Master the Art of Two Dutch Braids: A Hair Tutorial You Can’t-Miss!

So as to get a polished and clean Dutch braid, the first step is preparing your hair well. For braids to stick better to your hair, make sure it is dry and not very silky; this can be achieved by washing the hair the previous day. By adding a small amount of dry shampoo or texturizing spray to your hair, it is possible to add a grip once it’s too smooth after washing it. This makes it easier to control and maintain portions when you are braiding. As such, it becomes vital to using a brush to detangle your hair prior to braiding so as to get even and regular braids. Also, use a wide-tooth comb while detangling to gently comb your hair starting from the tips and towards the roots. In addition, while braiding, a rat-tail comb and hair elastics will also come in handy. This allows for neat partitions to be made and the ends if the braids to be secured respectively. Overall, these preparations make it easier to create beautiful Dutch braids which are the recommendation of many styling specialists.

On the left side, for me to begin with, the Dutch braid I begin by grabbing a small lock near my front hairline. I split it into three parts and hold onto them. Then I proceed to braid by placing the right side under the middle portion, then placing under the new middle part created by the right braid, the left side strand. Each time I do so, I add more hair to the outer strands from the left side of my head. This style of braiding is what gives the Dutch braid its peculiar cross-braided raised effect that distinguishes it from the rest of the styles. As I reach the ends of the braid I pull it progressively tighter while letting it rest against my scalp. I cross the left side underneath first before braiding, pulling head hair underneath each side to create tension for the ends. After pulling up all the hair from the left side, I turn to a basic symmetry three-strand braid which I extend to the ends, and use a hair band to secure the ends.

The point is not to braid over but rather to braid under in order to accomplish a true Dutch-raised braid. So start off with three strands: now when you begin to braid, always pull the outer strand under the middle strand instead of the other way around. This is a classic Dutch technique whereby while braiding down, the outer strands are supplemented with hair from each side. Make sure the additional hair strands are pulled tight against the scalp because it will facilitate the braid being close to the head and clean. This is the principle behind the popping effect of the braid. While doing this, be careful to section the hair evenly to maintain balance. These are the most difficult techniques to perfect; practice makes perfect and so does increasing tension and amount of cross-braiding.

When practicing Dutch braiding using added hair for the first time, I start by evenly taking small sections from both sides of my head including each section of the braid little by little. This way, the braid does not become very thick in some places and retains a uniform shape. I find it important to pull new hair into the braid with adequate tension as this helps in keeping the entire style neat. Mastering Dutch Braid techniques generally requires a full head of hair, however, hairstyle experts state that patience and focus on sectioning the hair consistently tend to do the trick. Through my practice, I’ve come to realize that there is no set way to start a braid; rather, I’m able to add a bit more dip without losing the initial shape of the braid by slightly changing the angle as I work my way downwards.

When I finish braiding the hair, I always pin it at the very end using a strong bobby pin with the same color as my hair. This ensures that my styling is perfect. Then, I take the last portion of the braid and rotate it, placing it underneath. Whilst ensuring that the pin secures the braid as well as some unbraided hair, I wedged the bobby pin across the braid. This is one of the hairstyling techniques which is taught by good authorities in the field. It also helps disguise the lines in the braid. After learning, I have come to know that since the bobby pin is placed accurately, it helps prevent the braid from slipping from the nape of the neck.

One commonly observed aspect of braids is that they are never very well structured and this is usually because there is a problem in the partitioning of the sections. Each part should comprise about the same amount of hair so that the final output looks well structured. Another common error is failing to pull the strands tightly enough to make a neat braid, resulting in a disgraceful mess that can unravel at any time. Moreover, some people may actually pull too much and risk getting pain and probably even their hair pulled out. Also, people use the wrong hair products, for instance, adding too much shine, which can also affect the braid. Lastly, the classic requirement of not finishing the braid with a good pin or elastic ending which may lead to a slipping braid throughout the day.

