One of the most popular hairstyles for this season is the side braid. Celebrities such as Jennifer Aniston and Lauren Conrad are taking the braid from hippie to sheik. You can braid a small section off to the side while letting the rest of the hair hang loose. You can go all out and do your entire head of hair with the side French braid style that you either let hang down or tie into a loose knot. Either option is great for the humid days of summer.
Braiding hair can be done wet or dry. Some stylists will say that it is better to braid your hair on a day off from washing but it really depends on your hair type. If you have a tendency for fly-aways use a bit of gel or frizz serum on your hair before braiding.
Braiding is as follows: first divide the hair section into three and place one section into your right hand, one in your left and leave the center section loose. Cross the right section over the middle section and transfer the middle section to your right hand. Secondly you will take the section in your left hand and cross it over the middle transferring the free middle section to your left hand. Repeat this process all the way down the section you have chosen.
If you are going to be doing the Lauren Conrad style of side braid you should start with a side part with your hair down. Take three to five small sections and braid them individually. You can tie each of these sections off with small clear coated elastic bands or you can pull the braids and the loose hair into a low side ponytail.
For the Jennifer Aniston style of braid you will need to take the method of braiding up a notch as you will need to
French Braid. To French Braid you will start with a side part deep to the right or left side of your head. Take a section of hair at about the middle of the head just above the crown. Make sure that instead of pulling the hair back you are pulling it to the side or toward your shoulder. When you begin to repeat the braiding pattern you will also add small sections of hair to what is already in your right or left hand. For the additional hair you can pull from the frame of the face only leaving the rest to hang loose if you want to have a French side braid that looks similar to a headband. If you wish you can pull from the frame of the face and the back side of the head and braid all of your hair into the braid.
Small singular braids are a great style for a night out on the town with friends, a side French braid with just some of your hair is a great style for going out on a summer date and a full side French braid is a great option for a day at the pool or the beach. Take your time to master this classic style and you will not have a bad hair day all summer.
