Braiding Baby Fine Hair

[UP Lisa]

My hair is very difficult to braid because of the way the strands stick together. It is so hard to separate into sections to braid. This is the case even after clarifying and conditioning. Does anyone else have this problem, and if so, do you have any secrets? I always feel that I'm destroying my hair just trying to separate it into sections.

[AmaryllisRed]

Mine seems to separate better if it's wet.
I French braided it today and it's a disaster. I thought I thoroughly combed beforehand but the ends stuck together and it backbraided and I couldn't get it undone, even with a comb. So I just braided the rest, below the giant tangled mess, and bunned it. I will have a mess to deal with when I take it down but my life is a mess so :shrug:
I think I'm done with dry French braids for a while, though.

[JasminxCat]

I know what you mean. It's easiest to braid my hair when it's oily because it's more slick and doesn't tangle or catch easily compared to when it's freshly clean, or wet. When I try braiding wet hair it sticks and stretches in between my fingers when I cross to braid, then snaps

[Feral_]

My hair is much easier to braid since doing SO, think the sebum works its magic somehow. Maybe try a very light misting with some water or water and conditioner mixed. You don’t want it too wet though or the strands will be trickier to pull through and manipulating wet hair is in itself damaging. Another option is a light oiling if you’re braiding before washing it that day.

[foreveryours]

Generally, assuming detangled hair to start, prior to taking your section, have you tried tilting your head so the hair your want freely hangs straight down rather than lying on top of itself or any surrounding strands down your back or across your scalp? Sort of like using gravity to help with detangling. When I do this, once i've gathered my section and transfered it to the other hand, I run my free hand along its length of all the sections to shake it free from any other "attached" hair strands. Even when starting from completely detangled hair, I need to go thru this "detangling" process when braiding every stitch. Just something I found which works for me when nothing else would.

As JasminxCat suggested, oil can help. Water otoh makes my own hair tangly. You could also try a different conditioner, one which provides more slip or even a detangler (e.g. Mane & Tail).

[Finda]

My hair also doesn't seperate easily. English braids are okay, but I'm not sure how protective dutch or french braids are for me due to the fact that my hair starts tangling as soon as it moves. What helps is, like foreveryours already explained, tilting the head. And after every step, so after every strand I take up, I hold everything with one hand and brush the length carefully with the other. That way braiding takes some time, but I don't have to undo the braid halfway through.

Also, my hair needs to be dry. When I have leftover wetness in my hair it tangles even more.

[Cg]

I always found it pretty hard to get a good result braiding. After a certain length it yielded constant tangles so I quit even trying.

[UP Lisa]

Mine seems to separate better if it's wet.
I French braided it today and it's a disaster. I thought I thoroughly combed beforehand but the ends stuck together and it backbraided and I couldn't get it undone, even with a comb. So I just braided the rest, below the giant tangled mess, and bunned it. I will have a mess to deal with when I take it down but my life is a mess so :shrug:
I think I'm done with dry French braids for a while, though.

I haven't tried braiding it wet except for a regular English braid. Have to try it, I guess.

[UP Lisa]

Generally, assuming detangled hair to start, prior to taking your section, have you tried tilting your head so the hair your want freely hangs straight down rather than lying on top of itself or any surrounding strands down your back or across your scalp? Sort of like using gravity to help with detangling. When I do this, once i've gathered my section and transfered it to the other hand, I run my free hand along its length of all the sections to shake it free from any other "attached" hair strands. Even when starting from completely detangled hair, I need to go thru this "detangling" process when braiding every stitch. Just something I found which works for me when nothing else would.

As JasminxCat suggested, oil can help. Water otoh makes my own hair tangly. You could also try a different conditioner, one which provides more slip or even a detangler (e.g. Mane & Tail).

I had not thought of tilting my head. That's a good idea! Will try it.

[lapushka]

Try and separate it by moving it to the side (this is how I do it for a side-braid), poking a finger through where you want it separated, then "pulling" the hair apart. Stick finger through, pull apart. If I don't have too many tangles, this sort of works well.

[UP Lisa]

Try and separate it by moving it to the side (this is how I do it for a side-braid), poking a finger through where you want it separated, then "pulling" the hair apart. Stick finger through, pull apart. If I don't have too many tangles, this sort of works well.

Thank you for another good idea.

[Bri-Chan]

I've the same issue. One thing that helps a little bit is braiding when I'm close to wash day.

[FaeBroom]

I do basically the same thing lapushka mentioned- section off hair, pull that section off to the side so it's completely separate, like its own individual lock, then repeat. When it gets cobwebby at the bottom I carefully pick it apart before I lay it aside, even brush out the bottom if I have to while holding the rest of the braid with my other hand. If your hair is like mine and never dries when compressed into any sort of style while damp, what helps me is dampening, oiling to "plump up the strand", so to speak, and then styling once it's dried.

[Siv]

My hair also doesn't seperate easily. English braids are okay, but I'm not sure how protective dutch or french braids are for me due to the fact that my hair starts tangling as soon as it moves. What helps is, like foreveryours already explained, tilting the head. And after every step, so after every strand I take up, I hold everything with one hand and brush the length carefully with the other. That way braiding takes some time, but I don't have to undo the braid halfway through.

Also, my hair needs to be dry. When I have leftover wetness in my hair it tangles even more.

^all of this for me too!


I always found it pretty hard to get a good result braiding. After a certain length it yielded constant tangles so I quit even trying.

That's very true as well, around WL my hair became a tangly nightmare. I'm still trying though...


I do basically the same thing lapushka mentioned- section off hair, pull that section off to the side so it's completely separate, like its own individual lock, then repeat. When it gets cobwebby at the bottom I carefully pick it apart before I lay it aside, even brush out the bottom if I have to while holding the rest of the braid with my other hand. If your hair is like mine and never dries when compressed into any sort of style while damp, what helps me is dampening, oiling to "plump up the strand", so to speak, and then styling once it's dried.

This too, when I French or Dutch braid I have to detangle continually, maybe twice for every turn on the braid. So annoying.

[UP Lisa]

Oh, the joys of having fine hair!