French braids may look complicated and hard to do, but it is really not difficult to pull off. The elegant French braid is an amazing pick-me-up for a not-so-great great hair day.
Follow these easy steps for a classic French braid:
1. Start with clean, dry hair. Begin by brushing, using a good brush to remove and tangles or knots, smoothing the hair so it is easier to manage while braiding. Using your fingers, separate the front of your hair (from the crown towards your forehead’s hairline) into a two-inch section.
2. Using your fingers, you want to divide the 2-inch section into three evenly thick sections and begin the braid. Do this by crossing the hair section in your right hand over the hair section in the middle. Now the right section will be the middle section of hair. Next, cross the left hair section over the middle section. The middle section will now be the left section.
3. Keep the hair taut by pulling each sections away from the other and by holding the hair section that has already been braided in your oppostie hand. Using your right index finger, pull from the hair that is above your right ear to add to the braid. Think of it as a horizontal part – this creates a new hair section that is added to the French braid.
4. Add this hair strand into the original right section of hair in the braid and cross the entire right hair section over the middle hair section. While tightly holding on to the hair that you have just braided in your right hand, use your left index finger and pull from the hair that is above your left ear to add to the braid (just as in step 3 only on your left side). Hold the hair section taut and add it into the original left hair section. Then braid the left hair section over the middle hair section.
5. Repeat Steps 3 and 4 again and again with the hair remainder of your hair that is not yet added to the braid, alternating from left to right until you reach the bottom of your hairline.
6. When there is no hair left to add to the French braid, start a traditional braid and braid to the bottom, but leave about two inches un-braided at the end.
7. Tie the braid off with a hair elastic. Secure flyaways with hairspray or finishing spray.
Side French Braids
1. Begin with a center part, and then French braid both sides of your hair. Tie off each braid at the bottom with a hair elastic.
2. Secure flyaways with hairspray or finishing spray.
Braided Bun
1.Begin by using an anti frizz product throughout your to reduce flyaways and make hair more manageable.
2. French braid a two inch section of your hair from behind either your right or left ear and secure it away from the rest of your hair. French braid the remaining hair and secure into a bun. Tie off the braid with a hair elastic, and then wrap the beginning French braid towards the second braided bun and pin that section to it.