From: L’Oréal Paris
You probably grew up weaving
traditional three-strand braids—and since then, your braiding repertoire
may have expanded to include all sorts of braids
like the fishtail, French, and Dutch. After all, sometimes it’s fun to
switch up the kind of braid your wear! But have you heard about the
skeleton braid? This new braided style is quite intricate—which may
explain why it has taken social media by storm and earned a name for
itself as one of summer 2017’s must-master looks. The layered labyrinth
of stitches and weaves looks totally stunning. So, if creating a
seriously photogenic-looking braid interests you, follow our nine-step
tutorial below. This could very well be your prettiest-looking braid
yet—and it’s not as difficult to create as you might think.
9 Steps to Perfecting the Skeleton Braid
There’s just something about braids
that can instantly elevate any look. If you’re bored with the
traditional three-strand braid and want to learn a new technique, you’re
in the right place. Create a skeleton braid by following the
step-by-step instructions below.
Step 1: Spritz on a texturizing spray.
Since the skeleton braid is all about tucking loose hair into a braid,
it’s a good idea to add some grip to your strands to help keep the style
in place all day long. Do that by lightly spritzing your hair with a
texturizing spray from roots to ends.
Step 2: Detangle your hair.
Like with most braids, your best bet when it comes to creating the
skeleton variety is to start with tangle-free tresses. That way, you
won’t have to restart your entire style when you come across a knot. So,
glide a boar bristle brush gently through your hair to help untangle
any knots.
Step 3: Create a braid at the crown of your head.
Divide a small section of hair out from the rest of your hair at the
crown of your head. When pulling this section of hair out, think of it
as horizontally parting your hair for a half-up look but keeping the
front half of that section free. Using this section of hair, braid a
traditional three-strand braid so that it’s hanging loose down the back
of your head. Tie your braid off with a mini elastic.
Step 4: Pancake your braid.
Gently tug at each stitch of your braid so that it looks slightly more textured.
Step 5: Bring your skeleton to life.
Starting at the front of your face, pull small sections of hair back
and tuck them into each loose loop of your braid. As you entwine these
new sections of hair into your braid, make sure you pull them all the
way through so that they become part of the other side of your hair.
Step 6: Take out the elastic.
Once you reach the end of your braid, take out the clear elastic and
weave that small section down towards the ends. Since you’re continually
adding more hair into each stitch of your braid, it’s going to get
longer—that means you’ll need to re-braid the ends to be able to
incorporate the loose hair at the ends. Once you finish braiding,
re-secure your braid with the clear elastic.
Step 7: Fluff up your braid.
Gently tug at each section of your skeleton braid so that it gets wider
and looks a bit more carefree. Remember: Braids aren’t supposed to look
perfect!
Step 8: Pull out face-framing strands.
One of the easiest ways to amp up the romance factor of a hairstyle is
to pull a few whimsical strands out surrounding your face.
Step 9: Finish with hairspray.
Since your skeleton braid will be pretty loose, make sure to finish it off with a spray of the L’Oréal Paris Elnett Satin Hairspray Extra Strong Hold to help keep things in place as you go about your day.
Now take a look at that! Gorgeous,
right?! Whether you’re headed into the office, a yoga class before
brunch, or a night on the town, a skeleton braid can be the perfect
complement for any situation. Once you’ve mastered this look, try your
hand at our waterfall braid tutorial.
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