How To Master Baby Braids, According To TikTok

We all seem to be craving ‘90s and early 2000s nostalgia, from the return of low-rise jeans and frosted eyeshadows to butterfly clips and space buns. Another Y2K hair trend that seems to be gaining traction across social media is none other than baby braids, a style featuring two (or so) face-framing micro-braids that has been seen on every major celebrity, including Hailey Bieber, Dua Lipa, Bella Hadid, and Tracee Ellis Ross.

The trend initially began back when Margot Robbie wore a baby braids style at Cannes Film Festival back in 2019, followed by Bella Hadid and Devon Lee Carlson a year later at Paris Fashion Week. Now, baby braids are now all over TikTok’s FYP page, and a plethora of young women are sharing tutorials on how to achieve the ‘90s look, drawing from both the grunge and street style influences that were popular at those times.

In order to achieve the latest cool girl look, start off by doing a middle part on your hair, taking a small section in front and do a three strand braid three-quarters of the way down. Then tease the ends of your hair with a brush to stop the braid from unravelling. Repeat this both on the right and left side of the hair parting for that effortless face-framing look.

This isn’t the only way to do it either. You can do more than two microbraids at the front or you can secure the braids with elastic brands. There are also many other ways to wear it. You can either leave the hair loose or tie it up into a pony with the baby braids left out.

To really amp up this Y2K style, you can consider adding tinsel, butterfly clips a la Olivia Rodrigo, knocker bead hair ties, a bandana or a stretch hairband. This easy-to-do hairstyle will have you looking good for all your summer events, from musical festivals to bottomless brunches.