French braiding looks complicated but it's really just a regular braid where you keep adding hair as you go. The hard part is getting your hands to cooperate. This tutorial goes slow enough that you can follow along in real time, and she shows you exactly how to hold the strands so nothing falls apart.
Grab a section of hair at the top of where you want the braid to start. Mist it with a little water to keep flyaways down. Split that section into three roughly equal strands. Keep them separated with your fingers.
Take the left strand and cross it over the middle. Then take the right strand and cross it over the middle. This is the same as a regular three-strand braid. It doesn't matter how you hold the hair for this first cross, just make sure left goes over middle, then right goes over middle.
This is where it gets different from a regular braid. Take the right strand and lay it across your forefinger, palm facing up. Then pinch the middle strand between your pointer finger and thumb. Your middle finger stays out and ready to catch the next strand coming across. This hand position is what keeps everything organized.
Tip
There's no single correct way to hold the strands. This is just one method that works well. Find what feels natural and stick with it.
After you cross a strand over the middle, grab a small section of loose hair from that same side and combine it with the strand you just crossed over. It should all lay together like one piece. This is the part that makes it a French braid instead of a regular one. You're picking up new hair and folding it in as you go.
Now switch hands. Mirror the same grip on the opposite side. Lay the strand across your forefinger, pinch the middle with your pointer and thumb, hold your middle finger out. Cross the strand from the other side over the middle, catch it, and add more hair from that side. Keep alternating left and right, adding hair each time.
Keep going down the head, picking up hair from each side as you cross strands. If the ends get tangled, stop and comb them out before continuing. If a piece looks messy where you added it in, smooth it out now. Fixing things as you go is way easier than trying to fix the finished braid.
Tip
Use a comb to bring in the side sections if you're having trouble keeping things smooth. Takes a little longer but looks cleaner.
Once you've added in all the loose hair from both sides, finish the rest as a regular three-strand braid. Cross left over middle, right over middle, all the way to the ends. Tie it off with a hair elastic. The more you practice, the faster and neater it gets.
