Braiding tips?

[Lissa]

I like to wear my hair braided, but I never manage to get braids to be as neat as I would like them to. My layers tend to pop out a bit, and sometimes the parts are not even.

I was just wondering if any of you have tips on how to get perfect (or at least prettier) braids?:)
Thanks in advance!

[CindyLea1]

For the layers, could you try oiling before you braid? When I had layers I would try to wrap the strands so that the one going over the top caught the ends of the layer and held them in. But then after a few hours they always worked loose and popped out anyway. Oiling the ends, may keep them in a bit better.

If I have uneven strands after I have started the braid, I will steal some hairs from the thicker strand and add them to the thinner one. With some practice you can't even tell where this happened.

[Katze]

...dirty hair or wet hair. I prefer to braid dirty hair (which on me is flatter and slicker) and also brush it and add some extra oil, which helps with the fuzziness a bit. If I braid wet hair, I'm stuck with the bumps until I wash again.

My hair has many layers, new growth, and taper, so no braid will ever be smooth or even, but braiding oiled, dirty hair does help...

[Heidi_234]

I'm not sure if it works, but it worth a try - when you braid you hair, twist the sections around themselves (like you would twist when doing a rope braid). It's really easy to do, and might keep the ends from sticking out.

[sahiba]

In my opinion oily hair braids the best. But no matter how well or neat you braid , it does get a bit messy after a while. As for layers , it would be bit difficult to make a neat braid with them ,I feel.

[Phalaenopsis]

I prefer to braid with my hair when it was washed the day before. Then my hair feels the best.

A little tip to get even strands. Make your inner strands thinner than the outer strands, especially with layers. So with an English braid the outside strands should be thicker than the inner strand. You will notice the difference when you're almost at the end, you can braid longer to the end.

[Jim]

I find it best to braid all of my hair. If I just braid the tips, it all falls out.


sorry... :)

Jim

[misstwist]

Try Ursula's Braid 911.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=59

[JamieLeigh]

I too have better luck with braids when I oil first. However, it's just a fact of life that the longer your hair gets, the harder it is to keep a braid from looking messy by the end of the day, layered or not. :shrug: