Ponytails are notorious for being the busy-girl’s go-to style for those hectic days filled with workout classes, marathon meetings, and horribly humid bad hair days. Even though it might seem like a simple, lazy girl look, a few small tweaks can quickly turn your pony into a chic style that anyone can rock.

To keep this gym staple from becoming boring, we had Gina Watkins from L’ANZA Healing Haircare help us create five incredible pony options at the Ammon Carver L’ANZA Healing Haircare Studio in NYC.

Read on for a few easy step-by-step tutorials for updating your pony this fall!

1Rock ‘n Roll Pony

Braided Side Pony
Photography by Alex Schaefer.
  1. Section off the top of your hair into a mohawk-like section from the top of your head. Extend it back to where your head begins to curve in to meet your neck.
  2. Clip that top section out of the way because you’ll later use this to create your ponytail.
  3. Grasp the sides that you left loose and create a french braid on each side.
  4. Spritz the underside of the original mohawk section with a bit of hairspray and tease the hair by backcombing it underneath in order to get extra volume at the top. This will create a cushion to hold the top up.
  5. Then, lightly brush the top layer back (without brushing out the teased sections) so that the strands lie smooth.
  6. When you’re finished, loosen the braids by pulling at each ring to expand them. Take each end and wrap it around the hair elastic for added texture and detail.

2The Braided Mohawk Pony

Braided Pony
Photography by Alex Schaefer.
  1. Section the hair from your temple, moving straight back toward the back of the head.
  2. With the top section, do a French braid moving backward, keeping it big and loose.
  3. Once the big braided section is finished, gather the sides and tie it all together. Go back to the braid using a comb to lift and expand it for a looser look.
  4. Take about an inch-sized piece from your pony and wrap it around the elastic.

If you’re looking to up the glam factor, a little YouBeauty trick is to curl the ends of your pony with a curling iron (we’re loving the The Beachwaver Professional Rotating Curling Iron by The Beachwaver Co. right now) and tease a bit. The bigger the better!

3The Braided Mohawk Bun

Braided Bun
Photography by Alex Schaefer.
  1. Follow the same steps taken for the braided mohawk ponytail, but instead of letting the pony lay loose, wrap it up in a ballerina bun.
  2. Secure the ends with bobby pins.

READ MORE: Are Ponytails Bad For Your Hair?

4Five Strand Bun

Low Pony
Photography by Alex Schaefer.
  1. Leave hair loose, and create a deep side part on one side.
  2. In vertical sections, make five small ponytails going across the nape of the neck.
  3. Then, split the pony that’s farthest to the left into two sections. Pull the next pony through the center and secure the split ends with an elastic.
  4. Take the pony you just pulled through the left one and split it how you did the first time. Pull the next pony through the split ends and secure with an elastic.
  5. Repeat across the nape of your neck (use butterfly clips to keep it up and separated) and continue down and around so that there are two rows of intertwined hair.
  6. Once finished, pull everything out and push stray pieces underneath the entwined ropes.
  7. This style may look super intricate, but it’s more of a “play as you go” kind of look!

Gina Watkins’ quick tip: Whenever you’re trying to smooth out your ponytail, take the tail end of your comb and stick it underneath the top layer of your hair while sliding it down. It’ll smooth the hair without getting those bumps at the bottom.

5Low Side Pony

Side Braid
Photography by Alex Schaefer.
  1. Give yourself a side part and separate the front section of the thinner side into two vertical ponytails next to each other.
  2. The first pony that’s closest to the hairline is going to come back, while the second ponytail behind it is going to split into two parts and come forward.
  3. Put an elastic around the split pieces that came forward to keep it together.
  4. Keep using this technique until you reach the back of the head. Loosen the loops so they create a bolder look.
  5. Sweep remaining hair to the side and pull into a low pony.

Images by Alex Schaefer Photography.

READ MORE: The 8 Ultimate Oil-Absorbing Dry Shampoos You Need Now