Ponytail With Braids Tutorial: An Easy Hairstyle For Mixed Race Curly Hair

Inside: An easy, pretty hairstyle for mixed race curly hair is a ponytail with braids. Learn how to get the look with this tutorial!

I’m always looking out for new hairstyle inspiration for my daughter. 

While it’s great to have a handful of go-to styles, I love finding new ones that are relatively easy, but still look really pretty. 

Plus my daughter’s now got pretty strong opinions on how she likes her hair styled! So I need to find compromises between what she likes and what I can actually do, (I’m getting much better with my technical abilities, but I’m still no expert hairstylist!).

This style is one we were able to agree on. I don’t know if it has an actual name, but I call it a ponytail with braids.

If you’re looking for a hairstyle that’s easy to do, looks really cute, and is easy to maintain, you’ll want to try this braided ponytail for biracial hair!

I’ll break down the steps for an easy to follow tutorial.

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Tutorial For A Ponytail With Braids

This style is easiest to do after your biracial hair care routine, when the hair is detangled and wet. Braiding the hair when it’s wet will not only keep the braids looking sleek, but it won’t tangle as much as it would when it’s dry. (When dry, the ends of curly hair are like two slinkies that intertwine with each other!)

Also keep your spray bottle handy because your child’s hair may start to dry out and you’ll need to get it wet again.

1. Put some leave in conditioner in your hands and rub it together, and then apply it to their hair from the bottom to the top. 

You can also apply some curl cream for added moisture.

Find the best products for mixed curly hair here.

2. For a frizz-free, shiny ponytail, you can apply edge control to the front of their hair and smooth it in.

I took some edge control, rubbed it together in my hands so it would evenly distribute and smoothed it into the hairline and top of her head. 

3. Then I combed the hair back into a ponytail, which also helped evenly distribute the edge control through the hair, and secured the ponytail with a hair tie.

If you want to lay your child’s edges down, you can use an edge control brush and shape them the way you want them to look. I use this edge control for my daughter’s hair because it doesn’t flake, gives a nice shine, and adds some moisture to her edges and hairline.

Keep in mind, using edge control is optional. If your kid doesn’t get the little frizz halo along their hairline or it doesn’t bother you, you don’t have to use it.

4. Once it’s in a ponytail, you can take a section to begin making braids.

You can decide if you want to make big or small braids depending on how much hair your child has, or their temperament, (how long they’ll sit still).

My daughter was pretty antsy so I made bigger braids.

5. Take your section, separate it from the rest of the ponytail, and comb it to make it smooth.

6. Put a little gel in the section you’re working on because it provides better hold and helps prevent frizz.

7. Braid that section tightly, (you’ll be doing a regular braid) and secure it with a hair band. I prefer these black hair bands because they’re excellent at staying in small sections of hair, (like the ends of braids). 

Learn how to french braid curly hair here.

8. Put the finished braid to the side, and continue these steps with the next section, until all the sections are finished.

I found it easiest to make the braids right next to each other as I was working through the ponytail, so I could keep the loose hair on one side and the finished braids on the other.

Keeping the sections separate helps keep flyaways from getting into the braid you’re working on.

9. For the ends of her hair I always leave them in little curls. I put a small amount of curl cream in my fingers and rub them together, and twirl the ends in the direction that follows their natural shape. Then when they dry they’re little spiral curls. 

10. At night I put her satin bonnet over her hair to keep it protected. My daughter’s braids are long, so I gather them up in the back and tuck them into the bonnet.

Here are some other overnight biracial hair tips.

In the morning, sometimes the braids are slightly curved instead of straight from being slept on, but throughout the day they straighten out again.

Final Thoughts

The best thing about this ponytail with braids, (besides that it’s easy and cute) is if there’s a braid that got loose, or too frizzy, you can re-do that one braid without having to take out the entire hairstyle!

You would just take out the braid that needs to be re-done, spray it with water, put a little more leave in conditioner and gel, comb it to smooth it, and re-braid.

This mixed girl hairstyle is easy to do, requires only a few products and accessories, and you don’t have to be an expert stylist to do it!

Related Reading

Biracial Hair Care Tips For Soft, Defined Curls

The 10 Best Shampoos For Mixed Curly Hair

6 Protective Hairstyles For Biracial Hair