Differences in braiding technique for the 3 strand braid.

[Jason]

I'm curious about the techniques that everyone uses to make a regular 3 strand braid. Until recently I started with the left strand crossing above the center strand to start and going from there as shown here:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v97/EverLonging/061409-1b.jpg

Lately I've been starting with crossing the left strand below the center one...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v97/EverLonging/061409-2b.jpg

In the latter one it kind of looks like the braid is coming more cleanly from the head, like it goes straight down. The other way has more of a "tangle" where the braid starts if you know what I mean. The latter one starts higher on the head but then isn't as long.

Which one do you think looks best? How does everyone else do it? I've never tried it starting on the right side, does that make a difference?

Of course, it's always good to start with freshly brushed out hair.:D
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v97/EverLonging/061409-4b.jpg

[Vivien']

Hi Jason ! Always a pleasure to see new hairy photos from you.
I prefer the first way. And it's the way I use. I probably did the second, by mistake when I learned to braid.

[fishwich]

The top picture is English style; the second is Dutch. I don't know why it's particularly Dutch to fold strands under, but there you go.

Me, I use and prefer the English braid. I like the smoother line from scalp to braid.

[CindyLea1]

I prefer to wrap one side over the middle first. I don't really think it matters much. Just personal preference.

You have great hair and both look great in your hair.

Have you seen the posts on stealing hair from a thicker strand to a thinner one to keep braiding farther down? It might help you get that second braid down to the ends. If that is your issue there?

[lizzyjo]

I do my braids like in the first picture. In my opinion, wrapping the first strand behind the braid looks like you messed up at the start because it's not in synch with the rest of the braid.

I always start my braids on the right side, and it looks like a mirror image of yours.

[Roseate]

They both look good on you!

I do the first way (English), because if I do the second way the braid tends to twist to the side as the day goes on. I must not pull as evenly when I braid like that, or something. :shrug:

ETA: Oh, and I start with the right strand over- I had to go give it a try just now to figure that out!

[Peter]

I guess I do it the Dutch way then. I start with crossing the right under the middle, then the left under the middle and repeat.

[JamieLeigh]

Look at you showing off that gorgeous hair!! :thud:

I always just do the English braid (cross the strands over) when I want a simple braid...but when I start at the top of my head, lately I've been making a Dutch braid (weave the strands under) instead of French braid. (Lots of nationalities are being represented on my head these days, it seems. :pinktongue: ) However it seems to me like a French braid is actually neater than a top-of-head Dutch braid. At least on my own head.

So I guess what I'm saying is, yes the second photo does look a lot neater than the first...but if you were starting at the top of your head, the first way would be neater than the second?

I hope that makes sense. LOL.

[RoseRedDead]

I do whichever way my hands decide. Sometimes it's English; sometimes it's Dutch. I honestly forget, and just let my hands do whatever they want.

[rusika1]

Over, not under. I think it looks tidier and stays in place better.

[Teacherbear]

Personally, I prefer the appearance of the first one, but prefer the second one if I need my braid to be sturdier.

[teela1978]

My hands automatically do the first option. I like the look of a dutch braid when it starts higher like a french braid, but I have trouble doing it because my hands automatically push the hair the other way.

I do think the 1st option looks better for a single braid like that though.

[Natalia]

I cross over the top as well. I like the slightly geometric look about it.

[eresh]

I am Dutch but I prefer to braid in English ;)

[Juanita]

English for me too. Starting with the left strand.

[KaeleyAnne]

I generally cross the outside strand over the middle if I'm doing a simple, English braid. I do like both French and Dutch braids, though. Depending on the circumstances, I might choose one over the other. I don't consistently start with either the left or right strand. If I'm doing pigtail braids, I start with the strand closest to the front of my face and cross it over the middle strand (for either French pigtail braids or for English pigtail braids - for Dutch pigtails, I start by crossing the strand closest to my face under the middle strand).

[hellkitty]

I'll give the Dutch braid some love. For some reason it's easier for me to do. It also looks cooler as a 'French' braid--a giant braid is sitting on top of my head. NICE.

Someone mentioned a technique about stealing from one braid strand and adding to another. Doesn't that turn the braid? When I've done that, the braid ceases to be a nice flat snake and gets a 90 degree twist. Does that happen to anyone else?
HK

[akka naeda]

I generally do the English one, the Dutch one is much looser, although if I have a plait down my back and it gets twisted so the underside shows, then it looks like I did the Dutch version :)

If I'm doing a French plait when you get a different effect on the head depending on whether the strands go over or under, then it depends whether I want the bit on my head to stand out or not as to what I do.

[akka naeda]

Someone mentioned a technique about stealing from one braid strand and adding to another. Doesn't that turn the braid? When I've done that, the braid ceases to be a nice flat snake and gets a 90 degree twist. Does that happen to anyone else?
HK

You have to take tiny amounts of hair, otherwise you will get a twist. It's best to start adding hair before you need to as well if that makes sense, so that the thickness remains more or less constant in all the strands.

[mira-chan]

If I'm wearing the braid as is I do the English version. If I'll be making a braided bun, then I prefer to start with a Dutch version. Somehow that one lays better when bunned.

[Jason]

Thanks for the informative replies everyone. I now understand Dutch vs. English braids. I think I'll probably keep on using both. There are characteristics of each that I like.

[enfys]

If I'm wearing the braid as is I do the English version. If I'll be making a braided bun, then I prefer to start with a Dutch version. Somehow that one lays better when bunned.

I'll be trying that out, since I never found braided buns very nice to do or look at after. I never though it could be my plait!

I always do the English one, and looking at them now the Dutch one looks wonky. It isn't, but the start height looks to different for my liking.

[Zindell]

My favorite braid is the dutch braid when starting higher up on the back of my head,
but when I'm doing an "ordinary" braid from the nape of my neck, I prefer the english.

[nicolezoie]

Back when I first started braiding my own hair, back when I was teaching myself to "french" Braid, instinctively my hands went "Dutch" and people tried to tell me that it wasn't a french braid because it stuck out, but nobody ever told me it looked weird. Well, not directly at least. It looked cool to me, and shortly thereafter I discovered that I could braid both ways almost right from the start. I could french braid OTHERS hair, but I could only DUTCH braid my own at first. However, I figured out how to do both on my own head, but nobody ever seemed to want the dutch version on their own heads.

Nearly all the time nowadays if I'm braiding, I have to pony-tail it first to keep it in one place. With the length and weight of my hair, it will shift. Usually it's the dutch version in the braid, seems to stay tighter on me. If I don't secure the braid beforehand, I'll USUALLY start to one side and keep it forward to complete the braid, which braided down my frontside is DUTCH but comes out down my backside as FRENCH. Then when I'm done put it behind my back and shift the braid so it's centered.. I don't do this often though because too low of a braid gets tangled badly on me from rubbing against my clothes.