How to Side Braid Hair

Creating a Standard Side Braid

Brush your hair. Begin by brushing your hair thoroughly. Knots and tangles make braiding a lot harder than it should be.

Part your hair. Since the side braid look is asymmetrical and on the side of your head, part it to 1 side. It does not matter if it's the right or the left. The braid is not going to be straight down the back of your head. If you’re going for a romantic look, allow the part to be messy. If you want to go for something more fun, try a zig-zag part.

Gather all your hair to 1 side. If your part is off to 1 side, make sure that the hair is on the side farthest from the part. Make sure the shortest pieces aren't too short to braid. If the part is on the right side, make sure the hair is on the left side. If the part is on the left side, make sure the hair is on the right side. If your hair is medium length and too short for one side braid, 2 side braids (i.e. pigtails) might work better. Or try 1 of these side braids just around the hairline.

Split the hair into 3 sections. Take the hair into your hands and divide into 3 even sections. The area underneath your ear will be the anchor point for your braid, so don’t move the braid around once you get started. The sections will be easier to control if your hair is a little damp. Keep a spray bottle of water on hand to moisten your hair while you work.

Braid the hair. Starting underneath your ear, braid as you normally would. Grab 1 of the outer sections and cross it over to the middle, then grab the outer section on the opposite side and pull it across the new middle. Repeat, alternating sides and cycling through all 3 strands over and over again.

Stop at the desired length. It’s best to stop before strands of your hair become so short that they begin falling out of the sides of your braid.

Secure the end. When finished, place an elastic band around the end of the braid. Arrange any wisps of hair that are hanging out. Spray with hair spray if desired. If you want a cleaner look, use spray or pins to secure wisps. If you want a messier, softer look, leave the wisps. If you have thinner, silkier hair, you can do a knotless braid by tying the end with a few strands of hair.

Tug a few shorter strands of hair out of the bunch if desired. Letting a few strands frame your face will soften the look, so if you have long side-swept bangs or want a few tendrils to curl out around your neck, separate out those pieces now.

Creating a French-Style Side Braid

Brush the hair. Before you begin to braid the hair, brush the hair to remove tangles and knots. Decide which shoulder you would like the braid to hang over. Then, brush the hair over that shoulder. If you want to part your hair, the part should be on the opposite side of your head from your hair. If your hair is going to be over your right shoulder, part it on the left, and vice versa. If you don't want to part your hair, just brush all of your hair towards the shoulder where your braid will be.

Gather the hair. The braid should be started underneath the ear opposite the shoulder where you’ve gathered your hair. If your braid is going to be over your left shoulder, begin the braid under your right ear. Start by separating a small section of hair from the bottom of the sweep of hair going across the back of your neck. This section should be a triangle 2 to 3 inches (5 to 8 cm) wide. The goal of this braid is to wrap the side braid around the bottom of your head and over 1 shoulder for a more romantic, finished look. Another option is to begin this French braid at the top of your head. This can start at the part line. To begin your braid in this way, follow the same French braiding instructions. The difference will be that you will start the braid much higher on your hair, either at your front hairline or just behind your ear.

Split this section of hair into 3 sections. Make sure the sections are even, and begin braiding as usual. Grab 1 of the outer sections and cross it over to the middle, then grab the outer section on the opposite side and pull it across the new middle. Do this only once. Don’t braid any further just yet.

Start French braiding. The rest of the braid will be half a French braid, and you will incorporate more hair into the upper half of the braid. Every time you go to cross 1 of the high strands down into the middle of the trio, add a section of loose hair from the hair sweeping over your other shoulder before you move it to the middle. If you are starting the braid at your front hairline, pull sections forward from the back of your head. Work diagonally down and across to just behind the ear opposite your part. Be sure to add hair from directly above that section of braid so that your hair on the back of your head doesn’t cross all over itself and ruin the design. Keep the braid tight, and hold it close to the hairline. Keep the strands separated. By the time the braid reaches the opposite side of your head, it should contain all your hair, not just the little section. If you are starting the French braid from the top of your head, you will begin by French braiding down, and then when you get around the earline, you will begin braiding in a horizontal line across your head. If your hair is super short, you can stop the side braid at your ear by fastening it with a pin or clip.

Finish your hair with a normal braid. When you reach the opposite ear and have incorporated all the hair into the French braid, braid the rest of your hair in a normal 3-strand braid. When you’re done, the braid will start at 1 side and finish hanging down over the opposite shoulder.

Complete with a hair band. Secure the braid with an elastic band. Arrange any wisps of hair and spray with hair spray if desired. Tug on the braid if you want a messier look. Loosen the braid to the desired size. Tugging the braid gives the illusion of volume for thin hair.

Creating a Dutch Side Braid

Brush your hair to the side. Make sure to get out any knots or tangles. Don't part your hair. This style works better with hair swept to the side. This style works better with longer hair with few layers. Short layers may not stay in the hair when it's swept to the other side of the head.

Gather the hair. You will be starting to braid over the eye opposite of the shoulder you swept the hair over. Grab about a 1-2-inch section. Split this hair into 3 distinct sections. If the hair is over the right shoulder, the braid will begin over the left eye, and vice versa.

Begin braiding. Bring the right section under the middle, then bring the left section under the right. Add hair to the middle, which should now be the right section. A Dutch braid is like the opposite of a French braid. Instead of adding hair and braiding over, you add hair to the strands and then cross under the braid. This places the braid on top of the hair, instead of under like a French braid.

Continue adding hair. As you braid, keep adding hair as you cross the strands. Keep the braid close to the hairline along the side of the face. Add hair into the outside of the braid by pulling in hair from the hair sweeping across the back of the head. Do this until you've added all your hair to the braid.

Finish with a standard 3-strand braid. Once all the hair has been added, just continue braiding with 3 strands until you run out of hair. Then secure with a hair tie.

Creating a 4-Strand Side Braid

Sweep all your hair onto 1 side. Make sure to brush or comb if necessary. You can place a part in your hair if you wish. If you part your hair on 1 side of your head, make sure you sweep the hair onto the opposite shoulder.

Part hair into 2 sections. Then split the 2 sections in half so there are 4 distinct sections of the same size.

Begin the braid. This braid can be tricky, so thinking about the hair in parts might help. Number each strand 1-4, left to right. Cross 2 over 1, then cross 4 over 3. Each cross should be right over left. Then, cross 1 over 4, which will be left over right. Repeat these steps until no more hair is left. Renumber your strands each time you start a new crossover.

Secure with a hair elastic. When you have reached the end of your braid, secure it with a hair tie. If you want, you can gently tug at the braid to loosen it up a bit and create a little fullness or give it an elegantly messy look. Adding a little hairspray will help keep your braid in place for the rest of the day.