How to Do a Five Strand Braid

Separating Your Hair into Sections

Gather your supplies. As braiding your hair can be difficult, you want your supplies ready ahead of time. You do not want to be scrambling for an item while in the middle of the braiding process. You will need the following: A brush A hair tie Hairspray (optional)

Brush and detangle your hair. You want your hair as smooth as possible prior to separating it. Use your brush to smooth out any tangles, starting with the tips and moving up to the roots. If you have any particularly stubborn tangles, pull the difficult hair into a semi-ponytail. Then, take your brush and work out the tangles, moving from the bottom of the strand of hair to the top. If your hair is being particularly stubborn, use a detangling spray or leave-in conditioner to help with the process.

Split your hair into five equal sections. These sections will be braided together in a five strand braid. Grab your hair, and separate it into sections that are roughly equal in size. To help separate your strands, use small rubber bands to essentially make 5 ponytails. Place the bands about halfway down the length of the hair section, and slide them down as you braid. Your hair may not be completely equal. That's okay. As long as one strand is not obviously bigger than the others, your braid will still turn out all right.

Braiding Your Hair

Think of your strands as having different numbers. This can help you keep track of the braiding process when you first begin braiding. As your hair begins to weave together, the numbers will matter less, but can be helpful to start. Think of the leftmost strand as strand one. Move to the right, numbering each strand as you go. Keep numbering until you reach the rightmost strand. This is strand five.

Place strand one over strand two and under strand three. Remember, strand one is the strand to the left. Strand two is just to the right of strand one, and strand three is just to the right of strand two. It's very important strand one goes over strand two and under strand three and not the other way around. Strand one should now be between strands 3 and 4.

Place strand five over strand four and under strand one. You are more or less repeating the process on the other side. Remember, strand five is the rightmost strand. Strand four is just to the left of strand five. Strand one should be at a sideways angle, near strand five. After passing strand five over strand four, pass it under strand one. You should begin to see the roots of a braid forming.

Place strand two over strand three and under strand five. Strand two is now the leftmost strand. Strand five is now the second strand to left on the right side. You will repeat the same basic process with strand two that you used to begin your braid. Make sure you remember that you always pass a strand over first, and under second. Over and under is the pattern of the five strand braid. So, make sure strand two goes over strand three, which is the middle strand, and then under strand five.

Place strand four over strand one and under strand two. Strand four is now the rightmost strand. It is now closest to strand one and strand two. Moving from strand one to strand two, make sure to weave strand four over and under.

Continue this pattern until you reach the end of your hair. As you can see, there is a pattern forming. You alternate between the leftmost and rightmost strand. You always braid into the strands just to the left and just to the right of these strands. Remember the pattern - over and under. Take the leftmost strand and braid it over the first strand to the right, and then under the second strand to the right. Take the rightmost strand and braid it over the first strand to the left, and then under the second strand to the left. Continue this process until you have braided all your hair together.

Secure your braid. Hold your hair tight with one hand to prevent it from coming undone. With the other hand, take an elastic band and wrap it around the end of your hair. You have now successfully completed a five strand braid.

Avoiding Common Mistakes

Add hairspray or dry shampoo to soft, sleek hair. Your hair may be sleeker and softer if you've recently flat ironed or have been to the salon. This type of hair can be more difficult to braid, as it slides around and comes loose easily. Try spritzing a small amount of hairspray or dry shampoo onto your hair prior to braiding. This can help the strands become a little coarser and easier to work with.

Start off with a tight braid. A lot of people prefer the look of a looser braid. However, the best way to achieving this is not to start off with a loose braid. Starting off loose can cause your braid to become undone. Instead, begin with a tight braid. This will make sure your braid stays tight during the braiding process. Then, loosen the braid when you're finished. You can use your fingers to pull at the braid to create some slack until you have the desired loose effect.

Practice. There is no magic trick to braid successfully. Braiding, especially more complicated forms, takes practice. You have to learn how to maneuver your hands properly to create a neat, tight braid. It may take awhile to successfully achieve a five strand braid.