaxed low ponytail, while the layers would give a smooth, romantic touch making this haircut good for even casual meetings and more proper events.
Lower messy ponytail It is a ponytail resting at the nape of the neck rather than higher on the head when it holds face-framing layers. The “messy” part is a droopy ponytail loose, relaxed hairstyle, while “face-framing layers” are strategically designed pieces of strands that drop over the cheeks softly outlining the face so it flows well. Such a haircut is elegant and yet easily managed, and it really gives a class, yet casually elegant look so perfect for one who likes looking fine and laid back.Benefits ofr Different Face Shapes:
- Round Faces: The low pony stretches out the face, but layers throughout the face counterbalance its roundness.
- Square Faces: Rounds out the sharp jawline, and adds softness to your face with layered loose curls.
- Oval Faces: Accentuate natural symmetry with an oval-shaped face while giving the right amount of volume to have a good balance on your face.
Colorful Messy Ponytail

A fun, bold twist on the classic ponytail, this messy ponytail in colors will add some vibrant playfulness to your daily hairstyle. By adding a burst of color, whether it’s in the hair itself or accessories, you are able to let your personality shine through. Be it in the form of pastel hues, neon colors, or ombre, the colorful messy ponytail is a great way to show off some personality while retaining that easy, laid-back feel of a messy pony.
A colorful messy ponytail is simply a messy, textured ponytail, this time the hair will come colored bright or bold, providing color to the style. Apply to it full-color dyeing, highlights, or a temporary hair color spray. Bring playful colors into the ponytail and still follow suit with the messy tousle. It’s pretty flexible and can be managed even according to your mood outfit or occasion.
Incorporating Color:
- Bright pink, blue, or purple can be given in a ponytail for a fun and showy look.
- Subtle highlights or ombre give depth and dimension to a messy ponytail.
- The ombre effect is done by going from dark to light hues. It gives your messy ponytail the impression of movement.
Messy Ponytail with Twists and Braids

A messy ponytail can add an advanced level to the simple ponytail with intricate textures that add depth to the overall style. The relaxed vibe of a messy ponytail comes together with touch, sophistication, and creativity in one look. The ponytail can be twisted or braided as an accent along the sides of the head.
How to Create a Messy Ponytail with Twists and Braids:
- Begin with Textured Hair: It starts with either having your hair in its natural state of texture or adding some volume and waves using your curling iron, texturizing spray, or dry shampoo to achieve that messy foundation.
- Add Braids or Twists You can add a braid or twist on each side of the hair before pulling the rest into a ponytail. For a less tight look, you should try a loose braid like a Dutch or fishtail braid. You will make simple two-strand twists that frame the face for a sleeker polished twist.
- Gather the Hair into a Ponytail: Once the braids or twists are in place, gather the remaining hair into a low or high ponytail. You can either braid or twist the ponytail itself for an added detail or leave it loose for a more casual look.
Messy Ponytail with a High Volume Crown

The high-volume crown style is good if you want to add dramatic touches to your messy ponytail as long as you have the right crown volume and sleek rest at the back or the remaining parts messily styled. What this gives is an astonishing style which is not for everyday wearing but yet quite stylish.
How to Create a Messy Ponytail with a High-Volume Crown:
- Create volume at the crown. First, tease this section. This is the secret that is going to make or break your ponytail if it is not big enough in volume. To help make this happen, pull this section up. Comb a little hairspray here as well.
- Now pull up the rest of your hair and take it back into a messy ponytail. You can do this either at the nape of your neck or further back, depending on how far you want to bring that ponytail up. The higher you pull that ponytail, the more dramatic your volume at the crown is going to be.
- Add Texture: There can be waves or texture added to the ponytail itself by using a curling iron or straightener. Sections of the ponytail can be pulled with your fingers to make it look messy and loose.
Conclusion
The messy ponytail is more than just a simple hairstyle; it’s a versatile expression of personality. From the messy ponytail of old to braided styles, colorful accents, you can come up with an endless number of ways to make this ponytail yours. You easily go casual, or chic with this hairstyle, which adjusts to the mood or the occasion that you want it to portray. So do not hold back, explore different styles, textures, and colors for the perfect messy ponytail that suits your style. Enjoy the playfulness and flexibility of this timeless look, and let your imagination go wild!
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FAQs
How can I make my messy ponytail look voluminous?
Start by adding some volume with texture. Use a texturizing spray, dry shampoo, or mousse to start the process. Alternatively, you can tease the roots and backcomb parts of your hair at the crown. Finally, loosen up the curls in the ponytail or gently pull out small parts of it for a fuller look that seems relaxed.
What hair types work best for a messy ponytail?
Messy ponytails work well with various hair types, but they particularly shine with:
- Wavy and curly hair: A great texture for getting away with a messier, fuller look.
- Straight hair: Perfect for this style because some texture or wave with the right styling tools adds dimension.
- Thick hair: They will hold well and add volume to the ponytail.
- Fine hair: Even fine hair can pull off a messy ponytail, as volumizing products help create the texture.
How do I keep my messy ponytail in place all day?
Strong-hold hairspray or texturizing spray would be helpful to set this style of messy ponytail. That strong hair tie with a scrunchie or elastic band ensures that the ponytail will be well secured in place. That extra hold at the crown or along the sides of the ponytail comes when small areas are lightly teased and backcombed with a bobby pin keeping everything in place.