A Very, Very Easy To Follow French Braid Tutorial

French braids tend to be the braid that seems easy enough to do on someone else's hair, but super confusing when it comes to your own. I mean, if you can't see what you're doing, the difficulty becomes significantly increased. But as far as the actual braid goes, a French braid is closer to a regular three-strand braid than, say, a fishtail braid or a four-strand braid, so it's a little easier to learn. And really, the French is a staple that everyone should know, because there's multiple uses for it. Besides just looking pretty, a French braid also easily keeps hair out of your face without coming with any pesky hair-dents like with a ponytail. What's more, it also easily gives beachy waves overnight without having to heat-style or spend any extra getting-ready time.

On top of these benefits, if you're into styling, the French braid provides plenty of opportunities to get fancy with your braid. The basic weave can easily be manipulated so your hair looks runway-ready. Because let's face it, this braid will always be relevant. So yeah, be a little selfish with your skills. Don't just give your friends badass braids, keep them for yourself too. Here's how to blindly French braid your own hair.

1.

Start by gathering a top section of hair as if you were just tying it up for a half-up, half-down look. Next, divide that section into three equal parts.

2.

Begin by regularly braiding the three sections once.

3.

Here's where the French starts. Before continuing the braid, scoop up a section of hair from the side of the head. Incorporate the section you've just grabbed with the part of hair that needs to continue the braid. Then braid that one section. In my case, the right-most section of hair was added to, and is being moved to the middle, while the section that was previously in the middle is now moving into the right-most position.

4.

Then, repeat on the opposite side. The basic idea is that some hair will be added to one side of the braid, and then that section will cross over with the middle section before the process is repeated on the opposite side. For a thinner braid, grab smaller sections of hair. For a thicker braid, grab larger sections.

5.

Continue adding more to your braid as you move down your head until you reach the nape of your neck. From here, there are two options to finish the braid.

6. Optional Ending 1

The first ending option is if you want the braid to lay straight down your back. Flip your hair up, and braid the remaining strands toward the ceiling. This way, the braid won't lean too far one way or the other.

7. Optional Ending 2

Or, if you like your braid to rest on your shoulder, once you reach the nape of your neck, pull the strands around the side of your head and continue to braid straight down. Simply tie off the ends, and you're done!

Images: Miki Hayes