I am not fine or straight haired but I would try waiting until your hair is a little dirty and/or misting with water before braiding. You could add some aloe gel or even another kind of stronger holding gel also that should help. I used to know a girl that wore a french braid all the time and she had the same problem and did what I suggested above. If all else fails you could always do a half up with a small barrette and then french braid the rest. That is what I did when I was learning.
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