Beyond the Ponytail

Criss-Cross Bands

Neat for days. No braiding.

By Martin, the dad behind Dad Hair Hero. The steps are the ones in the app.

Full steps in the free app, in Beyond the Ponytail.

Criss-Cross Bands, the finished style: back view

Time: About 15 minutes
Steps: 6
Level: Takes real practice
Hair type: Every hair type
Ages: Young children to pre-teens
Hair length: Hair that touches her shoulders, or longer

You'll need tail comb, soft scrunchies or fabric bands, fine-mist water bottle, sectioning clip. For curly and coily hair, also leave-in conditioner.

Small pigtails banded in rows and joined diagonally with their neighbors, building a crossed, lattice-like pattern down the head.

Her job

She hands you one band at a time.

What the steps cover

Prepare the hair
Make the front row
Split and cross
Make one more row
Finish the ends
Check the edges

The full steps, with a picture for each and what to check before you move on, are in the app, in Beyond the Ponytail, with the curly and coily method where it differs.

Full steps in the app

Beyond the Ponytail is an optional one-time pack of twelve styles in the Dad Hair Hero app. You pay once and they are yours to keep. There is no subscription, and you can see every style in the pack before you decide. Once it is yours, the app does four things this page cannot:

Her hair, not hair in general. Choose Straight, Wavy, Thick, Curly or Coily under "her hair today" and the steps and pictures change to the method for her hair.
A check before every step. Each step ends with what it should look and feel like, so you know it is right before you move on.
Fix It, mid-style. When something is not right, "Something's not right" opens the fix for it without leaving the step.
The diary. Add a photo and a note when you finish, and see what you have done and what to try next.

Free, with six everyday styles and all eight techniques. No account, no ads, no tracking.