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I decided on a braid today when getting ready. My question is does anyonew know a trick to starting a braid so that it looks balanced and falls well down the back of the head?
I've never been taught how to start them, and am just guessing how to start it- would love some tips.
I was just looking at a guy with that braid today! I love it! I'm eager to try one myself, could you maybe describe how to do one?
Looks great by the way. Thanks.
- Brian
I cheat- I have someone do it for me. I have tried, but can't get the hang of it.
Sorry- but let me know if you figure it out.
~Aston
hey "award"!
i can't answere your question, but just let me say you've got awesome hair man!
congrats on a great head of hair!
mjtoo
I've been experimenting with braids for the last few months. It's hard. Usually whatever I end up with grabs on one little clump of hair and all the weight on it makes it hurt. Consequently most of the braiding I do comes out 3 minutes after I do it. I've been far more successfull braiding little bits of hair. Like I'll grab the part right above my ears, pull it around back and braid with a clump of hair on top. It works great for keeping hair out of my face. Or I'll grab a clump of hair on each side of the bottom of my neck and put a braid on each side. I think that looks really cool. All I can suggest is keep trying, and prepare to be frustrated. It takes a lot of practice to get even a little proficient at it.
So would I. I need to find some long haired girls :)
Practice practice practice, I will say this the longer your hair gets the easier it becomes. I started by putting my hair in a ponytail and going from there. When I was comfortable in knowing it was centered and where I wanted it then i didnt do the ponytail thing and just did a braid. French braids are still difficult but il still practicing them as well. Good LUck
Dawn
Dreamweaver Braiding has some great online instructions. Including a section on how to give yourself a french braid. Even a section on how to do a Legolas.
K
I had a look at their instructions, but just found them confusing. I sometimes braid my wife's hair, and occasionally my own. Sometimes I'm happy with the results, sometimes not. My wife sometimes complains that I don't braid tight enough. I think it might work better following Dreamweaver's way of doing it, but it is completly different from what I am doing now, so I am not sure if I want to.
To do a basic braid you just divide the hair into three and keep bringing alternate sides into the middle. If you divide the hair evenly and keep it straight as you do it, then it should turn out OK. If you are doing someone else's it helps to be directly behind them, rather than off to one side. To do your own you start behind your head, and then when you can't reach any further you bring the braid around to one side so you can do it from the front. You have to be careful at that point, as it's easy to go wrong. I have been known to accidentally mix up my left and my right as I bring it around. Even then, it may not show all that much.
I seldom really go out anywhere with my hair braided, but at least this means that I have had lots of practice without having to worry what it looked like. It gets easier to do it without twisting etc, but there are always times when it doesn't come out right. My wife often asks me to re-do hers, or says she wishes she had done it herself!
I also cheat, I have my wife braid mine. I did order a couple of used braiding books from Amazon. The best I got is "beautiful Braids" by Patricia Coen & Joe Maxwell.It was cheap & has hand positions as well as how to start the different braids. Basic to complex. I'm experimenting, but my wife still does it better.
Braids at my ears I can do but I have massive ineptitude when it comes to a single centered braid down the back. The only thing that helped was to watch another friend make their braid while I tried to do the same on myself. With regular practice (and a detangling crew at the bottom for the reverse brading that occurs) I would have made it, maybe. The whole hands behind the head thing seems pretty awkward for me.
Elizabeth
Braids are hard at first, but i have a couple suggestions.
First, when starting out, try it wet or with some gel, that way the sections will stick together better.
Second, try putting it in a pony and then braiding the rest, that works and looks pretty good. If you have problems with this, after you divide the hair into three sections, put a small band around the ends of each section to help keep them seperate while you braid your hair. then remove them when you get to the bottom.
By this point you'll have some practice and can try braiding without doing a pony first. The hardest part then is getting a nice, even, symmetrical seperation of your hair.
You can also follow the same progression with a half-pony braid.
