When you only have five or ten minutes to do your hair, but you still want to make sure you look presentable, what do you do? Instead of freaking out or giving up altogether, you should have a stash of five-minute hairstyles that look incredible every time you pull them out. Here are just a few hairstyles you should try out next time you’re in this situation.

Pinned Side Part

This is one of the easiest ways to jazz up a very simple side part. It’s also a great excuse to invest in some cute barrettes. All you have to do is part your hair to one side; this works best with a medium side part, but you can do a very low side part if you like the look. Then take some shiny barrettes and pin the longer side in place.

Single Twist

This style relies on making it look like your hair is twisted in on itself. Although it looks very complicated and elegant, it’s actually surprisingly easy. Take a piece of hair from the left side of your head, then pin it to the right. Take a piece from the right side, then cross it over that piece of hair and tuck it underneath the piece you’ve already pinned. Pin that piece in place and you’re done.

Knot Ponytail

You’ve probably never thought of simply knotting your hair into a ponytail, but that’s exactly what this daring style does. All you have to do is separate your hair into two equal parts, then knot them together. If you have longer hair, you can knot the hair a couple of times. Once you’ve reached the number of knots you like, pin the ends of your hair underneath using bobby pins to keep them out of the way.

Braided Low Ponytail

This can help you maintain a lovely-looking ponytail without subjecting your hair to as much stress. As an added bonus, it’s also a great way to keep your ponytail in place a little more effectively. To complete this, start a French braid high up on your head, then braid it all the way down to the bottom of your hair. Once you’ve put all the hair into your braid, tie it off in a ponytail. Curl the ends for even more flair.

Quick Short-Hair Twist

People with short hair deserve quick and easy hairstyles that really bump their look up a bit as well. This look works great for people with hair that’s about shoulder-length. All you have to do is split your hair in half. Twirl one side inward and pin it to your head. Then take the other side, twirl it the opposite direction, and pin it on top of the other twirl. It forms a twist that looks great.

Knotted Pullback

This style is similar to a half-up, half-down style, but it’s more like a 10% up, 90% down style. Take a very small strand of hair from each side of your head, then bring them together in the back. Tie them together as you would a knot. Then tie the knot together again, but leave some space between the two knots. Pin the loose ends to your head to make sure the knot doesn’t untie.

Slick High Ponytail

Slicking your hair back is a great way to add some elegance to a ponytail. For this one, brush your hair with a frizz-beating serum, then gather your hair up into a high ponytail as you would usually. Spray a fine-toothed comb with hairspray, then run the comb against your hair, making it easier for you to tame flyaways throughout the day.

Conclusion

Clearly, there are plenty of different ways you can jazz up your look a little bit in the few minutes you have before school. If you’ve mastered these styles with almost no effort, you may have a gift for hair styling. Look into the cosmetology program at Ogle School and see whether it looks interesting to you. Who knows? You may be able to turn your natural styling talent into a career.