Braided Updo for Shoulder-AP Length Hair - TUTORIAL & PICS

I finally did the hair tutorial I've been mentioning since... hmm... March or so? I couldn't come up with jazzy name, so I called it Arctic's braid. (Any ideas?)


I believe I have invented this style. I have never seen anything similar, although at the same time, with millions of people here on Earth, I have no doubt someone, somewhere, at some point of history has done the same style. :) It doesn't matter, I'll still think I invented it :D


Boring stuff: The image I drew is under Creative Commons Licence (CC-BY-NC-ND) that allows anyone to use, post and spread it, as long as credits are given to me (forum handle Arctic is enough), it is not used commercially, and is not edited, changed, or used for making something else. Feel free to share the written instructions too, with credits. (Basically: share away, but give credits.)

The hair photos, however, are copyrighted. Please do not post my hair photos anywhere (Pinterest etc.). /end boring stuff


First, the final product looks like this:

http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/c...pslvzk37fe.jpg



I find this style very elegant, different, and interesting. It can be worn in everyday life, but also on special occasions (the latter is how I personally perceive it). It is very comfortable (at least on me), and sturdy. It has a flat profile, so this could be great for excercising, or under a helmet too.

On my hair I prefere this style when I have used styling products, especially hair powder. The style simply does not look the same without it. Hair powder takes this from blah to WOW, and also helps to make hair more manageable.

All and all it is relatively hair friendly and protective, and not difficult to do (no french braiding, etc).

I think this is a style exclusively for shorter hair, from shoulder to maybe APL, depending on the thickness. My own hair started to feel too long when it was about half way between shoulder and APL. BUT if your hair is too long for this exact style, you can use this method for Heidi braids and thus avoid the parting at the back! That would be a nice variation too!

I imagine all hair types and thicknesses could do this updo. Thinner haired people can do it sooner (and will grow out of it sooner). I think having some texture helps; a very slippery and straight hair might need some prep work. I would love to have feedback from people of all hairtypes and lengths who try this!


You will need:

- ability to make 3-strand braid
- styling product that gives grip, I recommend hair powder
- mini claw clip or similar
- small elastics
- bobby pins


Here's my Tutorial. The written instructions are right after the image.

http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/c...pspeaz0hkl.jpg



STEP BY STEP HOW-TO:

1) Comb hair and divide in two, as if making pigtails. (If you use other products than hair powder, it can be applied here, at/before this point.)

2) Divide blue side* into two (no need to be perfectly even). *For clarity's sake, let's use colours blue and red as indicators, per my image. But the sides don't really matter, you can test if chaging sides makes a difference.

3) Take red side to the right, so that it goes between the two blue sections, as you move the blue sections to the left.

4) Combine blue sections into one, and temporarily secure them together, with for example mini claw clip. The red half now runs through the blue half. (Try not to drop the blue sections at this point, the hairs need to be alligned to the direction they are in the final look.)

5) Braid red half first, secure with small elastic (after getting a hang of this, elastics might not be needed necessarily). Then release the blue half and braid it too. Try to start both braids, but especially the blue one very snuggly against the head. Secure with small elastic. At this point there should be 2 braided pigtails that start at the middle of your nape. For both braids, leave an ample tassle, it will be needed later (it doesn't need to be huge, just don't braid to the very tips). This, steps 3 to 5, are the method I invented and which makes this style unique. It allows the finished style look as if one continuous braid with no visible end or beginning.

6) Now it's time to take out the hair powder. I need to highlight that at least for my hair, the updo simply does not look the same without. Take each braid one at a time, tap some hair powder along the braid's length, on both sides, and very gently rub and work it in the braid. The braid becomes easy to manage and starts grow in size (sort of). After applying hairpowder, gently pancake (tug each braid bump wider and flatter) both braids as wide as possible. Mine expands quite a bit this way. The ample tassle comes neccessary here, as pancaking will shorten it.

7) Fold blue braid so, that the tassle and the elastic will be under the braid and not visible. Bobby pin the "corners" of the fold, as the arrows indicate. Do the same to the red braid. Now you can pancake the braids some more, before adding more bobby pins (when there are more pins the pancaking is difficult or impossible). Basically, depending on the day and my activities, I don't need that many pins. I like to make mine feel very secure, so I probably use approx. 6-8 or so. If there are any areas that sag or stick out or don't look right, you can adjust them with gentle tugging and pinning. (If you have any visible part at the back at this point, tug the scalp hair around the part gently a bit looser, so the part will vanish.)

DONE!


I have done this with 3-strand braid (photo in the beginning of this post) and fishtail braid (photo below). Both look really nice! It might work with other braids too (maybe not with rope braid?). If you make fishtail braids (or try the rope braids), make sure you divide the 2 braid sections differently than the original divided sections were in step 3. I fear otherwise a gap might form at the base of the braid, and it wouldn't be giving the illusion of one continuing braid with no end or beginning (or maybe I just worry too much, ha ha).

http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/c...psw3exwxie.jpg




I hope You liked it! Please let me know how it works and if the instructions are clear! :toast:

That's very cool! I'll have to try that. Thank you for posting the directions. :)

AZDesertRose I hope you like it and it works for you! I'd love to hear how it came out!

That looks amazing, Arctic! :applause Great invention!
Thanks so much for sharing this beautiful style and instructions! :D

Looking at the end result and the first steps of your awesome pictorials, reminded me of a video tutorial of the "pull-through braided updo". Maybe it can help some folks who need video instructions (it's not the same style at all but it demonstrates that sort of "pull-through" principle at the beginning of the style on video :) ): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-W0yYvZX8c8 or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGObla0gfm4

Thanks Meteor! OOH that was nice video, the end result looks quite a bit like mine! The video also shows the pancaking really well, that steps makes such a difference!

Arctic, I just tried to do it and had an incredibly difficult time getting it to work, which may be a failure of patience on my part or may be that my hair is very slippy by nature. Not sure.

I'll give it another try on a day when I feel more patient with my hair.

For now, it went back into the cinnabun I'd had it in earlier.

Oh no, sorry to hear that AZ! Maybe it is a thickness issue also, I only assumed it would work for all thicknesses. Hopefully you'll get it work later on. Which step did you have problems with? If your hair is very slippery, you might need some product to help you, mousse or dry shampoo or salt spray maybe? My hair isn't very slippery (at least not when I compare to my old hair type before it changed), but I couldn't do the step 6 without product (hair powder), my braids would fall apart from that much pancaking.

Both styles look so pretty on you! Thanks for the tutorial.

Thank you cutekitty! I've been meaning to make this for ever! I visualized it as step by step photos, but I didn't get anyone to take the photos for me, so out came the wobbly touchpad mouse drawings :D

Oo I bet this would look fantastic as rope braids too! Im ready to try it, great invention!!!