Although long hair gives a lot of versatility to achieve different looks, sometimes it becomes a problem because we don’t know how to style it and we end up picking it up in a ponytail, wearing it loose or in a ponytail, or even end up thinking about cutting it and avoiding the problem of styling it daily.

A good way to help us with this eternal dilemma is to use different types of braids . Sometimes we avoid it because they seem difficult or laborious, but the secret is to learn the basic types of braiding so that, with a little practice, you can have a hairstyle that fits the style you are looking for in 10 minutes.

The easiest types of braids to make

One of the advantages of braids is that they can look casual, elegant, sporty and even romantic. Given their versatility, it is worth knowing several ways of wearing them. Below we will see the easiest types of braids to start with and achieve incredible looks.

1. The “base” braid

Almost every woman in the West knows it and has done it. It’s the basis for all kinds of braids. You only have to divide the hair into three parts and move the right hair lock to the middle part, then the left hair lock to the middle and so on. You can tie it first in a ponytail and then braid it or start from the back of the neck.

2. Twist Braid

It is the simplest braid, but not all types of hair can be combed like this , because as it is not so tight, it falls out easily if your hair is very thick and heavy. First you have to tie a ponytail, either high or low; then you just have to divide it into two sections and twist it to one side. Finally, tie the end of the braid.

3. French braid

Of all the types of braids, this is the most complex, but is the basis for many types of braided hairstyles . It really only takes a little practice, don’t despair and you’ll see that in less time than you think, you’ll achieve a perfect braid.

To begin, take a section of hair from the top of your head. Divide it into three sections and start braiding as you do with the base braid. Like this a couple of times.

The next step is taking a strand of the leftover hair on the right side, adding it to the strip on the right and passing it up to the left , adding it to the strand in the middle of the base braid.

Then we take a piece of the left side of the hair and add it to the left side and go up to the middle piece. In this way it will be braided until it reaches the nape of the neck, from there it continues to be braided normally.

The tufts added to the hair can be thin, very thick, tight or loose. Each of these alternatives achieves different effects depending on the look you want to achieve.

A good option to start practicing is to braid one side of the head and not necessarily in the middle. This way you will get less tired, you will be able to see how it looks in front of the mirror and you will have a different type of braid that you can also use.

The side braids are more romantic and elegant and can be combined with a ponytail at the end or twisted towards the centre of the neck. Without a doubt, the French braid is one of the most popular types of braid.

4. Dutch braid

The procedure of this braid is almost identical to the French braid; the only difference when combing is that the tufts and sections are not passed over but under the other tufts. This small difference achieves a different effect because the braid is “bulging”, standing out from the rest of the hair and the head .

As with the French braid, you can experiment with looser, tighter, thinner or thicker tufts to achieve different styles.

5. Spike Braid

This braid is made using only two locks; two main parts of the hair are divided and then a small lock of hair is taken from the right side to be passed over and joined to the left lock. The same with the left side: you take a thin strand, pass it up to the right side and join it to the rest of the hair. This braid forms thinner sections that can be seen very well in elegant hairstyles.

Conclusion

You can combine any of these braid types with ponytails or experiment by leaving them looser, tighter, make two braids or take just a small strand and leave the rest of the hair loose, form a headband, make several braids together, tighten the sections and then loosen them to give another effect. Finally, once you have mastered the basic braid types, you can experiment to achieve different hairstyles to suit your day’s look.