How to Do a French Braid That Looks Like It's Lying on Top of the Hair
Learning to French braid is a rite of passage for many young girls. The motor skills necessary for a French braid make other styles of braiding feasible, such as a reverse French braid, sometimes called the Dutch braid or inside-out French braid. While a classic French braid is embedded on the same level with your hair, a reverse French braid sits a layer above, as though someone glued an extra braid over an already existing classic French braid. If you can French braid confidently, your transition to reverse French braiding will be an easy one. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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1
Remove any tangles by combing your hair thoroughly. Untangled hair is much easier to braid, manipulate and separate than knotted tresses.
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Gather a 3-inch wide section of hair directly behind your forehead. For a looser reverse French braid, gather your hair further down in a half-ponytail. The higher on your scalp you begin braiding, the tighter and more secure your hairstyle.
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3
Divide the 3-inch section into three equal parts, A, B and C. Keep them separate by threading your pointer and middle finger through the sections.
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4
Pull C under B and A under C and finally B under A. While a classic French braid overlaps the sections of hair, a reverse French braid elevates the braid by underlapping. Secure this first pleat with the thumb and pointer finger of your dominant hand.
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5
Draw a 1-inch section of hair from the left side using the pointed end of the comb. Include this new addition to section C in your hand. Adding new sections of hair with the comb creates even, symmetrical lines into the braid and down the back.
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6
Pull the newly expanded section C under B. Repeat step 5 by adding a 1-inch section of hair from the right side to section B. This technique resembles classic French braiding in every way except reverse French braiding plaits sections A, B and C under, instead of over, each other.
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Continue adding 1-inch sections of hair from alternating sides each time you underlap sections A, B or C until you reach the nape of the neck.
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Braid the remaining hair below your neck using a the traditional three-strand technique of placing C over B, then A over C, then B over A. Secure the braid tail 3 or 4 inches from the tip using a nonrubber hair elastic.
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Tips & Warnings
Prevent fly-away hairs on the sides and back of your reverse French braid by applying a few shots of flexible hold hairspray.
Practice reverse French braiding on another person before trying it on yourself to develop the technique.
