How to French Braid your own hair: Remember when you wore a straightforward traditional three-strand braid to class? Nowadays, everybody has a unique braid, from braid twists to French braids. You can select a braid for every occasion, whether a wedding, business meeting, workout, or date. Your hair is protected from injury with braids, a protective hairstyle.
Braids can also come in handy when you havenโt washed your hair but suddenly need to go somewhere. You can also use it with any other hairdo, including twists, ponytails, updos, and loose hair. In addition, there is a braid to suit every mood, from clean to unkempt to everything in between.
1. Tips Before You Learn How to French Braid Your Own Hair
1.1) Compared to silky, straight hair, wavy and curly hair has more texture and grip to hold the braid in place.
1.2) For braiding, hair one or two days old has more grip than newly washed hair.
1.3) If set with hairspray and shielded with a silk scarf while you sleep, tighter braids may last two to three days on straight hair.
1.4) On kinky hair, braiding is done to create protective styles that, with the appropriate care, endure for 12 weeks.
1.5) Short and long hair can both be braided with this style. Using holding spray, you may braid even layered hair. Flyaways are kept in place with pomade.
2. How To French Braid Your Hair on Both Sides
The French braid is a slightly more stylish variation of the traditional three-strand braid that you may wear for two to three days straight without redoing your hairstyle. Following are the steps on French braiding your hair.
2.1) Clean and Dry Hair
French braids work best on hair that is clean and dry. Dry hair gives you more control over the individual strands. Wet hair is heavier and more likely to mingle with other parts, which makes braiding difficult and messy. Additionally, braiding dry hair takes less time and results in braids being free of visible flakes and frizz and staying longer.
People with thinner hair may wish to apply a small amount of dry shampoo to the middle of their strands to offer extra thickness and body when using items to prepare their hair for French braiding. The braids may stay in place easily due to the dry shampooโs gritty texture. To provide moisture and prevent the braids from frizzing, people with coarse or thicker hair may choose to put a littleย leave-in conditioner throughout their hair.
2.2) Separate Your Hair
For two French braids, most individuals separate their hair in the middle. o create double braids, you should choose your part and divide your hair into the appropriate sections. A part will be created at the back. Give your entire head a thorough brush with your tangle comb after sectioning, and then run a fine-tooth comb along the back of my head.
2.3) Grab a Small Section and Divide It Into Three Equal Pieces
Work on one side at a time once you have divided your hair into sections for each braid. Grab a tiny chunk of hair from the top of your head, close to the part. Divide the bigger area into three smaller butย equal pieces using three fingers.
2.4) Start with A Normal Braid
Start by crossing the right piece over the centre, then the left, just as you would when starting a standard braid. Consider having two exterior pieces and one interior piece if itโs simpler to picture this without sides. Each outer strand must be crossed over the inner strand once.
2.5) Cross Over the Middle with Added Hair from Each Side
Please continue to hold all three pieces after beginning your standard braid, but add a little strand from the front of your hair to the right piece and cross it across the middle. Then take a little strand of hair from the back of your head and cross it over the centre to add the left strand. As you move, pull firmly to avoid any bumps. The only difference between French braids and regular braids is that you add a little more hair each time you cross a segment over the middle.
2.6) Keep Doing It Down the Head
Keep gathering and layering hair from your left and right sides until you have three substantial sections of hair at the nape of your neck. For short hair, one can tie hair at this stage. Long hair people can take down the classic three-strand braid according to their length, but short hair people can tie an elastic rubber band at this stage.
2.7) Braid the Bottom Normally and Tie It
As there is no more hair to add, continue the classic three-strand braid till the end, and tighten with an elastic as you reach the ends of your hair. Youโll have two lovely French braids if you repeat these procedures on the other side of your head, pulling hard each time you cross a segment. You should properly tie the braid on one part of your head before starting with the other.
Voila! You have a new hair look. Making French braids is super easy once you practice. It would be best if you practised a few times for a perfect French braid, as practice makes perfect braids.
3. Variations to French Braid
3.1) Dutch Braid
The only difference between a Dutch braid and a French braid is that you cross the side sections of hair underneath the main strand each time rather than over it.
The braid is shown on top of the style, giving it a more 3-D appearance. Because of this, it is frequently described as a โreverse French braidโ or an โinside-out French braid.โ Like a French braid, youโll start nearer the crown of the head and add more hair to each strand before crossing it across the middle several times. Some people characterise the final appearance as more pronounced than its French equivalent.
