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How to Braid Long Hair
French Braid
The French Braid is one of the most versatile braids you can twist. It can be worn for formal as well as casual occasions. Formal occasions such as weddings, whether the bride or bridesmaids the french braid brings beauty and elegance to your appearance. When conducting a business meeting quiet authority to maintain respect is a must. The french braid provides the image of a woman in complete control of the situation (including her hair!). If the occasion calls for a neat, respectable presentation, then the french braid is what your looking for!
When your not running a business meeting, or walking down the aisle, the french braid can be your twist of choice. Casual, yet dignified, the french braid worn for a day at the beach, a walk in the park or a picnic, is a great choice.
Create Your Look
You can create the look you want just by changing the tension of the strands as you pull them back into the braid.
If your engagement is a formal event, mousse the hair first to give yourself control of the hair, then pull each strand back to the braid smooth and tight, creating a neat, controlled appearance. When you finish the french braid spray the sides of the head and down the braid with your favorite hair spray for maximum control.
Alternately when your planning a casual event when you twist the braid disregard the mousse. When you pull each strand back to the braid, pull them back gently, leaving the strands loose to create an appearance of casual comfort.
With that said lets get started with the french braid!
Brush the hair out from top to bottom. Make sure you can run your comb through the hair without any snags otherwise when your creating the braid the random snags can become tangles when your braiding. This can prove to be difficult to untangle. I've had to start over because of a snag turning into a tangle I couldn't get out while braiding. After the hair is thoroughly brushed begin the following directions.
French Braid Demonstration
French Braid Step-by-Step (see video)
- Starting at the forehead or at the top of the head, using a brush or comb, pull the top layer of hair back into your hand...
- ...create three separate sections of the hair like you would when creating a simple braid....
- ...starting with either side, right or left, pull that section over and place it in the center of the other two strands your holding...
- ...opposite of the first section, right or left, pull the section across and into the center of the other two strands...
5. ...at this point, draw from the front of the hair nearest the face, draw back the hair from front to back and add it to the section of hair your about to bring across in your braid...
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6. ...on the opposite side, do the same thing, from nearest the face, draw back the hair from front to back and add it to the section of hair your about to bring across....
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7. ...alternating sides, continue the process until their is no longer hair to pull back, then continue braiding a simple braid...
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8. ...tie the end with a piece of cloth or band and your finished!!
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As I mentioned before dexterity is important. You'll need to hold the braid with one hand, intertwining the braid strands through your fingers, while pulling a new strand back with your other hand.
If your having trouble with this braid please, feel free to post a question and I will answer it if I can.
Where You'll Find All Your Styling Needs!
- Simple Hair Braid
If you want to learn how to make a simple braid, then this is the hub for you. Easy to follow instructions.