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Of all hairstyles that have come and gone over the eons, braids areas connected to summer as lawn mowing and lemonade. Their history dates back to 3500 BC when the Himba people of Namibia adopted the tradition to identify their tribe. Different types of braid patterns indicated their tribe, age, marital status, wealth, power, and religion and while their meaning is a lot less specific today, they are an evergreen trend.
Where extensions are concerned, while mermaid hair is fun to rock for a while, every now and then you want to get your hair out of your face while in a convertible or at the beach and you start to think of braids. Any of these techniques work with our Perfect Locks hair extensions, from tape-ins to i-tips!
LOOK #1: The Boho Braid
What makes bohemian or “boho” braids so iconic is their laid-back looseness that is casual, yet fun and feminine. Pairing these with waves, curls, and a hint of eyeliner and you have a style and overall look that works for formal get-togethers and days at the beach.- Step 1: Start with a clean parting in the middle of the head. Since you need to get a little grip to braid effectively, use flexible hold mousse with a little Perfect Locks Inspire Silk Serum or a working hairspray, and work throughout the lengths and ends. Blow-dry in 1 inch wide sections using a large round brush and concentrate on the roots to volume.
- Step 2: Taking 1-inch sections, begin on either side part, and French braid the hair forward and continue down to the ends of the hair, finishing with a clear elastic.
- Step 3: Finish the other plait (braid) and spray the long vertical sections with a heat protectant spray. Curl towards the face, clipping the curl as you go and allow it to set. Use a round carrel curling iron or a wider styling wand.
- Step 4: After the curls have set in, clip them, and brush with a large Denman brush to create a softer wave.
- Step 5: When the curls are finished, take both plaits and pull them out gently to give them a wider appearance. Clip them to the back of the head just below the crown.
- Step 6: Give the whole style a light mist of flexible hairspray to finish.
TIP: Tape-In Hair Extensions are practically seamless and can add loads of fullness and volume to your look. They're also lightweight and painless to have professionally installed.
LOOK #2: The Fishtail Braid
One of the most stunning braids that always go viral is the fishtail braid, which dates back to Ancient Greece. They were a popular style of the “maidens of Karyai”, an ancient town of Peloponnese, and resembles a traditional French braid.
- Step 1: Start with a clean center part in the middle of the head again. Next, grab the section of hair you want to fishtail and split that section in half, holding one section in each hand.
TIP: You can use a rubber band to secure the hair in a ponytail and this prevents the braid from unraveling while you work. Once the hair is secure, split the tail evenly in half and continue the steps below. When you are done, you can carefully cut the rubber band for a perfect fishtail!
- Step 2: Cross a little bit of hair from the first section and add it to the second. Grab a tiny section of hair (the smaller, the more fishtail-like the braid will be) from the outside of the ponytail in the right hand and cross it over top, joining it together with the section of hair in your left hand.
- Step 3: Repeat, crossing a small bit of hair from the left section, and adding it to the right side. Continue the same action in step 2, but start with the opposite section.
- Step 4: Continue with small sections of hair, crossing them over and joining them to the other half until you have reached the bottom of the hair.
- Step 5: Use a small hair tie to secure the ends of the hair. Wrap a small piece of hair from the tail around the hair tie to hide it and pin the hair in place. Done!
TIP: Fusion I-Tip Hair Extensions offer great flexibility and movement, and are practically undetectable when creating unique hairstyles like this. They do need to be professionally installed, but the end result is pure gorgeousness!
