Beautiful braids
WHAT YOU'LL NEED for the perfect braid
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Fine-toothed comb
- Hair clips
- Hair elastic
- Gel/hairspray/hair oil
how to braid your hair
Shampoo and condition.
It's always best to braid hair that's fully detangled and moisturized. So start your hair-styling session off with a good shampoo and conditioning. Add detangler if your locks are prone to knots. Blow dry accordingly.
Start sectioning.
Separate the section(s) of hair you're going to braid from the rest of your locks with a fine-toothed comb. Clip soon-to-be-braided sections away from the rest of your hair to prevent tangling.
Get braiding.
Select the section of hair that you wish to braid. Divide that into three strands. Cross the left strand over the middle strand. (The original left section is now the middle section.) Now, cross the right strand over the middle strand. (The original right section is now the middle section.) Continue with the same pattern until the entire section of hair is fully braided. Add an elastic band or clip at the end to keep the braid in place.
If you're going for a sleeker look, make the braid as tight as possible. For something more casual, loose weaving will do.
Tidy up your look.
Split ends or dried-out locks can cause flyaways in your braid. To smooth out your look, use gel, hairspray or oil to merge loose strands back in with the braid. Seal the deal by oiling the tips of your hair to prevent splitting.
Other helpful hints for braiding
- Decide on the braid style you want to create before you start braiding. Google images of your favorite celebs to see what's "in" at the moment. Lauren Conrad's face-grazing braid is popular, as are loose French braids.
- Don't get frustrated; braiding hair is hard to learn. If you mess up a lock or two, you can always undo it and start over.