- Here’s a mix of hair hacks that cover different hair types, styles, and effort (and skill) levels.
- Most can be made with things you already have at home. — very little specialized equipment required
- If you only learn one, turn it into the super quick ponytail trick
- Heatless styling and smarter drying techniques can make a real difference in defining curls and frizz.
TikTok’s algorithm is very good at making a 30-second clip look like a hair reveal, and my ego repeatedly tells me I can do styles that my clumsy fingers and thin hair say otherwise.
In an attempt to break this cycle and stop wearing a rushed, messy bun every morning, I’ve spent the last month putting TikTok’s most viral haircuts to the test.
The results were mixed: some changed my life; others have tested my patience, and below is my list of tricks covering different hair types, styles, effort, and skill.
Most of these also use things you probably already have at home and if I can handle it, I think anyone can!
The Super Quick Ponytail Trick
A low ponytail is probably the first look most people master when learning how to style their hair. It’s a simple classic, but it can get boring after a while.
If your hair is fine, the low ponytail may end up looking flat, or if you have shoulder-length hair, you may end up looking like one of the founding fathers…
This haircut, by Ava Scudillo, has been viewed more than 9.5 million times and only takes a few minutes.
- Place the top half of your hair loosely in a clip (any clip will do)
- Divide the remaining hair in two and pull each side over your shoulders.
- Loose your cropped hair
- Twist and wrap the two shoulder sections around the back of your head and pull forward again.
- Trim the top half again
- Pull the sections back and secure with a hair tie.
- Let the updo hair fall into place.
It suits slightly longer hair, just because you need to be able to keep the sections separate, but it worked well on my medium length hair and you don’t need dexterous fingers. If you can use a hair clip and bow, you’ll be able to master this trick! Plus, it’s meant to look sleek and undone, so no precision is needed.
The medium updo haircut with large volume
A slightly more complicated haircut than Ava Scudillo’s, but this style from influencer Audrey Victoria, once mastered, looks much more professional than the skill level would suggest.
It’s also great for enhancing an everyday half-up hairstyle or adding volume to a ponytail if you have fine hair.
- Gather half of your hair with a tie and leave half hanging.
- Loosen the tie a little and create a small gap just above where the ponytail sits.
- Pull the base of the ponytail through this space to create a twist.
- Create another smaller ponytail halfway up just below the original one.
- Now pull the second ponytail up through the original space created with the first.
The trickiest part is the little twist at the base of the first ponytail, but anyone who grew up in the ’90s will be familiar with this technique and it only requires a couple of practice attempts.
To make it even easier, I recommend practicing twisting a single ponytail first before adding the second one. Just so you can get an idea of how it should feel on your fingers.
Like the quick ponytail cut, the result should look undone and almost messy, making it another forgiving style.
The trick with clips for short hair
Hair clips are one of the easiest hair tools to use and can turn a regular ponytail into an updo in seconds.
However, this only works if you have enough hair to flow and fall down the sides of the clip. If your hair is fine or short it does not have the same effect.
That’s why this Katy McBride haircut is so great. It gives the illusion of having much more hair and is almost as fast as the original method.
- Create a messy, half-up ponytail/bun
- Create another ponytail at the bottom of your hair.
- Pull the bottom ponytail up and secure it in place under the messy bun with the claw clip.
If you want to make this look even more dramatic, pull strands of hair out of the messy bun or loosen it all up for more volume.
The hair behind the ears trick
Wearing your hair down is great until the strands get into your eyes or tickle your face.
Tucking it behind your ears is one solution, but either it won’t stay put or you’re left with an ear-shaped curvature when it inevitably falls forward again. Belaying with bobby pins is another, but being able to see the bobby pins can often ruin the overall mood.
TikToker Melise Krem has the perfect hair hack that solves this problem.
- Separate two strands at the front of your face, on either side of your part.
- Secure both with small hair ties, ideally the same color as your hair.
