PDA

View Full Version : How many sections added to your french/dutch plait?



fridgee
May 29th, 2012, 07:23 AM
I'm interested because, well, I'm nosey :eyebrows: ...but also because my waves from french pigtails don't seems to be turning out like they used to (ten years ago! :p) and I'm pretty sure the plaits looked different too, but I've been experimenting and can't really work out what I did differently :confused:, so I'm hoping your experiences will help me narrow down whats off! :D Its also nice just to understand how the variations of the plaits work so that a few different looks can be had from the same thing. :)

When you make a french/dutch plait how many sections do you normally end up adding to your plait from the rest of you hair? For example, I think I add 4 on each side. The original 'bundle' is the hair above the top of my temples then I add hair from middle of my temples, top of my ears, middle of my ears and then everything else.

How do you find the number of sections added affects how the plait looks? Also are the waves you end up with afterwards affected by the number of sections? Do you find more/fewer sections is more/less secure or better for some updos than others?

Stupid question alert! :brains: If the sections are too small/too numerous do you run out of head before adding all the hair? As is does the plait start heading off down your neck rather than still being 'attached' to your head before you've managed to add all the sections to it? Mine always sag at the nape no matter how tight I try to make it and I don't really want to end up making that worse!

Thank you! :cheese:

Madora
May 29th, 2012, 07:33 AM
Back in the day, I was usually able to get at least 5 bumps down the middle of my head when I French Dutch braided.

Of course you can use even thinner sections to get an more densely "woven" effect when doing the same braid I (if you have the arms of steel to deal with the longer time it would take to make a braid with smaller sections).

The knack to keeping the hair at the nape taut is the way you hold the braid.

Vanille_
May 29th, 2012, 07:37 AM
The knack to keeping the hair at the nape taut is the way you hold the braid.

Could you explain this a little more. I have issue with this part of my braid sometimes. The best I can figure is to pull tight, but sometimes it still doesn't look right.

I don't fully understand the OP question. I use three sections, but from Madora's reply - I'm not sure how many "bumps" my braid has, I haven't counted. I guess five if I think about how I braid - three sections above my ears and two below.

I hope I answered the question :)

schweedie
May 29th, 2012, 07:49 AM
Could you explain this a little more. I have issue with this part of my braid sometimes. The best I can figure is to pull tight, but sometimes it still doesn't look right.
I can't speak for Madora, but as for me - tilting my head back so that I'm looking at the ceiling while I braid the last couple of sections (the nape hair) helps! And not pulling too much on the braid as I bring it over my shoulder to finish it.

OP, I usually add four or five sections on each side. I've never thought of how different numbers of sections give the braid waves different looks, though!

Vanille_
May 29th, 2012, 07:56 AM
And not pulling too much on the braid as I bring it over my shoulder to finish it.

Ah. That's probably a big source of my problem.

I'll take your advice and hopefully see some nicer braids!

MinderMutsig
May 29th, 2012, 08:08 AM
I'm lazy and prefer big sections so I only add three.

Madora
May 29th, 2012, 08:44 AM
Could you explain this a little more. I have issue with this part of my braid sometimes. The best I can figure is to pull tight, but sometimes it still doesn't look right.

I don't fully understand the OP question. I use three sections, but from Madora's reply - I'm not sure how many "bumps" my braid has, I haven't counted. I guess five if I think about how I braid - three sections above my ears and two below.

I hope I answered the question :)



Vanille, for me, it was holding the strands up and out as I added the sections (as opposed to just adding the sections from each side. It is the angle and how you hold your hands that makes the difference. Took me a while before I caught on that how you hold your hands can make a difference in how the braid turns out). It is a lot easier to get a French "Dutch" braid to look tidy at the bottom than a French "English" braid.

spidermom
May 29th, 2012, 09:15 AM
It depends on my mood and the amount of time I have. If I'm in a hurry, there will be only 3 or 4. If not, maybe 6 or 8.

MissManda
May 29th, 2012, 11:59 AM
I'm lazy and prefer big sections so I only add three.

Same here. :) If I'm making two or more French braids, it's more like 4-6 depending on my mood and how much time I've got.

From an outsider's perspective, I've been told by others that when I do French braids this way, it does not look like their image of a French braid because it looks less woven/intricate.

I've also noticed that the smaller the sections I add to the braid, the thinner it looks and the more it tapers. Knowing this is very handy when making a bun out of my French or Dutch braid because it makes the ends easier to tuck and makes the bun coil a bit more.

fridgee
May 29th, 2012, 03:55 PM
Ok so it sounds like I'm somewhere in the middle of what's usual! That's reassuring at least.

Thanks Madora and schweedie I'll try the pulling up and over and looking up to see if that helps the sagging.

spidermom and MissManda do you find your braid waves are any different with a different number of sections? MissManda it's interesting you find it tapers more with more sections, Is the bit on your head thicker as a result? I don't need extra taper (pesky layers) but if I'm tucking the braid the look of extra thickness on the top bit would be nice.

Tisiloves
May 29th, 2012, 04:02 PM
Vanille, for me, it was holding the strands up and out as I added the sections (as opposed to just adding the sections from each side. It is the angle and how you hold your hands that makes the difference. Took me a while before I caught on that how you hold your hands can make a difference in how the braid turns out). It is a lot easier to get a French "Dutch" braid to look tidy at the bottom than a French "English" braid.


You can also do Bishonenrancher's French plait trick, as demonstrated by Torrinpaige:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YC_unKDz_JA

Also I have 4-5 sections in my Frenches.

fridgee
May 29th, 2012, 04:26 PM
You can also do Bishonenrancher's French plait trick, as demonstrated by Torrinpaige:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YC_unKDz_JA

Also I have 4-5 sections in my Frenches.

Ooo I love that tip! Thank you for linking the vid, really helpful! :flower:

Madora
May 29th, 2012, 08:30 PM
You can also do Bishonenrancher's French plait trick, as demonstrated by Torrinpaige:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YC_unKDz_JA

Also I have 4-5 sections in my Frenches.

Thanks for the link, Tisiloves! That is one nifty idea!