3.2) Fishtail Braid
The smooth weave of a fishtail braid is similar to a French braid, except it only has two sections instead of three. The braid is created by repeatedly passing a tiny bit from one segment to the other. In the nineteenth century, this look was referred to as the โGrecian braid.โ
Particularly if you have long hair, it looks elaborate and quickly becomes a favourite for hectic mornings. It comes out well and is suitable for a formal event or a typical day. You can wear fishtail braids all day because they usually look better when they get a little untidy.
4. Different Types of Braids
4.1) Classic 3-Strand Braid
This one is super easy and perfect for newbies, and simple enough for kids as young as eight to carry out. The desired amount of hair is divided into three portions to achieve it. As soon as you reach the end of the hair, alternate layering each section over the last one taken. You knot it off at the end, just like almost all traditional braids.
4.2) Plait Braids
The basic alternating idea behind a traditional braid also applies to plait braids. The addition of strands to a plaited braid is the only difference. It becomes more difficult to recall which strand is at the top. Itโs typical to separate and utilise four or five strands every time, but you can theoretically use as many as your hair length and focus will allow. You can add designs to your braids once you have completed basic plaiting techniques. This one surely takes practice and concentration.
4.3) Ladder Braid
You can attain this braiding method in various ways. Some ladder braids weave hair strands between two, while others grab hair strands from one to the other of a single braid. The first, with each of the two braids serving as the posts and the braided strands appearing as the rungs, produces a visually noticeable โhair ladder.โ The second ladder braid method is frequently used as a hair-wrapping technique. As an illustration, a ladder braid could be used to wrap a ponytail by weaving hair from one side of the little anchor braid into the other before pulling it around the gathered ponytail hair.
4.4) Lattice Braid
With this technique, your entire hair will look like a lattice made of woven baskets since several hair strands are combined and organised horizontally and vertically. This approach is more involved and may require assistance due to the various parts and instructions. It gets challenging to braid your hair. Since you canโt see behind your head to ensure that the strands or tiny braids you use for the lattice are straight or secure, this is a challenging solo braiding technique for most people. Despite being incredibly challenging, it has a gorgeous finish.
4.5) Multiple Braids
Your entire hair can be divided into many braids in various styles. It might be a simple triple or quadruple French braid, a headful of box braids, or several tiny cornrow braids. Given that they encompass your entire head of hair, many multiple braid styles call for professional competence. They may be worn up and styled in several ways, but they also look great worn down. It simply depends on which braiding method you want to use to braid your hair. Additionally, several braids can protect your hair well and can typically be worn for longer periods.
A fascinating approach to liven up a plain braid or a vibrant way to express your style is to weave or clip embellishments into it. You can add fun design details to a strand of your braid by using items like colourful string, beads, and even some forms of chain (that donโt readily snag or break hair). To add more erratic and quirky accents, you can also fasten charms and other accessories at different locations along the braid. Although this isnโt a braiding technique per se, it is a noteworthy braiding trend that can transform an average braid into something spectacular.
5. Building Your Skills to Braid Your Hair
Braids come in a huge variety. There are several different braiding methods available. Most braid patterns can be dressed up or down. Your hairstyle will have a certain artistic effect based on other elements of your look. Itโs not simply your hair that defines your style.
The most crucial thing is to familiarise yourself with numerous braiding methods so that you may style your hair to suit the event youโll be attending. You could braid your hair the same way you would for a casual day of errands as you would for a black-tie affair. Everything depends on how you develop your overall look and your knowledge of the braiding method you choose.
The selection of braiding techniques depends on a wide range of factors. What braiding technique will look the best depends greatly on your hairโs texture, length, volume, and strength. Another thing to think about is whether you can use the braiding technique on your own or if you need the assistance of an expert. You may need assistance from a braiding expert if the braiding technique is complex and intricate.
You can move on to master the next braiding technique that grabs your attention once you have mastered it. It would be best if you got better at it. Then you may combine all the braids you have learned to make brand-new, avant-garde styles. Once you feel confident with a certain braiding technique, you can experiment with the direction in which your braids flow and attempt other techniques of styling and pinning them. How far you can braid depends on your level of experience, and some experience calls for specialised training and knowledge.
Braiding is an excellent way to temporarily alter your appearance, regardless of whether you are new to braids, trying to master more complex techniques, or heading toward becoming a hair expert. Additionally, it gives you a great deal of artistic freedom and imaginative possibilities for styling hair of all varieties. It is a form of art; like all forms, it expresses something. Your choice of expression is entirely your own.
Last Updated on by Sathi