The French Braid Updo Hairstyle

The French braid is a classic updo that's perfect for almost any summer occasion. It's an elegant updo that is often used at weddings, and so simple it can actually be done at home as long as you've practiced.

Many women opt to go to a stylist to get a French braid updo, but once they realize how easy it is to do, some learn do braid their own hair. In fact, many women learned how to do this type of braid when we were younger. The key is that you don't pull up all of your hair to braid. Rather, you pull sections of your hair up into the lengths that you're braiding down the back of your head as you braid. With proper tension, the sections look evenly woven all the way down the braid.

If your hair is medium length, you can fold the base of the braid up under itself and pin it in place, hiding it from view. If your hair is longer, you have many other options with the tail to complete your updo.

The important thing to remember when doing a French braid is that you're pulling up small segments of hair to add to your current braid, and alternating sides to pull your hair up evenly into the updo

Here are instructions for doing a French braid updo on yourself or someone else.

Most people start by gathering the hair from just above/behind the ears, pulling it to their crown, and beginning their braid. As you get better at the French braid, you can start higher if you like that look. Some people even start the braid at their hairline above their forehead.

Once you have proper placement and tension (no stray hairs) you can begin your first round of the braid by separating your makeshift ponytail into 3 strands. Take the right strand over the center, switching places. Then take the left strand over the center, switching their places. That's one round.

Now you're ready to start pulling hair into your updo. As you go along, crossing the outer strands over the center, pull up a length of hair from your hairline toward the braid. The amount of hair you pull up should be about half as much as is in the strand you're adding it to. You can experiment with this over time as well. Pull up hair from the right side, add it to your right strand, and then cross your right strand over the center, switching their places.

Make sure to keep tension on the strands to keep your hair from sliding out. Now do the same to the left side, adding hair to the left strand and then folding it over the center strand, switching their places.

Continue adding hair and braiding all the way down the back of the head until you're out of hair. You can now switch to a regular braid (also known as an English braid) to the base of your updo. Secure the base with a covered hair tie.

The tail is then commonly slid up under the current braid and fastened in place with bobby pins. If your hair is longer, you also have the option to make a small bun at the base of your braid or do other styles you could use at the nape of the neck to complete your updo. Remember that it will look slightly different because your hair is braided.

A loose braid will lead to a more romantic looking updo, and a tight braid will lead to a more manageable look. Don't be afraid to experiment with the different styles for your updo. Stray strands that work their way out can often be put back in place with bobby pins hidden within the braid.

You can always go to a salon and get this look done, especially for special occasions.

As an added tip, if you braid your hair tin a French braid updo when it's wet, it will dry in a beautiful, wavy pattern.