How to Make a French Twist

Introduction

The classic French twist is elegant and sleek, perfect for special occasions like weddings and black-tie parties. The modern French twist, a flirty modification of the classic, is good for cocktail parties, work or a night out on the town.

By: eHow Fashion, Style & Personal Care Editor

Length: 2:21

Comments: 8

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Instructions

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Difficulty: Moderate

Tips & Warnings:

For the classic twist, you might substitute small hair combs for pins. Move the comb in the direction of the twist, snagging a small portion of the roll just before you pass over it. Lift the comb 180 degrees and then push gently into the roll and hide it in the groove.
With a lot of practice you'll learn to achieve this look in less than 10 minutes.
For a modern take on the classic French twist try going wavy. For those with natural wave in their hair don’t smooth the curl out. Instead, loosely pull the hair back and let the waves show. For those with straight hair set your hair in small rollers before starting the twist.
Avoid pulling or twisting your hair too hard, as unwanted breakage or hair loss may result.
Be careful not to claw yourself with the ends of combs, bobby pins or hair sticks.

Step1

Take large sections of your hair and, using a large paddle brush, begin to lightly backcomb everywhere. This will give your twist body and lift. Once all the hair is done, gently smooth out the hair without brushing out the backcombing.

Step2

Gently brush your hair all the way to one side, making sure the hair is really smooth. Using as many pins as needed, pin your hair straight up the back.

Step3

Gather the remaining hair. Put your thumb in the center and twist the hair around your thumb. Take hair as many hair pins and secure the twist. For added security, make sure you really gather the hair into the pin and push it into place.

Step4

Finish the whole look with hair spray to tame any little flyaways or hairs that are coming out.

Comments

Mikeorasco said

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on 9/27/2008 Always twist your hair in a knot first, then cut as close to the scalp with a pair of scissors. It will work wonders.

swilcoxdances said

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on 8/21/2008 The tip to pin hair all the way up the back before starting the twist was a big help. I had never heard that before, and now I have finally succeeded in putting my hair in a french twist!

Swimmom said

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on 1/22/2008 This video was great! I need to put my daughter's hair in a french twist for Winter Formal. I don't have time to take her to the salon as she's swimming in a meet earlier in the day. I had the basic idea right when I did a dry run earlier in the week. The two tips that were the most helpful is to create a line of bobby pins and to back comb with a paddle brush and to see just how this was done. I hope these tricks will make the difference between looking "home made" and a professionally styled coiffure. Thank you!

LizHavlin said

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on 5/13/2007 Try a Twistii. It puts your hair up in a French Twist in about 20 seconds.

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 Be sure not to add a ponytail holder to your ponytail. This ruins the entire design. When twisting for yourself, checking consistently for uneven hair or bumps. When finished, you can put a bobby pin in the top and bottom, or use a comb (preferred method, bobby pins can be used to help further secure). Any small bumps can be smoothed by running a damp comb through your hair. Good luck!