Hair Braiding

How to braid hair:

If you have long hair, you're probably accustomed to braiding it. Braiding hair is an excellent way of keeping long hair in order as well as making it look eye-catching and pretty. Braided hairstyles can be worn at home as well as at work and at formal social functions.

To get started with braiding hair, you will need a wide-tooth comb, a fine-tooth comb, a rat-tail comb, a barrette, ribbons, a water-spray bottle, and hair-gel. The last two items can be used only if required to make hair more manageable for braiding and to keep hair strands from escaping from the braid.

Comb hair with the wide-tooth comb first and remove all existing tangles. Then, depending on which kind of braid style you want, part hair into two, three, or more sections. Comb each section well to ensure that each is smooth and tangle-free. Now comb with the fine-tooth comb to get rid of any remaining knots. Once the hair has been well-combed, you can start braiding it.

Braiding is done by dividing the hair into sections and crossing these sections over or under one another in alternating patterns or by twisting and crossing sections in alternating patterns. You can use ribbons or beads to enhance the braided look.

Hair braiding styles:

There are various ways in which you can braid hair, and there are different hair braiding styles like the English braid, the Fishtail braid, the French braid, the Dutch braid and the Corn Row.

The English Braid -
For this style, divide hair into three sections and fine-comb each. Take the right-hand section, cross it over the middle section, and pull tight. The right-hand section now becomes the middle section. Now take the left-hand section, cross it over the new middle section, and again pull tight. Continue in this manner, alternating each section, right to the bottom. Tie the end with a ribbon or a hair-holder. Don't use rubber bands as these tend to pull hair out.

The Fishtail Braid -
Part the hair in the front into two equal sections and comb each smooth. Take the right hair section and cross it over the left-hand section and pull tight. Use the rat tail comb's pointed end to pick a right-hand side hair section under the first plait in a straight line from the hairline to the middle section. Lift and cross this hair section over the left and tighten the plait. Now, with the rat tail comb, do the same thing with the left-hand side hair section. Continue the process until you've braided the hair up to the nape. Now you can leave the remaining hair free, tie it in a pony-tail, or plait it into an English Braid.

The French Braid -
Divide hair into three even sections and comb each section smooth. Take the hair on the right and cross it over the middle section. This hair then becomes the new middle section. Pull tight. Now take the hair on the left and cross that over the middle section and tighten plait. Using the pointed end of a rat tail comb, pick a right-hand side hair section under the first plait in a straight line from the hairline to the middle section and add to the existing right-hand section. Now cross this over the middle section and pull tight. Do the same thing with the left-hand side section. Continue the process up to the nape hairline and continue on with an English Braid or a ponytail.

The Dutch Braid -
The Dutch Braid is done in much the same way as the French Braid, except here instead of crossing hair sections over one another, they are crossed under one another.

The Corn Row -
Comb hair to remove all tangles and dampen it a bit. Part a small section of hair to make the cornrow. Divide this small section into three sections and braid them in the fashion of an English Braid. Make about 2 or 3 plaits, tighten the braid, hold the outer two strands aside, fuse a new section of hair with the middle strand, plait again, pull tight, and add a new strand of hair to the middle section again. Continue until you reach the end.