How to braid your hair

Video: How To Dutch Braid Your Own Hair Step By Step For Complete Beginners - FULL TALK THROUGH

Content

Method 2 of 5: French braid
Method 3 of 5: Fishtail Braid
Method 4 of 5: Five-strand braid
Method 5 of 5: Other Braids
Tips
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1 Comb your hair with a fine-toothed brush or comb. Braiding is much faster when the hair is not tangled. The comb should easily go through the hair along its entire length.

If you have thick or uneven hair, you can use a little water or leave-in hair conditioner to moisturize it slightly. This will make it easier to work with them.
Both wet and dry hair can be braided. On wet hair, the braid will turn out to be smooth and tight, on dry hair - more careless. However, after washing, let your hair dry for at least 20 minutes before braiding it, as wet hair is very fragile and brittle.
It is best to braid dry hair a couple of days after washing so that it is not too clean and slippery. On slightly oily hair, the braid holds better than on perfectly clean hair, and fewer strands are knocked out of it.

2 First, secure the base of the braid (optional). If you pre-tie your hair in a ponytail with an elastic band, the braid will be easier to weave and a little more neat. After you learn how to braid your ponytail, try braiding your loose hair, starting at the bottom of the back of your head.

3 Divide your hair into three equal sections. To make the braid straight, try to keep the strands as uniform in thickness as possible.

Take the right strand in your right hand, the left strand in your left, and let the middle strand hang freely for now.
Hold the strand by pressing it to the palm of your middle, ring and pinky fingers, leaving your index and thumb free.

4 Cross the left strand over the middle strand. If at the beginning the strands were arranged in order A B Cthen they should now be in order B A C.

With the index and thumb of your left hand, take the initially middle strand.
With the index and thumb of your right hand, take the strand pressed against your left palm.
Now the strand that was originally on the left is in the middle.

5 Cross the right strand over the middle one. Now instead of order B A C the strands will be in order B C A.

In your left hand, move the strand you were holding with your thumb and forefinger, pressing it against the palm of your hand with the rest of your fingers instead.
Using the index and thumb of your left hand, grasp the strand that was clamped in the palm of your right hand (not the middle, which was clamped with the thumb and forefinger of your right hand).
Initially, the right strand will now be in the middle.

6 Continue braiding. Continue using the free index and thumb of one hand to take the far strand from the opposite palm (which is held in it by the other three fingers).

Tighten the braid as you braid. Each time a strand passes from one hand to the other, gently pull the hair so that the weave rises higher and the braid becomes tighter.
Continue until you're done. Leave a 3–8 cm long unbraided ponytail at the end.

7 Secure the braided braid. Use a non-rubber elastic band to secure the end of the braid. You may need to wind it around your hair several times.

Do not use rubber bands like stationery. They can damage hair and are difficult to remove from hair at the end of the day.
If possible, tie the braid with an elastic to match your hair color or with a transparent elastic so that it does not stand out. This will make the braid look more natural and the elastic will not attract attention.

8 Secure the braid with hairspray (optional). Hairspray or spray gel will help keep your braid from tingling throughout the day. Hold the bottle about 30 cm from your head and spray a little nail polish along the entire length of the braid.

If you decide to use hairspray, apply it before you attach any jewelry to your braid.
Use a shine serum to make your hair shine. Rub a small amount of the serum into your palms and run it down the length of your braid.
To protect your braids at night, you can use a nourishing oil.

9 Decorate your braid (optional). For beauty, tie a braid with a colored ribbon bow.

You can use lace or organza tape, ribbed tape, or zigzag tape. You can buy them at a sewing supply store and there are usually a lot of colors to choose from.
Use a cute hairpin or brooch to pin at the base of your braid or to pin your bangs.

10 Try different hairstyles with a traditional braid. The traditional braid gives a lot of room for imagination. You can braid a single strand of hair to create an accent, pin up a thin braid to form a headband, or make a high ponytail and braid it.

You can braid all your hair or just a part: try different hairstyles and see which you like best!

