A Complete Guide to French Braiding Hair

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A step-by-step guide for creating a simple or lacey French braid

Co-authored by Vanessa Garcia and Amy Bobinger, BA

Last Updated: August 29, 2024 Fact Checked

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Classic French Braid

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French Lace Braid

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Q&A

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Tips

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Warnings

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The French braid is a beautiful and classic hairstyle and a favorite to many. Although its intricate weave may appear complicated, creating your own French braid is a simple process. The secret is to add a strand of hair to each section before braiding it. Once you've gotten the basics of a traditional braid down, you could try a French lace braid for a fancy twist.

French Braiding Technique

Grab a large section of hair from the top of your head and divide it into three parallel parts. Start braiding your hair, then work in new sections by taking hair from the side of your head and adding it to one of your strands. Keep going until you’ve added all of your hair into the braid.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Creating a Classic French Braid

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1
Prep your hair so it is ready for styling. Brush through your hair to get all the tangles out and make it soft, smooth, and ready to braid. For a single braid going down the back of your head, brush your hair backwards, away from your forehead.
- You might want a braid down the side of your head instead, or maybe you're making more than one braid. In that case, part your hair and brush it into sections depending on how many braids you would like.
- You can braid your hair when it's dry or when it's wet. But, braiding wet hair gives you soft, pretty waves when you take it out later.
2
Begin sectioning your hair.^{[1]
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Research source} Start the process by gathering a big chunk (3-4 inches wide) from the top-center of your head. All the hair in this section should come from the same "hair row." You don't want to grab strands from higher up or lower down.
- If you have bangs, you can bring them into the braid at this point or leave them loose. Choose what you think looks best. To braid them, you'll need to grab hair from the very top-center of your head, right above your forehead.
- The section you start with has nothing to do with how big your braid will be. You start with a small section, but the braid grows thicker as you add more hair.
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Just like traditional braids, French braids use three sections of hair to create their pattern. Separate them out by running your fingers through the chunk you are holding to create three even pieces. Make sure that none of the pieces are larger or smaller than the other two.
Begin in a traditional braid. First, you have to get your hand positioning right: hold two strands in one hand, and the third strand in the other. Begin in a traditional braid by crossing the “right” strand over to the center. Then, cross the “left” strand from over to the center. Repeat until you've made a few rows of a traditional braid.
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Work in new hair. Keep going with this traditional braid pattern, but start bringing in other pieces of hair. Before crossing a section over to center, grab some hair from that side of your head and include it in the cross-over.
- Every time you cross over, work in another small piece of hair. How much new hair you grab each time doesn't matter, but the less hair you grab, the more intricate the braid will look.
- For the best-looking French braid, pick up the hair near your face and neck. If you only pick up pieces from the center (near the main strand), they'll get covered up later with strands from the outside.
As you work down your head, you'll start running out of free hair to bring into the braid. By the time you reach the nape of your neck, you should have incorporated all of your hair.
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Finish the braid. When all of your hair is in the working braid, finish it off as a traditional braid. Keep going until you reach the end of your strands. Then, secure the braid with a ponytail holder.^{[2]
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- Avoid using rubber bands, as these rip and break hair when you remove them.^{[3]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Creating a French Lace Braid

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Just like you did for the normal French braid, brush through tangles to smooth out your hair. French lace braids can work down either one or both sides of your head, so need to part your hair. Use a center or side part, depending on what look you prefer.
^{[4]
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Research source}Grab a piece of your hair from one side your part, near the part itself. The size of this section does matter in French lace, as it determines the thickness of the braid. For a larger braid, grab a hefty section of hair, and for a dainty braid, grab a smaller piece. In general, it should be about one inch thick.
As with the normal French braid, you need to divide your starting section of hair into three even pieces. Angle these pieces downward to frame your face, rather than pulling them toward the back of your head.^{[5]
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Begin braiding. Start the French lace in a traditional braid. Cross the "right" strand over to center, then cross the "left" strand over to center.
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Start bringing in new hair. In the French braid, you added hair from both sides of your head. In the French lace braid, you should only add hair from one side of the braid.^{[6]
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- It doesn't matter which side you add new hair from. The important thing is that all new hair comes from the same side of the braid.
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Continue braiding around your head. As you move further along with your braid, it will start to form a crown or halo shape around your head. You can choose to braid over the top of your ear, or under it.
- If you are making a single braid, wrap it all the way around your head. You will likely run out of hair near the ear on the other side of your head.
- If you're making two braids, stop braiding when you reach the nape of your neck. Tie off the first braid with an elastic, then repeat the entire process on the other side of your head to create your second braid.
Eventually, you will run out of loose hair to work into the braid. At this point, keep working in a traditional braid until you reach the ends of your strands. Tie off your hair with an elastic tie to secure your French lace braid.

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Is a French braid formal enough for a wedding?

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Yes. A French braid is formal enough for any wedding theme.

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Is it easy to take out?

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Yes, if you do it correctly. Take the band out and gently pull on the outer edges to loosen it. Continue this until you have taken it out. Whatever you do, do NOT brush or comb it as soon as you take the band out. It will just make the biggest tangle ever.

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Can I learn to French braid my own hair if I can French braid my friend's hair?

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Yes, you can learn. It will take a little practice getting used to doing it on your own hair, but since you already know how to do it on a friend's, you have a nice head start!

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Tips

Braid your hair in the mirror, so that you can see what you're doing.

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This hairstyle is great for activities like dancing or cheerleading. You need to remember to start the braid high on your head and secure it with bobby pins as you go.

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It is easier to braid if your hair is wet.

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The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

Give yourself natural waves by french braiding your hair while it’s damp and undoing it when it’s dry. Adding a bit of mousse beforehand can help, too.
Make sure the start of the braid is really tight so it doesn’t puff up throughout the day.
Practice on a friend or a doll to figure out how large your strands should be.
Try starting with a half up ponytail and beginning your braid there.

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Warnings

Be careful not to let go of your hair while French-braiding it, or it might undo and you may have to start over.

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Helpful 36 Not Helpful 6
Your arms may get tired while braiding your hair. Bend forward to release tension or rest your arms on a surface behind you (ex. a headboard or backrest).You could also temporarily tie it with elastic and give your arms a rest.

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