This Easy Hack From J Lo's Hairstylist Forever Changed My Half-Up Ponytails

As I've gotten older, I've learned to accept certain things about myself. I now understand that I have sensitive skin, so testing 10 different products in one week isn't great for me. I've also learned that I have fine hair, which means that thick, luscious hairstyles probably aren't in the cards for me without the help of extensions (or Jesus). But just because I've accepted this doesn't mean I don't still look for ways to fake fuller-looking hair. So, when I saw Jennifer Lopez's hairstylist, Chris Appleton, showcasing a hack for adding volume to a half-up, half-down ponytail, I knew I had to try it.

I've always loved the look of half-up hairstyles, but I've never really been able to master them. I've seen tons of cute looks on my social media feeds lately, but I've learned to just scroll past them — I honestly didn't think the style would work for my hair.

Previously, when I'd attempt the look, I would just separate my hair into two sections and then tie the top section in as tight a ponytail as I could manage. However, the top half of my hair would never stay in place: it always loosened over the course of the day or flopped to one side. Regardless of how tight I tied my ponytail, the style just never seemed to last.

I wasn't sure if my fine hair was the culprit or if I wasn't using the right tools, but I eventually came to the conclusion that those kinds of styles just weren't right for my hair. So, while I was optimistic about Appleton's hack (so many of his past hacks have worked wonders for me), I was definitely cautiously optimistic.

To test the hack, all I needed was a hair tie. I opted for the Goody Forever Ouchless Elastic Hair Ties ($5 for a pack of 10). These have been my favorite hair ties for my thin hair, because they're great at holding my hair in place throughout the day.

To start, I brushed all of my hair out to make sure there were no knots. I divided my hair into two sections by gathering the top half of my hair into a ponytail using my hands. Next, I secured the ponytail with my seamless hair tie, tying it around three times. I then loosened the elastic by dragging it down the ponytail about half an inch. After that, I took the top half of the ponytail situated above the hair tie and separated it into two sections, forming a small hole. Next, I used my pointer finger and thumb and reached through the hole, grabbing the bottom half of the ponytail (situated below the hair tie) and flipping it through the hole. The final step was tightening the ponytail.

When I looked in the mirror, the first thing I noticed was that securing my hair like this gave my hair tons of volume. While I used to have to position my ponytail at the top of my head to get similar amounts of volume, this hack let me achieve the look easily and seamlessly. However, the real test was whether the style would stay in place or whether I'd see my high half-up ponytail become a low ponytail in a few hours' time.

I decided to take my daily hot-girl walk during my lunch break and hopped on the treadmill. My hot-girl walk turned into a hot-girl run, and my hair was still looking pretty good by the end of my 30-minute workout — so I knew I'd found a winner.

I've been looking for new ways to style my hair, and this hack is at the top of my list. I've been using this method with my regular ponytails as well, and it always gives my hair tons of volume. My boyfriend has even noticed — and the compliments keep rolling in. If you've been looking for a way to master the half-up, half-down hairstyle or just want to make your ponytail look fuller, definitely give this trick a try.