Method 2 of 5: French braid

1 Comb your hair. A French braid, also called a "spikelet", is very difficult to braid in matted hair, so take a few minutes to comb through it with a brush or wide-toothed comb.
- Comb your hair in small strands. Start at the ends of the strand and work your way up. If you start at the roots, you are more likely to damage your hair if you come across tangles.
2 Separate the starting strand. For a traditional French braid, separate the section of hair closest to the forehead and temples. This is necessary to create a classic hairstyle, thanks to which the French braid has become such a popular type of weaving.
- You don't have to start at the top. This is the easiest way to learn how to weave a French braid, but in theory you can start from anywhere you want. Just be sure to include the hair above the ears in the initial section if you will be braiding down.
- You can braid multiple French braids by dividing your hair into multiple areas. If you have short hair, it will be easier to braid two medium braids than one large one.
3 Divide the starting strand into three equal sized strands. Weaving will begin with them.
- In order for the French braid to be beautiful, it is very important that the strands are the same in thickness. So take your time and part your hair neatly.
- Take strands that are at the same level of hair growth, not arbitrary. Keep them close to each other.
4 Hold three strands in your hands. Keeping them correctly will help you braid your braid quickly and beautifully. This is what a basic grip looks like (although you may personally find it more convenient to grip the hair in some other way):
- Take the left strand with your left hand.
- Pinch the middle section with your right thumb and forefinger.
- Clamp the right strand in the palm of your right hand with the three remaining fingers.
5 Move the right strand to the middle. Here's how to do it without completely letting your hair out of your hands:
- Pinch the left strand in your left palm with three fingers, while freeing your thumb and forefinger.
- Stretch out with your left thumb and forefinger over medium strand and grab the right one. Now you will have two strands in your left hand and one in your right.
6 Draw the left strand in the middle. To do this, reproduce the process from the previous step in a mirror image.
- With the free fingers of your right hand, grasp the right strand in the palm of your hand. This will free your thumb and forefinger.
- Stretch with your right thumb and forefinger over with a medium strand and grab the left one. You should now have two strands in your right hand and one in your left.
7 Add hair to the right section. Up to this point, you have been braiding a regular braid. Now the weaving of the French braid itself begins. It may take you a few tries to get it right, but once you get the hang of the technique it gets easier.
- Let go of the middle strand, letting it hang in the middle between the right and left strands. You can then select it from the rest of the hair, as it will rise somewhat above the rest of the unbraided hair.
- Pinch the left strand in the palm of your hand with three fingers of your left hand and grab the right strand with your left thumb and forefinger. The right hand will now be free.
- With your right hand, grip a small section of loose hair from the right side of your head. Take it with your thumb and forefinger and add it to the right strand.
- Pull back the center strand. Take it with your right hand and move it to the right, forming a new right strand out of it. The strand you just added hair to becomes the new center strand.
8 Add hair to the left section. The process will be similar to the previous step, but mirrored:
- Let go of the middle section. It will lie between the left and right strands.
- Use three fingers to pinch the right strand in the palm of your hand.
- Pinch the left strand with your right thumb and forefinger. The left hand should now be free.
- With your left hand, grip a small section of hair from the left side of your head. Take this strand with your thumb and forefinger and add to the left strand.
- Pick up the middle section again. Take it with your left hand and move it to the left, making a new left strand out of it. The strand you just added your hair to will now be the new middle strand.
9 Continue to weave in the same pattern. By the time you have no more hair to add to your strands, you will get to the bottom of your head where you can finish braiding with a regular braid. To make the braid look as neat as possible, try to add hair to the braid so that it looks like parallel lines on the sides of the head. This will give the strands of the same thickness along the entire length of the braid.
10 Complete a regular braid. Continue to weave a regular three-strand braid until only a small tip is left unbraided.
11 Secure the braid. Secure the end of the braid with an elastic to match your hair or it will be transparent. Do not use rubber bands as they can damage your hair and are difficult to remove.
12 Secure the braid with hairspray (optional). Apply hairspray or spray gel to your hair to keep it from frayed throughout the day. Hold the bottle about 30 cm from your head and spray a little over the entire length of the braid.
- If you plan to add jewelry to your hair, apply the hairspray first. This will prevent it from getting caught on hairpins and ribbons.
- If your hair tends to look rough and dry, apply a shine serum to it.
13 Add decorations (optional). For beauty, you can tie a ribbon bow at the end of the braid.
- You can also use lace or organza tape, ribbed tape, or zigzag tape. You can find them at a sewing supply store.
- To make your hairstyle smart, you can add a beautiful brooch or some decorative hairpins to it.

