How to French Braid Your Own Hair (Step by Step, Even If You’ve Never Done It)
Learn how to French braid your own hair with simple steps, practice tips, fixes for common mistakes, and the difference between a French and Dutch braid.
In this guide
To French braid, you start a regular three-strand braid at the top of your head, and as you cross the strands, you add a little new hair from each side. That’s the whole secret. The braid “grabs” hair as it goes, which is why it lies flat against your head.
It looks hard. It’s not, but doing it on your own head, with your arms in the air, is a skill that takes a few tries. Here’s how to do it step by step, how to practice, and how a French braid is different from a Dutch braid.
Before you start
You’ll need a brush or wide-tooth comb, a hair tie (or two), and a mirror if you want to watch what you’re doing. A spray bottle with water and a few clips for extra hair are nice to have, but you can skip them.
- Brush out every tangle first. Knots make strands snag and the braid come out lumpy.
- Don’t start with soaking wet hair. Damp hair is okay, but wet hair is slippery and stretches when you pull it.
- Hair that’s a little textured is easier to grip. Freshly washed, silky hair slides out of your fingers. If yours does, wait until it has been a day since your last wash if that fits your routine (here’s how often to wash your hair), or use a bit of texturizing spray or dry shampoo to give it some grip. If your hair is greasy by day two, our guide to why your hair is so greasy may help.
- Decide where the braid will start. High on the crown makes a tall braid, and closer to the front of the head makes it look more like a headband braid. Pick one spot and stay there while you practice.
How to French braid your own hair, step by step
- Brush your hair straight back from your forehead, or part it where you like. For your first try, a center back braid (no part) is easiest.
- Take a section at the top front, about as wide as three fingers. This is the base of your braid.
- Split it into three equal strands. Hold the left strand with your left hand, the right strand with your right hand, and the middle strand between your fingers (many people tuck the middle into the pinky of one hand).
- Start like a regular braid: cross the right strand over the middle strand. Now the right one is the new middle. Then cross the left strand over the new middle. That’s one stitch. Do it once or twice so the braid holds together.
- Now add hair on the right. Before you cross the right strand over the middle, pick up a thin piece of loose hair from the right side of your head. Join it to the right strand, then cross the whole thing over the middle.
- Add hair on the left. Do the same on the other side: pick up a thin piece of loose hair from the left, join it to the left strand, then cross it over the middle.
- Keep going. Right side: pick up hair, add, cross. Left side: pick up hair, add, cross. Use roughly the same amount of hair each time so the braid looks even.
- When you run out of loose hair (usually around the nape of your neck), finish with a regular three-strand braid down to the ends.
- Tie it off with a hair tie. You can then gently tug the sides of each loop to make the braid look fuller and softer.
Tips for braiding your own hair
Keep your elbows up and your hands close
Your arms will get tired. That’s normal. Stay close to your head with your hands, and keep your elbows up as far as you comfortably can. If your arms burn, stop, shake them out and start again. Don’t let the braid fall just because your shoulders are mad at you.
Keep the pieces small
Thin sections are easier to control, and the braid looks neater. Big pieces make a bumpy, loose braid.
Hold tension, not death grip
You want the strands snug enough to stay together, not pulled so hard that it hurts. More on why that matters below.
Use a mirror, but trust your fingers
A mirror helps you see the sides at first. After a few tries, you’ll feel the strands without looking, and then you can braid anywhere.
Practice on something easier first
If doing it on yourself feels impossible, try these in order:
- Practice a regular three-strand braid so the over-and-under rhythm is automatic.
- Practice French braiding on a friend, a sibling or a mannequin head. It’s easier to see what the hair is doing.
- Try a low French braid, started at the nape. It’s easier to see and reach.
- Do side braids over one shoulder before you attempt the full-back version.
- Watch a video once, with the sound off, just to see how the hands move. Then try it with your own hair, not while the video is playing.
French braid vs. Dutch braid
They’re almost the same technique. The only difference is whether the strands go over or under the middle one.
| French braid | Dutch braid | |
|---|---|---|
| Strands cross… | Over the middle strand | Under the middle strand |
| Look | Braid lies flat against the head | Braid sits on top, raised, like an upside-down French braid |
| Easier to… | Learn first (the over motion is familiar from a regular braid) | Make look full and chunky |
| Adding hair | Add from the sides as you go | Add from the sides as you go |
If you can French braid, you can Dutch braid. Start with the French version, and once it feels natural, switch to crossing under. Your hands will think it’s backwards for about three braids.
Common French braid problems (and fixes)
- It’s lumpy. Your sections are different sizes or you’re pulling unevenly. Use thinner pieces and the same amount each time.
- It’s crooked. Your starting section is off-center, or you’re adding more hair on one side. Check in the mirror at the start, not at the end.
- It keeps falling out. You may not be adding hair on each cross, or your hair is too silky. Try a little texturizing spray and add small pieces on both sides.
- There are flyaways. Some are unavoidable. A tiny bit of product on a clean toothbrush or your fingers smooths them. If your hair is frizzy in general, see why your hair is so frizzy.
- One side is bigger. Check the amount of hair you add on each side. It’s very common for your dominant hand to grab more.
Don’t braid it too tight
A snug braid is good. A painfully tight one isn’t. The American Academy of Dermatology says tightly pulled braids, buns and ponytails can cause traction alopecia, a type of hair loss from constant pulling, and that it can become permanent if it’s left untreated.
The AAD lists these warning signs that mean you should change your hairstyle right away: pain from tightly pulled hair, stinging on your scalp, crusts on your scalp, and “tenting,” when sections of your scalp get pulled up like a tent. It also suggests limiting how often you wear styles that pull on your hair and loosening braids, especially at the hairline.
So if your braid makes your head hurt, loosen it, take it out, and give your hair a break from tight styles. If you notice broken hairs around your forehead, a receding hairline or patches where your hair has thinned, see a board-certified dermatologist.
What to do with your braid after
A French braid is a style on its own, but it also works as a base:
- Do it on damp hair at night and take it out in the morning for soft waves. Braids are one of the methods in our guide to heatless curls.
- Do two braids (pigtail French braids) for a sporty look that stays put through practice, gym class or a school day.
- Pull the edges apart a little for a fuller, boho look.
