| The Perfect Add-On Pony |
| Karen Marie Shelton |
| Date: 2/14/2003, 10/24/2004, 3/27/2006 |
Introduction  Hot hair trends often take root at the annual celebrity awards shows like the Emmys, Golden Globes and Academy Awards. Stars and celebrities often walk the red carpet with tresses that signal the latest style movement. Drew Barrymore started a flower-in-the-hair craze when she appeared at a past Oscar’s ceremony adorned with daisies, while Jennifer Lopez (shown to the side) started a big hair movement after her 2002 Academy appearance.
(Image of Jennifer Lopez - Copyright ABC/CRAIG SJODIN).  Based on the beautiful people’s locks at the recent Golden Globes, ponytails are one of the hottest new hair fashions. From the slicked back low pony worn by Jennifer Aniston to the flirty barrette anchored tail worn by Sarah Jessica Parker, ponytails were sizzling. (Pictured: Jennifer Aniston, "Friends," Winner, Best Actress, TV Series, Musical or Comedy --60th Annual Golden Globe Awards - NBC Photo: Chris Haston - all rights reserved).
 The great news about ponytails is that they are an easy-to-create, universal hairstyle that can be adopted by any length or type of hair. Ponytails (as worn to the side by Nicole Kidman) can be styled at any height from high to low.
They can be casual or dressed up with loops, knots, curls, braids and an assortment of jewels and hair accessories. (NBC the Tonight Show: Jay Leno -- Pictured: Nicole Kidman -- NBC Photo: Margaret Norton). Even better, ponytails are often easier to style when hair is slightly aged from the last shampoo. Newly washed, soft, or slippery hair, can often be trickier to work with then “day old” hair.
Creating A Long Pony Sans The Growing Pains  With the current offering of natural hair extensions, short and medium length hair can instantly be transformed into a longer or thicker flirty tail like the one worn by Laura Flynn Boyle at the recent Golden Globes. (The Golden Globe Arrival Show -- NBC Special -- Pictured: Lara Flynn Boyle -- NBC Photo: Paul Drinkwater)
Celebrity hairstylist Ken Paves (shown below) was tasked with creating a divinely fun ponytail for Lara Flynn Boyle’s spectacular ballerina inspired gown. Since her hair is currently medium length with layers, Lara Flynn needed some add-on hair for fullness and length, which customized extensions instantly provided.  Starting with Lara Flynn’s “pre-washed and towel dried” hair, Ken trimmed her famous bangs which he then blow dried into a soft veil of hair using his fabulous big round boar’s brush. After applying a shine enhancing product to her tresses, Ken blew out the rest of her naturally curly mane, directing the airflow up the cuticle to build fullness and lift into the root area. (Photo of Ken Paves - Jeffrey L. Hines - Hairboutique.com - 2002 - all rights reserved).
Working with approximately two-inch sections of Lara’s hair, Ken rolled each newly dried chunk into large, layered, Velcro curlers. As Ken carefully unwound each Velcro roller, he immediately replaced it with very large hot curlers to guarantee tons of fullness. Letting the curls completely set and cool for close to 25 minutes, Ken carefully removed the curlers and then brushed and separated her hair into sections. Using a comb, he teased each individual section at the root to create height that was “several inches” off Laura Flynn’s head”. As he finished each section he “overlaid it with the next section until he had created the desired shape and fullness around the front and the crown sections”. Before he added Lara’s ponytail hair extensions, he crafted the front and sides of her locks to give them sexy movement with a hint of carefully managed tousle. Ken created Lara Flynn’s add-on pony to perfectly match her natural hair texture and hue. Ever the perfectionist, Ken took time to personally blend hair from each of the four custom pre-colored different swatches until he had just the right composition of hair. Once he had the perfect ponytail swatch, he meticulously cut, glued and then sewed the extensions by hand into a perfect ponytail that beautifully cascaded from LF’s voluminous crown. When he was finished with his masterpiece he sprayed Lara Flynn's entire head with old-fashioned firm holding hairspray from France and attached a fabulous pink ribbon bow. Tips For Instant Add-on Tails While you may not have a celebrity stylist like Ken Paves on hand to create a perfect pony like Lara Flynn’s, you can still achieve the same instant award-winning style. Follow these steps for creating your own version of a great ponytail: 1. Purchase an add-on ponytail or hairpiece in a length, thickness and color that is compatible with your current hair color or the look you wish to achieve. Add-on ponytails are available at many large beauty supply centers in a wide range of colors, lengths and styles. Hair extension experts can also craft a custom ponytail for you and your hair. When in doubt, ask your hairstylist to help you select the best add-on piece for you. 2. Whether your hair is super short or longer in length, match the rest of your hairstyle with the add-on ponytail piece. Prepare your hair by drying, curling and brushing so that the front and sides smoothly and seamlessly merge with the ponytail to give a natural look. 3. Anchor the hair carefully and securely to the rest of your head. Whether you attach the pony to the top of your scalp or near the nape of your neck, take your time to make sure the pony is firmly attached. When possible, use hairpins that match your hair color to minimize detection. Consider using a long piece of your own hair to wrap around or overlay the top of the pony to create a more natural looking connection. 4. Camouflage the area where the add-on ponytail merges with your natural hair by adding a gorgeous jeweled ponytail holder like a silver or gold HairLoop™, crystal encrusted barrette or other hair babble to draw attention away from any obvious seams or attachment pieces. 5. Be creative and have fun. Apply a light glitter infused gel or spray to the front of your hair or near the top where the ponytail is attached. 6. Apply a light shine defrissant product to the palms of your hands and carefully glide over your own hair and to the ends of your ponytail to add shine and remove frizz. Use a curling iron to carefully curl the ends of the ponytail to give it a finished look. Finish with a light hairspray. 7. Try other ponytail related looks for an instant change. Wrap the ponytail into a topknot, ballerina bun or soft nape-hugging chignon. Summary Regardless of the length or condition of your own hair, an add-on pony offers endless possibilities for instantly updating and changing your style. Don’t be surprised if you start to see a lot more ponytails in the very near future since their recent appearance on the Hollywood red carpets. |