Carolyn J. Braden • 2 Minute Read
Side Braided Ponytail Hairstyle Tutorials
Every summer I tend to braid my hair a lot or wear it up in a messy bun or a bun with a claw clip. Even when my hair was shorter, I still braided it to keep it off my face. There’s nothing fun about getting summer sweaty hair stuck all over your face. I started getting compliments on many of my braided hairstyles, so I decided to create this tutorial. Read on to get my side braided ponytail hairstyle tutorials.
The completed low ponytail hairstyle
I didn’t think side braided ponytail hairstyles were on trend until I was shopping in a grocery store recently and saw a young mom with her hair in a similar style. Any braided hairstyles tend to always look polished, are easy (if you know how to braid) and are great if you have an active lifestyle. My niece wears her hair in braids a lot as a very active teenager that plays basketball year-round.
One side of the low ponytail braid style
For this braided hairstyle, you need to know how to braid. If you don’t know how, there are numerous tutorials aimed at braiding beginners on YouTube, including this one, which has lots of views and lots of positive comments:
I ended up fishtail or fishbone braiding my hair for this particular style on this day, but I’ve also just done a basic braid for it too. It’s a very versatile style. I actually think fishbone braiding is easier than basic braiding as it’s only done with two strands of hair. Here’s how to fishbone braid your hair in an easy to follow YouTube video:
Step by Step Side Braided Hairstyle Tutorial:
I first sprayed some Not Your Mother’s dry shampoo (I’ve used all their varieties and they all work well) into my hair at my roots to give it a bit of texture and volume and to absorb oil, as I did this style on “second day hair” (meaning I didn’t wash it the same day).
My hair braiding loves
I wash my hair every two to three days so I don’t dry it out too much and because it’s gotten quite long. Dry shampoo does a great job to absorb oil so my next day hair doesn’t look greasy.
See me create this hairstyle in my one minute video tutorial below or via my YouTube channel @carolynjbraden:
I then brushed it out using the Unbrush (I really love this brush!) to distribute the dry shampoo and to untangle my hair. Then I used the end of a teasing brush to pull out a small section of hair to braid by my forehead. I add a bit of Braid Balm (it helps my braids stay in longer and helps with flyaways) then separate the piece into two strands and fishbone braid the section.
The first fishbone braid
I’ve also done this style with French braiding or just basic braiding it. I used a clear plastic ponytail holder to secure the end. The Goody Ouchless clear elastic ties are my favorite as they never snap or break.
To hold back sections of hair from getting mixed in with the braids, I use duck clips. See my cute fruit salad themed duck clips in my YouTube video below or via my YouTube channel @carolynjbraden:
I then used the end of the teasing brush to separate out another section of my hair on the other side of my head and fishbone braided that too. Sometimes I do this braid, sometimes I don’t. It depends on how much time I have. Then I secure that end with a clear ponytail holder too.
Two of the three braids
Sometimes at this point, if my hair is feeling really flat, I’ll tease the back of my hair to help fluff it up and to help my weird hair part vanish.
Then I use my hands to pull all my hair, including the braids into a low side ponytail. I’ll take a strand of hair and wrap it around the low ponytail holder to hide it and secure the end of the hair with a bobby pin.
I then either braid or fishbone braid the low ponytail and secure it with a clear or cute pom pom ponytail holder.
Low braided ponytail hairstyle
If I have time, I sometimes I’ll curl the low ponytail using my Beachwaver, which I really love. See my full review of my Multi Barrel Beachwaver by clicking here. Or, if my hair looks smooth or has a slight wave, I’ll just let the low ponytail be loose. Again, it’s a versatile hairstyle that can be tweaked according to your hair type and length.
You can leave the low ponytail loose too
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Carolyn J. (C.J.) Braden is the owner of Carolyn’s Blooming Creations is a regular contributor and editor for CBC. She has been featured in numerous media publications such as InStyle Magazine, on HGTV, on Bustle.com, and more. She is the author of the books Georgia McMasters in Amethyst Lake Cemetery, How To Be Yourself: 3 Ways To Help You Being You, and the illustrator for the children’s book Bridging Connections. She is a former classroom teacher that now dedicates her life to educating others on how to live their most healthy, creative and happy life. Learn more about her visiting our About Us page.