In contrast to your highschool French class, making a French braid is uncomplicated. In response to Los Angeles hairstylist Glenn Ellis, there are solely two variations between a French and a basic, three-strand braid: First, the French braid begins on the crown of your head (whereas a basic braid often begins above the nape of your neck). Second — and that is what provides it its dreamy silhouette — is the way you repeatedly weave extra hair into it as you progress from the highest of your crown towards your ends.
As soon as you have mastered methods to create a single French braid, Emmily Bowman, founding father of cell hair-braiding firm Braidbabes, suggests making an attempt extra distinctive methods to put on it. Take into account twisting your braid right into a bun, sporting two as pigtails, or weaving them into half-up hairstyles.
However earlier than contemplating extra difficult types, discover ways to create a French braid by yourself hair in simply 5 steps. Newbies, you’ll ace this lesson, as there’s little finesse — and nil conjugation — concerned.
Meet the specialists:
- Emmily Bowman is the founder and CEO of Braidbabes, a cell hair-braiding firm based mostly in Buffalo, New York.
- Glenn Ellis is a Los Angeles-based hairstylist with purchasers together with Olivia Wilde, Sara Paulson, and Meg Ryan.
- Ryan Trygstad is a hairstylist and co-owner of Mark Ryan Salon in New York Metropolis.
- Nathaniel Hawkins is a New York Metropolis-based hairstylist.
Learn how to French Braid Your Hair
Instruments You’ll Want
- A hair elastic
- A comb
- Texturizing spray
- Hairspray
- Bobby pins
Step 1: Prep your hair.
Step one to French braiding is as simple because it will get: “Comb your hair in order that it is tangle-free,” says Ellis. And don’t fret about washing it beforehand, as unwashed hair supplies the perfect maintain for braids, in line with Bowman. Nonetheless, if you happen to insist on washing your hair earlier than styling, she recommends spritzing the Puff.Me Dry Texturizing Spray by DesignMe out of your roots to your ends to provide your hair the grit it wants to carry the French braid’s form.
Step 2: Part your hair.
Then, “starting on the hairline, collect your hair right into a triangular part that features hair from simply above your temples and extends in the direction of the crown space,” Ellis says. After that, separate this huge part of hair into three smaller ones which would be the strands you will use to braid.
Step 3: Begin your braid.
Take the left part of hair and cross it over the middle, as you’d with a standard three-strand braid. Repeat this step with the proper part. After finishing these preliminary crossovers on each side, you can begin incorporating hair from the surface of the braid to start weaving your French braid, says Bowman.
Step 4: Seize hair as you go.
Proceed the identical technique, however begin including small sections of hair from each side. “It is necessary to not take extra hair than you possibly can handle as you at all times need to be in full management of every step,” says Ryan Trygstad, hairstylist and co-owner of Mark Ryan Salon in New York Metropolis. Nathaniel Hawkins, a New York Metropolis-based hairstylist, suggests selecting up half-inch sections of hair to maintain the braid balanced.
Mastering the hand positioning could be one of the crucial difficult elements of French braiding. Whereas everybody has their most well-liked strategy, you may discover it useful to carry all three strands with one hand strategically. Doing so will unlock your different hand, permitting you to tug extra hair into the braid evenly and effectively.
