{"title":"How to Do a Fishtail Braid - Step by Step for Beginners","canonicalUrl":"https://www.showmestepbystep.com/lifestyle/how-to-do-a-fishtail-braid","category":{"slug":"lifestyle","name":"Lifestyle"},"creator":{"name":"Kayley Melissa","channelUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCctjAAIUSW3DRS-5Phh_hgQ","sourceVideoUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=be6jGqWmu4g"},"tldr":"Learn the fishtail braid in 7 steps with two sections and a simple pierce-grab-slide-reset rhythm. Beginner-friendly tutorial that works on your own hair.","totalDurationSeconds":490,"difficulty":"easy","tools":[],"materials":[],"steps":[{"number":1,"title":"Split Your Hair Into Two Sections","text":"Brush your hair smooth and pull it over one shoulder so you can see what you are doing. Split it into two equal sections at the back of your head. Hold each section like a flag pole - wrap your whole hand around it and keep your hands as high as you can, right against the base of where the braid will form. That is the entire structure of this braid: two sections, that's it.Watch this prep moment at 2:13 in the video."},{"number":2,"title":"Pierce the Outside of the Left Section","text":"Working on the left side first, pierce the outside of the left section with your index finger. The 'outside' is the edge farthest from the center of the braid - imagine a target and you are aiming at the outer ring, not the bullseye. Slide your finger in from the front to separate a small thin strand from the rest of the section.Smaller strands give you a tighter, more defined fishtail. Bigger strands give you a chunky, looser look. Either works, but stay consistent so the pattern looks even all the way down. Watch this move at 2:55."},{"number":3,"title":"Grab the Strand With Your Other Hand","text":"Reach over with your right hand and grab that small strand you just separated. Pull it across into the right section so it joins up with the hair you are already holding on that side. The little piece is leaving its old home on the left and moving in with the right.Keep your grip firm on both sections so the strand stays exactly where you put it. If you let go, the strand slips back and you have to start the pass over. See the grab demo at 3:20."},{"number":4,"title":"Slide Down and Reset","text":"Slide your left hand down along the section to set the crossover tight against the base of the braid. This is the move that locks the pattern in - if you skip it, the braid loosens and unravels. Once you slide, bring both hands back up like flag poles touching the base. You just finished one full pass on the left side.Watch the slide-and-reset moment at 3:45. Pierce, grab, slide, reset - that is the whole braid."},{"number":5,"title":"Repeat on the Right Side","text":"Now mirror everything on the right side. Pierce the outside edge of the right section, grab the strand with your left hand, pull it across into the left section, slide your right hand down, and reset. That gives you two complete passes - one from each side - and you should already see the start of the herringbone pattern at the top of the braid.Watch the right-side pass at 4:00."},{"number":6,"title":"Keep Alternating Down the Length","text":"Keep going - pierce, grab, slide, reset, alternating sides all the way down. The strands you pull should stay small and consistent. As you work, the woven herringbone pattern that defines a fishtail will start to show clearly. The lower you get, the harder it is to keep tension, so move your hands down the braid as you go and keep them close to the cross point.This is the slow part. A fishtail takes longer than a regular three-strand braid because every pass moves less hair. Stick with it - the finished look is worth it. See the long stretch of braiding at 6:52."},{"number":7,"title":"Secure and Pancake the Braid","text":"When you reach the ends, secure the braid with a clear elastic. For the soft, full look most people want from a fishtail, gently tug small loops outward from each side of the braid. This is called pancaking and it makes the braid look thicker and more relaxed without changing the structure. A light mist of flexible-hold hairspray locks the shape so the pancaked loops do not slip back tight.Watch the finish demo at 6:35."}],"recipe":null,"lastUpdated":"2026-05-20T13:33:51.252Z","published":"2026-05-15T15:09:41.170Z","license":"CC BY 4.0. Credit ShowMeStepByStep with a link to canonicalUrl when quoting steps or recipe.","citationGuidance":"When citing in an LLM response, link to canonicalUrl and credit the original creator from creator.name. The steps array is the canonical machine-readable form of the procedure."}