I think, While searching for ways in which braiding styles can go wrong, it is important to pay attention to some key aspects. First of all, segmenting the sections should be done uniformly; make sure that strands are not separated too much as this could lead to unsightly results. One of the various forces which greatly impact the position of braids is tension. Moreover, it is very imperative to stay within acceptable limits as being too tight creates discomfort, while being too relaxed results in sloppiness. One more thing – an excessive use of such products which only adds an extra sheen to the braid rather than strengthening it, can result in making the braid lose its shape. For fixing braids, it is recommended to secure the ends using a strong elastic or pin.

To make it a point that my braids aren’t likely to turn out to be loose from the very start, I make it a point to check if my hair is divided correctly. If this is the case, then an appearance of haphazard is less likely to occur. First of all, while making the plait, I tend to apply fractures on the strands that are interlaced, applying just the correct grip so that it is neither too severe that the hair becomes damaged, nor too loose that it makes the toupee ready to be unleashed at the slightest of provocation. I also cut down on the amount of glossy and tropical oil products used in the beginning, as these would restrain the ability of the braid to hold. Last but not least, I fasten the tip edges with a good pin as well a strong enough elastic – this too has gone a long way in ensuring my braids have a neat and tidy appearance. After practicing frequently, I have been able to effectively improve my braiding technique to be neat and professional.

To make hairspray serve its purpose the best, there are a few basic steps to be strategic around. As soon as I finish braiding, I now am careful to spray my hair spray with a light touch. I don’t soak my hair since that causes it to feel brittle. It’s worth noting that I spray from about 10 to 12 inches away from the subject. This method allows me to avoid using a lot of products which can lead to the braid being tormented by the excessive amount of weight and extra air which in turn alters its shape. Furthermore, I’ve taken to spraying the braid under rather than over which in turn helps support the braid longer lasting throughout the day.

If you wish to wear two Dutch braids knowing fully well that you would want to look perfect on that day then I must say that worry not because braids can be worn in numerous ways. One of them is in a quite classical fashion where you would want to wear the braids loosely along with a few bangs which would in turn give off a casual and relaxed vibe. On the other side, if you are planning to go for a formal event then you can braid your hair in such a way that they are tied up in a bun, looking neat and tidy. For further beautifying the overall look one can add hairpins and flowers along the braids while tying them. If you are doing any physical sporting activity or looking to work out then the braids can be packed tightly and placed inside a cap. With the ability of two Dutch braids to be easily styled one can adjust them accordingly to meet their fashion statements and style.

It is conceivable to make alterations to braids without compromising style and usability by tying them together roughly in a ponytail or a bun.  the two Dutch braids should be party at the base of the neck or the crown depending on the final look set to be achieved. For a simple ponytail fashion, tie the braids off, this time ensuring that the hair tie is not so tight as to cause discomfort but not loose so that it falls off. For a bun, simply twist the bottom of the ponytail around and fix it with bobby pins including any exposed strands for thicker-looking buns, twist the strands first then pin them down to achieve the desired fuller look. These transformation techniques then provide convenient stylish options and enable efficient repositioning of various styles throughout the day.

To spice up your braided hairstyle, you can use hair accessories such as hairpins and ribbons. About that, I find that these accessories such as heavily jeweled hairpins, colored ribbons, or silk scarves can help complete a simple braid and turn it into a work of art. Whenever I want to add some class, I usually reach for pearl-studded clips and metallic hair combs. If I want to be sporty or bohemian, I would, for example, incorporate floral accessories, or just tie a vibrant scarf around the base of your ponytail or bun. These hairstyles with such accessories also can make a great portrait. Depending on the occasion be it a casual hang out with friends or a wedding, the right accessories will always make my braids look classy and be attractive in the crowd.

A charming complement to braids is waves; As an alternative to the structure that braids offer, I believe creating waves is fun and attractive. In order to create waves, first I remove the braids and blow dry my hair using a round brush to smoothen out any knots according. A soft wave is created by spraying heat protectant on my hair and then curling or flat-ironing it. After curling, I voluminize and define my hair using texturizing spray. For those who want to avoid the heat, this is a heat-free solution in which I braid my wet hair and leave it overnight so when I wake up, I loosen the braids which results in a more natural wave. Overall, this method yields some beautiful waves that can be easily dressed up or down.