The Easy Way To Do Your Own French Braids

If you know how to French braid, chances are, your skills are in high demand within your household and your friend group. The timeless braid style works as a single braid down the back or braids on each side of your head. 

Plus, there are various ways you could switch up a French braid, like starting from the nape of your neck or starting on one side and braiding across your scalp. Luxy hair suggests that this type of braid works perfectly for hair the second and third day after you've washed it. Not to be confused with Dutch braids, the French braid, when done correctly, gives you a flat plait with all your hair incorporated into it. 

If you know how to do your own French braids, you probably realize how difficult it can sometimes be to keep all the hair organized while working with the strands, using a mirror or just touch to keep everything straight. If you like the braid style, but it's too hard for you to do your own, there's good news! A TikTok user posted her "lazy person" French braid hack, which will change your life. Read on to find out how to get the look without all the struggle.

TikTok user briananegron created a short tutorial of just under one minute to show off her hack to creating the look of a French braid with a lot less effort. In her video, which has "Way Too Sexy" by Drake playing, she parted her long brunette hair straight down the middle, pulling the lengths over either shoulder. After that, she created a section on one side of her head, starting at her ear up to the center part, and she divided it into three pieces.

Here's where she deviated from the typical French braid. The TokToker simply did a regular braid until it reached near the nape of her neck. Then, she let the braid go, picking up the rest of her hair with it. Holding all her hair along with the braid on that side, she created three more sections and then braided it down the length of her hair. Finally, she completed all the steps on the other side of her head. This simple hack created the look of a French braid without picking up sections of her hair each time she pulled one piece over another. 

This style hack would be great if you don't know how to do a French braid or are short on time. If you'd rather do an actual French braid, read on to find out how.

If you want your hair entirely French braided, you can do it in a few easy steps, Allure reports. According to celebrity hairstylist Nathaniel Hawkins, you shouldn't have clean hair when you create the hairstyle. "To make sure that your hair has some texture and hold to it, avoid thick conditioners — especially those with silicone in them­ — that make strands slippery," he said to the magazine in 2017. 

To being the braid, make three separate sections at the crown of your head. As you would with a standard braid, take the left section and cross it over the center section, and repeat with the right section. After your first two crosses, pick up about an inch section of your hair each time you cross a section from the left or the right over the center section. Continue these steps, slowly incorporating pieces of your hair, ensuring it's all inside the braid by the time you reach the nape of your neck. Finally, finish the braid to your desired length and secure it with a hair tie. 

You can use this strategy for a single braid or part your hair in the center and create a braid on each side of your head.