- Loosen each loop slightly and create a small gap just above where the ponytail sits.
- Pull the base of the ponytail through these spaces to create a twist.
- Pinch each tail so the tie is behind your ear.
- Bring the rest of your hair forward.
The beauty of this trick is that it works for almost all hair lengths, unless you have a pixie cut or similar, of course.
A separate trick is to use a flat iron or curling iron to remove the small hair ties. Instead of removing your tie (and a strand of hair with it), place a hot hair tool near the tie and the heat will cause it to break. In most cases, you don’t even need to touch it and then you can throw away the broken tie.
Easy curls without heat: they really are easy
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve tried to master the heatless curl trend, which involves wrapping your hair overnight so you wake up with ready-to-wear curls.
I also bought several heatless curl kits, but either I can’t wrap my hair well enough or it’s impossible to sleep with all the clips and twists. Especially since I sleep on my side.
However, thanks to this TikTok by Alexandra Haraldsson, I think I’ve finally done it. All you need is a couple of clean pairs of socks.
- Separate your hair into sections: the number and size will depend on how many curls you want and how many socks you have.
- Place the toe portion of the sock at the root and hold it in place.
- Wrap a section of hair around the sock—the tighter the wrap, the tighter the curls will be.
- Once you get to the end of the sock, turn it over so it’s over the curl you just created. The elastic top of the sock should keep it in place, or you can secure it further with a bobby pin.
- Repeat for the rest of your head and go to sleep.
- In the morning, take off your socks and that’s it!
If you wear cotton socks, your hair may become slightly curly when you detangle it.
I solved this by putting a few drops of hair oil in my hands and running my fingers through each curl. Avoid using a brush as this can make the frizz worse (in my experience).
If your hair is still slightly damp, use a diffuser or blow dryer on the lowest speed.
The Ultimate Faux French Braid
I don’t have the skill, patience, or hair type that makes French braids look so beautiful and effortless, but even I can handle this faux French braid haircut by Logan Rae Hill.
Instead of trying to play with three strands, start this braid with two at the front of your face and then twist all the way back until you reach the end.
- Separate two strands of hair at the front of your face.
- Spin on each other
- Add more hair to the first strand and twist it over the second.
- Add more hair to the second strand and twist it over the first.
- Continue until you reach the nape of your neck and you run out of extra hair to add to the locks.
- At this point, twist each strand once over itself and then wrap the twisted strand over the other.
- Repeat until you reach the end of your hair and secure with a hair tie.
This looks (and sounds) much more complicated than it is. The key is to make sure the turns at first are tight and as flat as possible, but you can be more carefree and loose as you work your way back.
You can also loosen each section again after tying the hair if it’s too flat or if you want more volume.
The hardest part is trying to keep the threads the same thickness, but even then, that can add to the overall look, so it’s not something you need to worry about.
Let yourself fall to achieve the ultimate curls
If you have curly or wavy hair, you’ve probably heard of the term plopping. Even if you haven’t actually tried it.
Instead of roughly drying your hair with a towel and potentially removing the natural curl or adding frizz, let your wet hair fall forward onto a microfiber towel or cotton T-shirt and wrap it around.
The idea is that a gentler blow-dry will reduce frizz while keeping curls defined.
As Kiana Davis demonstrates in the TikTok above, it’s also relatively easy to do.
- Put your towel or t-shirt on a table.
- Lean forward and “drop” your hair on top.
- Wrap the base of the shirt or towel around your forehead.
- Gently gather your hair into the rest of the towel/shirt and wrap it loosely around your head.
- Once dry, or damp, remove the towel/shirt.
It helps add as much hold as possible to hair before letting it down, in the form of gels or mousses, to maximize definition, lock in moisture to reduce frizz, and keep curls in place once you’ve toweled off.
You can leave it on for half an hour, or overnight, depending on your plans and if, when you remove the towel, your curls are still damp, you can diffuse them with a hair dryer or let them air dry.
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