Method 3 of 5: Fishtail Braid

1 Divide your hair into two equal sections. This braid looks like it is braided from many small strands, but in reality it is braided from just two main strands.
- To make the braid more neat, take a comb and part the hairs from the forehead to the base of the back of the head.
- For a more casual look like Katniss from The Hunger Games, simply split your hair into two sections roughly in half.
- You can weave this braid on both wet and dry hair.
2 Select a small section of hair from the left section and move it to the right section. Once you figure out how to do this, you can braid the entire braid to the end without any problems.
- Hold the right section of hair with your right hand.
- Let go of the left strand and let it hang. Since you are only working with two strands, there is no need to worry about the strands getting messed up.
- With your left hand, select a small strand from the leftmost point of the left strand, that is, from the place that is closest to your left ear.
- Take this strand from the left strand with your right hand and insert it into the right strand.
- Take the left strand again with your left hand. As you pick it up, you can run your fingers over it to smooth it and tighten the weave.
3 Select a small section of hair from the right section and move it to the left section. This step is the same as the previous one, only in a mirror image.
- For a more intricate weave, use smaller strands. For quick weaving, take larger strands.
- Hold the left strand with your left hand.
- Let go of the right strand and let it hang. Again, there is no point in worrying about the strands tangling, since you are only using two strands.
- With your right hand, pull out a small lock of hair from the rightmost point of the right lock, that is, the point closest to the right ear.
- Take a strand from the right strand with your left hand and combine it with the left strand.
- Grab the right strand with your right hand again. As you pick it up, you can run your fingers over it to smooth it and tighten the weave.
4 Repeat the steps until you have braided all the hair like this. Change strands one at a time as you braid until you reach the end. Try to select the strands of the same size as possible so that the weave looks neat.
5 Secure the braid with tape or elastic. To avoid damaging your hair, use a fabric-covered elastic band and avoid tangling it around the elastic.

Method 4 of 5: Five-strand braid

1 Divide your hair into five equal strands. A five-strand braid looks more intricate and elegant than a regular three-strand braid and is easy enough to do once you understand the braiding process.
- While you are learning, it is best to pre-tie your hair in a ponytail and start braiding with it to start from a stable base.
- A five-strand braid is easiest to braid on wet or not very clean (a few days after washing) hair. This will keep the strands from falling apart and prevent loose hair from getting caught in other strands.
2 Hold the strands with both hands. It is easiest to hold the two leftmost strands with your left hand, the two right strands with your right, allowing the central one to hang in the middle.
- Strand numbering can help you build them. They are in order now. 1 2 3 4 5.
3 Move the leftmost strand to the middle. Run it over strands 2 and 3 so that strand 1 is in the middle.
- The strands are now in order. 2 3 1 4 5.
- You intertwine the hair by moving it from right to left and left to right.
4 Move the rightmost strand to the middle. Place it on strand 4 and run under strand 1 so that strand 5 is in the middle.
- Now the strands will be arranged in order. 2 3 5 1 4.
5 Continue braiding your hair all the way to the end. Alternate the outer strands, guiding them towards the middle.
6 Secure the braid. Use a tape or hair tie other than rubber to secure the end of the braid. Try not to tangle your hair and opt for a rubber band covered in fabric.

Method 5 of 5: Other Braids

1 Dutch braid. In fact, this is the same French spikelet, only the other way around, when you, instead of superimposing the strands on top, put them under the bottom. Such a braid is easy to braid, and the braiding itself, instead of being hidden below (as in the French dragon), will have its own 3-D pattern on the outside.
2 Waterfall. This beautiful hairstyle is created by highlighting loose strands of French spikelet hair that hang loosely, resembling a waterfall. Once you've learned how to confidently weave a French braid, you can try waterfall weaving.
3 Braided headband. It is a small, narrow braid that goes from ear to ear through the front of the hair like a headband. In this case, a French or Dutch braid is used, into which bangs are woven.
4 Braid from braids. This is not a typo. This is a regular three-strand braid in which each strand is also braided into a braid, giving a very intricate look to a large braid. This hairstyle looks great with a bohemian headband or barrette and gives the impression of a huge haircut when it really isn't!
5 Try rope weaving. This cute weave looks like a coiled rope.Although not so easy to make, this braid looks great both in a free-hanging state and in a bun.

Tips

If you've never braided a braid before, practice on a thick yarn, ribbon, or long-haired doll before braiding on someone else's hair. It takes some practice to master the techniques.
For a tousled look, do not tighten the braid too much.
Never try to loosen a braid from above. This will tangle the hair. Instead, loosen the braid completely from underneath.
If you're having trouble braiding your own hair, practice with a friend to get comfortable.
If you are having difficulty keeping the strands, put on a small elastic over each and remove the elastic when you get close to them to finish braiding.
If you tighten the braid slightly by pulling the strands down, the hairstyle will look neat.
If you're having trouble braiding a French braid, tie your hair in an incomplete ponytail with a rubber band. This will be your fixed center strand of the weave, and the elastic will eventually hide under the weave.