This pull through braids hairstyle looks playful, polished, and as if it took a lot of skill—but it’s super-easy to achieve. It’s popular, too. Influencers Amber Fillerup and Chrissy Ramussen have rocked the look or have done it on clients—with pigtails or a single pony version, respectively. Watch the video above or follow the steps below to try this hairstyle yourself.

What You’ll Need

A hairbrushA handful of elastics—the amount will depend on the length of your hairA curling ironFinishing or texture spray

Steps

Prep your hair.

We recommend starting with fresh waves so that there is already some texture to the hair, which helps it look thicker. If you’re going for the pigtail version like shown in the video, part the hair down the middle and pull the two sections of hair to the front.

Add clear elastic.

Fasten one side with a clear elastic, leaving out some face-framing hair if you want. Add another elastic about one inch down from the original.

Create a gap for the pull through.

Pull that section of hair apart to make a gap, then pull the remaining hair below it up and through the hole. Using your fingers, pull at the styled section to tease it a bit, making it appear fuller.

Add another elastic and repeat the process

Add another elastic an inch below the first section, and repeat the pull-through process down the length of the hair. If creating a pigtail, repeat this process for the second section.

Finish the loose pieces.

Grab your curling iron and curl the loose pieces in the front away from your face. You can curl the ends of the ponytail, too. Finish with a spritz of texturizing spray to keep hair in place.

How to Style

The places this style can take you are limitless. Pull through braids look just as amazing paired with athleisure wear as they do with a dressed-up look. You can even add hair clips or other accessories if you really want to elevate the style.