BellaOnline Forums Beauty and Self Hair Hair braiding 101

This may sound stupid, but after a visit to the hairdresser, my hair was braided. I asked for it at the salon, I just felt like wearing my hair in a braid for once. Now, I took it out after a couple of days since it won't last forever and it detangled when I slept with it. Now, the thing is... I never braided my hair myself, ever.
And I would sure like to know how to do it. It's not something easy, I've looked into some sites, but I don't myself from behind and can't do it. LOL...
Help?

That's something that is so hard to TELL someone how to do. Showing is one thing but ....
I learned by someone showing me. I did it on others and then I learned to do it on myself. (My fingers kind of knew what it felt like by then. )
Here are two pages that I wrote some time ago. Try doing this on someone else and then work on doing it on your own hair.

How to Braid Hair

LOL, I know...
I've got nobody to try it with and I tried it a couple of times myself, but you would be laughing at the same rate I did when trying to braid it. I got my strands and fingers mixed up and soon would have ended up in a knot with my fingers tied up in between them that would make bondage lovers jealous. Ha ha ha...

I had the same experience the first time I tried it on myself! And I knew how to braid other peoples hair. Keep practicing. You fingers will learn!

I learned to braid using this book
Hair: A Book of Braiding and Styles/Book and 3 Scrunchies
by Anne Akers Johnson
Klutz Books
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Thanks Robert. Those are very good suggestions.
LOL What a great idea!

I learned from a bargain braiding book i bought from the book store. It had the basics as well as a few fancy ones. I still have the book although I haven't referred to it in a long time.

One of the best things I found for keeping the braid in place (some disagree with this but it works) is braiding it when it's wet. When I use to nurse I'd get out of the shower and braid it and the braid would stay in all day. Whereas if I ever did it when it was dry it just wouldn't get the right taughtness and then it would come out before the day was over.

My favorite braid is the inverted french braid.

you just have to be VERY careful witht he tension when you braid wet. Hair stretches 40-60% more when wet so you can do some MAJOR damage when craiding wet.

I never have been able to get the corn row braid down.. i practice practice practice but never have gotten the hang of it. I can now french though. And regular braiding is a sinch

I love the french braid and the inverted french braid. There also one that looks medeval to me that is done with hundreds of strands. I can't remember what it's called but it has to be done with reallly long hair to look nice.