Lately my girls and I have fallen in love with pullbacks, specifically anything that easily pulls hair to the side, or from both sides. We think these looks are so subtle and effortless, yet still put forth a polished and super-cute look!
One of my newest favorites is this 4-Strand Slide-Up Braid! Although it may seem tricky at first, once you get the hang of it… you will find this braid to be a quick style that garners a lot of attention!
We first posted the 3-Strand Slide-Up Braid on YouTube in December 2009 and it has nearly 6,000,000 views today! If you can do a three-strand braid that easily, you must be able to do a five-strand braid!
In this four-strand version, we show you two methods to create the braid… both ending with the exact same look! Simply find which one makes the most sense to you, and then go with it! {We are all about making things easier for you!}
Items Needed: Brush, rat-tail comb, spray bottle, 6 small hair elastics, hairspray, accessory {if desired}
Time Requirement: 5-10 minutes
Skill Level: Medium
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Part the hair and figure out where you want the braid to lay {I did a side pullback, however you can also do this braid over the shoulder with all your hair, as an accent braid going straight down, as a braided headband, or even from both sides tied together in the back}… Pick up a hair section that will become the braid and divide it into four even strands… Now you can create this braid in one of two ways… many people would naturally use Method #1, however my mind processes Method #2 better. Simply figure out which method works best for you and stick with it… Method #1: Take the left-most strand #1 and go “over” Strand #2 and “under” Strand #3. Then, pick up the rightmost Strand #4 and bring it “under” Strand #3 and “over” Strand #2. Repeat this pattern over and over again until you have a finished braid. {Over, under… under, over… etc.} Method #2: Take the left-most strand #1 and go “over” Strand #2, “under” Strand #3, and “over” Strand #4. Now, take the two middle Strands #2 and 3 and cross them so that Strand 2 is now Strand 3. Repeat this pattern over and over again until you have a finished braid. {Over, under, over, cross… over, under, over, cross, etc.} Continue the 4-strand braid until you run out of hair… Now, pinch Strands #1, 3, and 4 with your right hand and hold Strand #2 in your left hand by itself. Gently slide Strands #1, 3, and 4 up Strand #2 until all the hair is squished together at the top. This is what we call “snaking the braid“… Now, slowly pull the hair back down the strand maybe 1-2 inches or so until you reach the desired look… When the braid looks good to you, simply secure the ends with a hair elastic {you should have one strand longer than the others}… Pin the braid in place towards the back/side of head using bobby pins… Add an accessory as an accent.You may choose to do a single pullback, or create another one on the other side of the head and tie them back together.
You can also creatively bring this braid up over the top of the head like a braided headband and I am sure you will receive tons of compliments! {If you do make it a headband, be sure your strands are thin so that the width of the braid is uniform all the way down, rather than wide to thin.}
Enjoy!
If you loved this hairstyle, please feel free to share!
Happy Hairdoing!
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