How to Do a Messy Ponytail for a Cheer Competition

Stand out from your cheer competitors by flaunting an edgy, messy ponytail. Most competitive cheer teams, which are also known as all-star teams, prefer to wear the traditional, sleek high-up ponytail or a neat half-up, half-down hairdo. A teased, messy ponytail can help a team stick out in the minds of the judges and is particularly appropriate if your music, routine and competition uniforms are more cutting edge than traditional.

Things You'll Need

  • Gel or mousse
  • Clips
  • Comb
  • Hairspray
  • Ponytail holder
  • Snap hair clips
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Instructions

    • 1

      Apply a little styling product, such as gel or mousse, to your hair.

    • 2

      Tease or "rat" your hair lightly. Start by taking a small section of hair that will fit comfortably in your hand. Holding onto the section by the end with one hand, use your comb and the other hand to back-comb or tease your hair backward toward the roots. Spray with hairspray as you work. Continue ratting sections lightly until you have completed teasing your entire head of hair.

    • 3

      Apply a dab of gel to the underside and sides of your hair, then gather it all in an upward motion into a ponytail. Use a hair rubber band to hold it in place. Cheer ponytails should be placed high on the head, almost at the crown, if possible.

    • 4

      Tease sections of the ponytail again so that it appears even messier. Apply hairspray. If your team typically uses glitter hairspray, apply that to your hair instead.

    • 5

      Pull out a few messy pieces, but choose wisely. For safety reasons, the hair should never be styled in such a way that it could fall into the eyes of the cheerleader during a tumbling pass or during stunts.

    • 6

      Use snap-style clips to control any loose hair that shouldn't be loose.

    • 7

      Attach or tie your team's hair bow to your ponytail. Double check that it is secure; a bow that hits the mat can cause a team a safety point.