French Braiding Style

French Braids

French braids are an elegant hair style with endless possibilities for unique and creative variations. While most people are familiar with the techniques for traditional hair braiding French plaits often intimidate even experienced braiders. With care and patience, this braiding method is easy and can lead to beautiful styles

How to Weave French Braids

Basic weaving techniques for French styles are not difficult. To create a standard style. Begin with a small, thin ponytail at the top of the head where you wish the braid to begin. Braid the hair in small, even sections, adding slight amounts of hair at each level to the left and right sections of the hair. Scale hair proportions according to the hair’s thickness and the desired thickness of the braid.

That’s all there is to creating french braids, but how you vary your technique can create a wide range of different styles. Adding greater amounts of hair, for example, will create a thicker, chunkier braid, while using slender, delicate amounts of hair will result in a thin, elegant braid. Two braids can be created on either side of the head, and they can be woven together in the tail to create a single braid.

Styles for French Braids

Braids are a versatile hair style, perfect for women of all ages. Young girls can wear a French style regardless of what activities they’re engaged in, and their hair will stay neat and secure. Cheerleaders and other teen girls appreciate the wide range of variations they can create with French variations, and many adult women prefer the style for its practicality while still presenting an elegant and sophisticated appearance. Cornrows and micro braid is a specific type of intricate French style, and many types of braids can be easily accessorized with pins, ponytail holders, clips, and other creative accents.

A simple up do style can be created by turning the tail of the braid beneath the plait and pinning it out of sight, though this works best with shorter braids. Braid ends can also be wrapped around the individual’s head in a crown or horseshoe arrangement, or twisted into compact buns. A more complex styling technique is to create the braid by drawing each strand beneath the overall style rather than using an overhand weaving method. This will create a smoother style against the head while forcing the braid to stand out more distinctly. Regardless of the type of French braids you create, they can be arranged into elegant prom or wedding styles with just a few accents and accessories.

French style braiding is an elegant and exotic alternative to traditional braids with extensive possibilities for styling and personalization. With care and practice, anyone can learn techniques to create fabulous French braids.

Micro Hair Weaving Braids

Micro Braids Are Tiny and Delicate

Micro braids are most commonly seen on African American women, but they are also worn by many people (men, women and children) while on vacation in the Bahamas, Jamaica, Mexico, and many other touristy and tropical areas. In the United States, most women get braids put in their hair by professional hair stylists. However, those who wear braids on vacation usually get them done by a local woman wandering on the beach asking if anyone wants their hair braided.

Micro braids can be a fun style for any age.

People usually only get a few and they are only worn for a short period of time. However, those who get their entire heads of hair braided usually intend to wear this hair style for a long time. Therefore, anyone who intends to endure several hours of braiding and many months with this hair style should consider a few things before the braids are put in the hair. First, brittle hair is not the best hair to be braided. Micro braids can be very damaging to hair, and over time may cause brittle hair to break. When the braids are removed, the hair could be damaged beyond repair.

Prepare the Hair for Braids

Prior to getting braids, it's essential that the hair is as healthy as possible so that it has the smallest chance of becoming damaged by the braids.

Either perform a hot oil treatment at home, or have a professional hair stylist do one so that the hair is as full of moisture as possible.

Make sure to use a deep conditioner several times prior to braiding.

Get a haircut prior to getting the braids. The haircut can be as simple as cutting off all the ends so that none of them are split before the braids are added.

Tips for Keeping Micro Braids Looking Good

Once the decision to have micro braids put in the hair has been made, the next step is to actually have them added. If an experienced professional hair stylist is used, the braids should look great as soon as they are complete.

A few important things to remember about caring for this hair style include:

After the braids have been in the hair for two or three months, have them removed so that the hair can recover from the stress of being braided for so long. Leaving braids in too long is very hard on the hair and can cause it to become thin and break. It's common for individuals to want their hair to remain healthy while they have the braids. Many people think that using a very thick conditioner on their hair will help their hair retain moisture. However, thick conditioners are often very difficult to rinse out of braided hair and they can gradually leave a residue on the hair that cannot be removed. Essentially, thick conditioners can cause people to look as if they have a bad case of dandruff.

Add moisture to the hair while it's in micro braids by using a light hair oil. By no means should the hair oil drench the hair, but enough should be used so that the hair does not feel dry and brittle to the touch.

Don’t ever get dehydrated. Not drinking enough water on a daily basis has an effect on the hair. So, while wearing micro braids, make sure to drink a healthy amount of water every day.