TikTok can teach us anything!
This week I switched gears and tried a new platform for learning to braid my hair, I started using TikTok. Here is the video I used:
@daniarribere Replying to @egonley let me know if this tutorial helped!! #frenchbraidtutorial #howtofrenchbraid #howtofrenchbraidyourhair #daniarriberetutorial #daniarriberebraids #frenchbraidingmyhair #learnhowtofrenchbraid #frenchbraidhack
I enjoyed this video because it was someone braiding their own hair. I could watch the video and pause it when needed, while also seeing how someone else moved their hands and held the hair. Most of the previous videos and websites I had used were about people braiding someone else’s hair which feels very different. However, even with this new platform I still struggled. I have been finding it really hard to feel and notice what I am doing. I am still making mistakes and still have a lot of learning to do but I am proud of my progress. Without further ado here are this week’s progress pictures.
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4
Here are some things I learnt this week. From picture 1 I learned that I am not pulling the hair tight enough at the top. When looking for resources for the next week of learning, I found a YouTube video. Through this video, I noticed that in both resources they started with very little pieces of hair and always added more hair as soon as they moved it. I think this is one of the things I am doing wrong. I think I need to try using smaller pieces of hair at the top to stop the bumps from forming on each side of the part and have the braid start closer to my forehead. In picture 2 I was very happy with the improved part, but I still think it can be better. I tried to set it up so I could see my part in the mirror but it still didn’t work quite right. I am hoping this is something that will improve with practice. Picture 3 was probably my most proud part of this week. I thought I pulled the hair over pretty evenly. It was tighter to the back of my head than the other braids I had done. This gave me hope that I would actually be able to learn how to braid my hair in a way that I would want to wear in public and be proud of it. Now here is where everything started to go a littleeee sideways. In picture 4 I made a lot of mistakes. I am not entirely sure what happened with this braid. When trying to figure it out and looking at different images online of other braids I realized that one of my issues was that at the top I pulled it too loose. Once it started loose I think I got confused and ended up pulling the strand of hair under the other strand instead of over which gave it a strange bumpy effect on it. After that, everything was just messed up. I was pulling too much hair into the wrong strands and crossing them in the wrong order. I don’t know exactly what happened and why it happened but I guess it is just part of the learning experience.
Moving forward I am using the Youtube video I linked above to try again this week. I am going to slow down and really focus on the movement to ensure that another Image 4 doesn’t happen lol. Another thing I have changed this week is I bought small plastic elastic bands from the Dollar Store that I will use so it takes up less space at the bottom of the braid and looks awkward at the ends. I am excited to see what happens this week when I start smaller, go slower and remember that slow and steady wins the race. Stay tuned!!
Hey Stella, Okay, so braiding your own hair is seriously such a difficult skill to master. You are doing amazing!! I have been trying to learn how to braid my own hair as well (so tricky). I definitely find getting the part straight down the back to be the toughest part. I take really awkward photos of my head to see if it is even remotely down the middle, HAHA. You are inspiring me. I think I’ll try braids again today.
Hi Stella, your braids are looking really good this week! Braiding is so tricky, especially on yourself. I also find that TikTok is such a great resource for learning a new skill, TikToks just seem to be much simpler than a 10-20 minute video on another platform. Using a video of someone braiding their own hair instead of someone else’s is really smart, as you can begin to see how to use your hands when you can’t see them! When I was first learning to braid I like to have a mirror in front of me and behind me, this helped so much because I could see the back of my head! Thank you for sharing your progress, I am looking forward to seeing your progress next week.
Hi Stella! Learning to braid your own hair is super useful! Your braids look fantastic! I’ve got long hair too, but I never got the hang of braiding it myself. Now I know where to look for tutorials, haha. TikTok is a great resource to learn some great tips on this – good choice! You’ll probably find a bunch of suggested videos on braiding after, which is not a bad thing 🙂 Can’t wait to see what you create next week!