How To French Braid Hair Back

French-braiding is one of those things in life that seems more confusing and intimidating than it actually is (kinda similar doing your taxes). No, you don't have to ask your i friend who'southward really good at pilus to practise yours every single time, because all you need is the right products, some patience, and a little (okay, more than a niggling) practise.

So if you're looking for another heatless way to style your pilus, and a French braid has been on your unofficial saucepan list forever, try following one of these YouTube tutorials, below. Regardless of your skill level, each of these how-tos will respond all your burning braiding questions so you'll never over again accept to wonder, Look, what the #^%* am I supposed to do with my fingers?!

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How to French-braid your own hair

What sets a French braid autonomously from, say, a Dutch braid is that you're crossing the pieces over the center department instead of taking them under, which makes the braid appear flatter and not raised. Easy to explain, but how TF practise you actually practise it?

If you desire two French braids, split your pilus in one-half and clip one side out of the manner. Then accept a ii-inch department of hair from either side of your role, dissever it into three equal pieces, and start braiding your hair as you usually would: Cross the right slice over the heart slice, then cross the left piece over the eye piece.

Only here's where the ~French~ office comes in—once you've started your complect, begin adding a small-scale sliver of hair to each section every time y'all cantankerous it over the middle. Keep adding little sections as yous braid until you achieve the ends, so tie it off with an elastic. Congrats! Y'all did it, boo.

four Tools That'll Make Braiding Easier

Felicia Leatherwood Detangler Brush

Scalpmaster Nano Rat Tail Comb

Goody Classics Polybands Hair Elastic

Denman D81S Small Hair Brush with Soft Nylon Quill Boar Bristles

Denman D81S Small Hair Brush with Soft Nylon Quill Boar Beard

How to concord the sections when French-braiding your pilus

So you've started your braid and you lot've got a good flow going…but and then you realize yous have more sections than easily. Cue minor freak-out. Don't stress! You're not the only 1 who'southward wanted to surrender at this bespeak and throw your hair in a ponytail.

In this tutorial, YouTuber Abby Smith shows yous how to transfer all three sections in one hand to complimentary upward the other and so you lot can easily grab your additional small-scale sliver of hair. In short, you'll be using all your fingers as piffling hooks to concur the 3 sections as you braid. Afterwards you've crossed one strip of hair over some other strip of hair, you'll transfer all the sections to the aforementioned fingers on the other hand to go along the flow going.

How to French-braid for no-heat waves

I f you still oasis't mastered the perfect French braids, practice at dark before bed and habiliment them to sleep for embankment waves in the morning. Since the final expect isn't the braid, information technology'southward okay if you take a few bumps and pieces sticking out. For consistent waves, keep a spray canteen filled with water nearby and continue to lightly dampen the hair as you braid.

Style your hair in two French braids, stopping at the nape of your neck. If your hair thins out toward the lesser, combine the two tails for 1 big three-strand braid and then the waves at the ends of your hair don't get too tight and crimped-looking. In the forenoon, unravel the braids for really natural waves, no oestrus required.

How to French-braid natural hair

YouTuber Rayann starts with stretched hair, and so uses a detangling brush to smooth whatsoever knots earlier braiding. Next, she parts her hair downward the middle with the tail of a fine-molar comb, rakes a dollop of moisturizing hair butter through the lengths of her hair, and smooths a bit of styling gel along her roots and office to keep the braid smoothen. In one case she's finished braiding down to the very end of her hair, she lays her edges and boom—all prepare.

Brooke Shunatona Brooke Shunatona is a contributing writer for Cosmopolitan.com.