Hair News Network: Winter 2010-2011 hairstyle trends: braided hairdos

Why braided hair? Why this new trend? Well we don’t know why it is considered a trend, because we saw it on catwalks every season. Maybe, designers and hairstylists offered it more attention for the next fashion season, due to its elegance and sophistication.

As it probably came to mind, you can braid your hair in many ways, in thin braids, like Afro-American women, and damn those things are hot, and sexy and…hard to do. There are many hairstyles that include black braided hairstyles with a variety of sizes of braids through the hairstyle. These can include larger, smaller, mini and even micro braids throughout the style. Or maybe a side braided tail or a glamorous braided up-do…or, is it the small braid that adds a little something to your hairstyle?!

Anyway, it is not really important what you were thinking before reading this article, from now on, I will offer you some great tips about braided hairstyle, so your hair will be hip starting this winter.

The braided hairstyle has some features:

It’s great with any hair color
The side braid can be paired with the slicked side hair style for an edgy interpretation
The fish plait can be worn with a center part
Both the side braid and the fish plait work great with a fringe
The side braid can only be worn with a side part and the part must be on the opposite side of the head to the braid. If you’re stuck for a mental picture when styling this in front of the mirror one evening, simply think of it as the Rapunzel braid.

Tips about braiding hair, things you’d better know before trying to do it at home:

You will need: a wide-tooth comb and a fine-tooth comb -- a comb with a long narrow handle that comes to a point.
Keep a spray bottle of water close-by so you can wet your hair if it dries while you work; however, keep in mind that long, very wet hair will take an extremely long time to dry once braided
Before beginning to braid, be sure to remove any rings or bracelets that have prongs or catches that might get caught in hair, and make sure your fingernails are filed smoothly, as snagging your hair can easily undo all your work.

The Fish plait braid:

The fishtail braid is preferred due to the fact that it looks modern and edgy. Creating a fishtail might seem more complicated, however the process is simpler that it might look at a first glance.
To create a fishtail braid you will first need split your hair into two separate sections combing each section to make sure that there aren’t any tangles left:

Pull hair back and separate into two sections
Pull a narrow strand of hair from the left section and cross it over to join the right section of hair
Pull a narrow strand of hair from the right section and cross it over to join the left section of hair
Repeat steps 2 and 3, pulling a new narrow strand each time
Secure the end of the braid with a hair band.

How to create the sexy French braids?

A French braid style is generally preferred as most women are generally pretty familiar with the process of creating them as well as for the classic symmetry that contributes to the impression of a polished look.

It can be done in two styles, the over braid which creates the classic woven appearance of a French braid, or the Dutch Braid (sometimes called an under braid or inverted braid) which creates a braided rope that sits on top of the hair. The French braid is also the basic method to create African braids.

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Use a de-tangling spray or conditioner and comb through the hair until all tangles are removed.
Section a triangular wedge of hair, starting at the forehead and extending back toward the crown of the head.
Divide the triangular section into three ‘strands’ and hold them in one hand, separated by the fingers of the holding hand. Begin braiding by crossing the right strand over the center strand.
Continue the braid by taking a thin slice of hair from the right side of the head and combine it with the right strand, then cross this over the center strand.
Once you’ve reached the nape of the neck, you can finish the braid however you want. You can gather the hair in an elastic band at the neck and leave the remaining hair to flow freely, or you can continue crossing the strands right-over-center and left-over-center until you reach the ends of the hair.

A German braid is done by taking a section just above one ear and braiding over to the other ear. Like the French braid you gather more hair each time you move the sections to the middle, but with this braid you only gather a very tiny amount of new hair. Only pick up the areas of hair right next to the braid. Continue over the head to the other ear and then down to the end of the hair and band or clip. This headband effect will hold all the hair out of the face even though most of it still loose.

French and Dutch braids can look stunning with the braid ending at the hairline and remaining hair caught in a ponytail, with the remainder of the hair being braided, or with the remaining hair tucked under the woven sections.