French braid is definitely the most popular type of braided hairstyles. It can acquire very different appearances and blend perfectly into your casual and office looks, as well as compliment your romantic outfits or special occasions clothing. If you check a classic French braid, French crown braid, waterfall braid and a couple of lacy braids, you’ll notice that they are anything but all alike, although each kind of this braid uses basically the same principle of braiding. If you haven’t mastered it yet, now is the best time to learn how to do a French braid.
If you are not an experienced braider, you will likely want to exercise on someone else first, because braiding your friend’s or daughter’s locks is a lot easier than working on your own hair. All you need is a girl with medium or long hair, who will trust you her tresses in exchange for a cute French braid you will certainly succeed with. Once you cope with the task or in case there are no volunteers, pass to the next stage.
French Braid For Your Own Hair
The following tips will make your braiding a lot easier.
It’s easier to braid on second day hair. Freshly washed tresses are less compliant and tend to fall apart.
Prepare two big mirrors, standing opposite each other, to control the process of braiding.
Keep a brush, a comb, pins, a hair elastic and everything you may need at hand.
Try not to overstrain your arms and hands while braiding or you’ll get tired before you complete the braid.
French Braid Step By Step
To make a classic French braid that runs vertically, section out a big chunk of hair at the top back of your head and divide it into three strands.
Put the right strand over the central one so that it becomes the strand in the middle. Now put the left strand over the central one, and it will also become the strand in the middle. Slightly tighten the first interlacement.
Now do the same steps, but each time you make a crossover, add a relatively thin strand from the remaining hair on the sides to the left or right strand that you are currently bringing to the middle. Note that whenever you add strands from the sides into your braid, you are always working ONLY with THREE strands.
Once you reach the nape of your head or once all the side strands are incorporated into the braid, continue braiding a simple braid to the ends or tuck the ends underneath your braid at the nape to finish your hairstyle as an updo.
Now when you know how to make a French braid in a classic way, you will probably want to explore the world of braiding creativity to individualize your hairstyles.
How To French Braid Hair In Creative Ways
Something you can do first is to experiment with size, direction and tightness of your French braids. A vertical and a horizontal French braid look absolutely different, and if you combine both, you are getting a very interesting hairstyle. Note that loose braids are now more poplar than their tighter versions.
Use French braids to design complex yet trendy effortless-looking hairstyles. For example, braid the sides, add a top knot and leave the remaining tresses free-flowing and messy.
Play with hair accessories. Be them some pearl head pins, colorful ribbons or a scattering of tiny flowers, like, in the photo, they instantly add +10 interest points to your hairstyle. Tip: random and asymmetrical placement of hair accessories often looks more interesting than symmetrical and predictable one.
Well, now you have all the instructions and useful tips to get you started. French braids are popular in any age and in any setting, so mastering French braiding is one of the most useful hair styling skills you may acquire. Better sooner, than late, right? :))
