How to Braid African American Hair

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Prepare your hair.

   Start by washing your hair as per usual, and then use a deep conditioner to help soften your strands.
   
   When you’ve rinsed your conditioner out, use a Wide-tooth comb to brush out all the tangles, starting from the ends and working towards the roots.
   
   Use your hairdryer on ‘low’ to blow out your curls, so that they are almost completely dry.
   
   Brush out your hair once more to make sure there are no knots, and then you’re ready to start your braids.
2. 2

   Step 2: Prepare your packages of braiding hair.

   Box braids use ‘braid hair’
   - synthetic hair strands that are very long
   - to fill in the space on your scalp and give you plenty of fullness in your braids.
   
   Choose your braid hair in a color similar to your own, and get at least two large packages.
   
   Then, take each chunk of hair out of the packages individually, and hold them in the center, cutting off the elastic bands holding it together.
   
   With a grip on the center and the two tail ends of the hair hanging down, begin pulling the strands on one side of the hair.
   
   This will give the ends of your hair a more natural look, otherwise the packaged hair is blunt-cut straight across and your braids will look a bit unnatural when you’re finished.
   
   When you’re pulling the hair, gently tug at small strands rather than big portions of hair.
   
   Run your fingers through the hair when you’re finished evening out the ends, to remove any knots that might have shown up. , Section off your first piece of braiding hair into a strand that is about 2–3 inches (5.1–7.6 cm) wide.
   
   Then, separate off ⅓ of this section; you should be holding two sections with one that is twice as thick as the other.
   
   Wrap the smaller strand around the larger one, so that the tail ends are facing opposite directions (like ‘><’).
   
   Take the smaller strand, and grab it at the center where it is intertwined with the first strand.
   
   Carefully twist the strand over and under, so that the two tail ends form a single piece that sticks out between the original tail strands.
   
   You should be left with three strands of approximately equal size, which you can hold in one hand. , Use a rat-tooth comb to carefully section a small piece of hair on your scalp, approximately 1-inch by 1-inch.
   
   It will probably be easiest to start on one side of your head near your hairline and work your way back, but you can start wherever you are comfortable.
   
   Use a bit of oil or gel to prepare this section, making it easier to manipulate. , Hold your braiding hair in your hand so that one strand is between your thumb and index, a second strand is between your index and middle finger, and the third strand is hanging behind the first two.
   
   Grab the section of hair closest to your scalp with your thumb and index finger, as close to the roots as possible.
   
   To start the braid:
   Reach your empty hand around your head, and grab the third strand of braiding hair hanging behind the ones gripped in your hand.
   
   Simultaneously pull the 3rd strand of hair under, and incorporate the hair from your scalp into the section between your thumb and index, and twist it over in the opposite direction.
   
   Pull the third loose section of hair into the middle, between the other two sections.
   
   You should now have three separate strands of hair that are held tight to your scalp, with your natural hair incorporated into one of the sections. , With your braiding-hair as close to your scalp as possible, begin braiding tightly in the traditional pattern; alternate placing the left-most strand over the middle section, and then the right-most strand over the middle section.
   
   When you reach the end of your braid, the strands should taper out into a smaller and smaller braid.
   
   You don’t need to use an elastic band to hold it in place, as it should hold on its own. , Repeat the same steps as aforementioned to braid the rest of your head:
   Section a 1-inch by 1-inch piece of hair from your scalp, and apply oil or gel Prepare your braiding hair and part it into three strands Use the twisting method to combine your natural hair into your braiding hair Complete the braid using a regular three-strand method until you reach the ends, As you braid, it is important to take the time to make sure they are all smooth, flexible, and even.
   
   If you notice any bulging strands or lumps in your braid, you’ll need to take it out and start over from the beginning.
   
   If your natural hair is sticking out from the strands of your braiding hair, you’ll need to remove your braiding hair and add oil or gel to moisturize it and reduce frizz.
   
   You may have to re-braid the same strand multiple times in order to get it ‘just right’.
   
   If your braid is uneven, you may have started with sections of differing thickness.
   
   You’ll have to take out your braiding hair and re-split it into three even sections.
3. 3

   Step 3: Get a strand of braiding-hair ready for braiding.

4. 4

   Step 4: Section off your hair on your scalp for braiding.

5. 5

   Step 5: Start your first braid.

6. 6

   Step 6: Braid your section of hair.

7. 7

   Step 7: Braid additional sections of hair.

8. 8

   Step 8: Perfect each braid.

Detailed Guide

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