French Braids - Part 1: Hair Styling Techniques for Women

Series Summary

Hairstyles, for thousands of years, have been used to signify many things including economic status, social hierarchy, power, war, and beauty. Over the twentieth century many different actresses and performers including Audry Hepburn, Melanie Griffith, Madonna, and Jennifer Aniston have popularized different hairstyles. Today there are a vast array of hairstyles many communicating a certain idea. Some styles include French braids, bob, flip, high updo, split hair, twist bun, and the pony tail. Until the twentieth century women would never be seen in public with a pony tail; today women wear the pony tail commonly in public places, work, and when competing in sporting events as it is a practical means to keeping hair out of the face. The French braid is a more elaborate hairstyle that is created by braiding the hair from the crown of the head down the back of the head. These styles among others can be learned and fashioned at home or almost anywhere you may be.

In this free online video series learn to create hairstyles from expert professional hair designer Liz Muller as she demonstrates how to fashion the French braid, flip, high updo, split hairstyle, twist bun, and the pony tail.

Video Transcript

"Hi! This is Liz Muller with Liz’s Hair Design in Hollywood, Florida, and on behalf of ExpertVillage.com, we would like to welcome you. Today we are going to talk about different hairstyles for the hair, all types of hair. We are going to speak about maybe doing French braids, up do’s, and we are going to go ahead and show you. I will begin by showing you a French braid. French braids can be done in many types of styles. You can do a single French braid straight down; you can come across with the French braid; you can take and make two French braids and bring them straight down this way, creating maybe like a ponytail, and maybe the French braid coming this way. What we are going to do is single French braid. We are going to create a V on the top of the hair, a simple V. When I create that V, the reason I am creating the V is because I am going to go at a slant every time. Every time I go ahead and pick up the piece, I am going to go ahead and create a slant in the hair, and that’s what makes that French braid a complete slant on each side. You will need a rattail comb. That would be the best thing to do… is get a rattail comb and divide the hair into three pieces."