How to style a fishtail braid on your own

We love to look at them and pin them up, but we rarely find someone who can create fishtail braid for real on us. Indian girls are pro at styling a simple three-strand braid, but that’s pretty much as far as we can go.

Here is a step-by-step way to learn the tricks of the trade.

Create a Ponytail

Begin by gathering your hair into a ponytail at the nape of your neck. Use throwaway elastic – one that you can cut off away with scissors at the end – to tie your hair.

Divide Your Ponytail

Now, split your ponytail evenly into two sections and start plaiting. Unlike the classic plait, a fishtail braid only requires two sections.

Begin Weaving

Using your finger, separate a small section of your hair from the outer edge near the elastic and cross it over to the opposite side (overlapping just like you would if you were doing a standard braid). Re-clutch your hair to tighten plait, still holding two sections. Repeat with a small section from the other side.

So, a thin strand from each section goes to the other, still leaving you with two equal sections in hand.

Maintain Evenness

Continue coinciding strands from both sides of your ponytail, all the way down to the end. Make sure you pull small sections from underneath to cross over and try to obtain the sections of the same size (about a half inch) from each side.

Finish Your Look

Once your hair is woven down to the ends, secure the fishtail braid with another band. Then, using scissors, carefully cut out the elastic at the base of your ponytail. Use your fingers to tug your braid. This will loosen it a bit and give an effortless look.

For your convenience, we have also featured a fishtail braid tutorial; this video is clear, concise and gives step-by-step instructions that anyone can follow.

Image Source: fmag/ getty/whstatic

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