Lots people cannot afford the pleasure of having a braid: “nobody wants to have a rat tail!”. But knowing the basic rules of the beautiful braids, this hairstyle can be chosen even by the owners of not too thick hair.
1. Hair powder
This powder works wonders – it gives volume, which remains for the whole day. The product should not be used as a dry shampoo, there should be quite a bit of it.
In fact, if you want to add volume to the braid, act in the following way: first, make a loose braid, then sprinkle it with powder and gently rub it with your fingers through the hair, and then flatten and pull the strands out of the braid, until it has the desired thickness.
2. Dry shampoo
Another familiar trick to give more volume to a braid is a dry shampoo. One should apply it on the loose hair. If your hair is clean – a dry spray will just add thickness and texture to each hair. And if it is dirty – then it must be cleaned. Do not comb dirty hair before you apply dry shampoo, otherwise it will be too soaked with sebum, and even a good product will not cope with the abundance of fat.
Spray dry shampoo all over the hair from root to tip. Plait a loose braid, trying not to crush the hair too much. Upon completion, use an old toothbrush (clean and dry) or a comb for bouffant to loosen the braid by adding lightness.
3. False locks
If your hair is not thick and thin, even good powder will not be able to add the required volume and thickness. But there is a good solution – false locks. For a braid it is better to take the locks on clips that are attached almost at the neck.
Locks can be a little different in color from the hair, an additional shade will be created by the three-dimensional effect that visually thickens the braid.
4. Bouffant
Bouffant is infrequently used by the women with long hair. If you wear your hair loose, the bouffant will not keep the volume at the roots and generally will only create chaos on the head. But in the case with braids, bouffant and long hair are more compatible! Comb the entire length of your hair, shape three segments from it and make a braid. You will only need to fix the hair with a styling hair spray.
5. Making a new type of braid
Do not worry that you’ll have to master a difficult art. There is just one secret of how to make a braid thicker. Begin to make your braid from three segments as usual. After having done a few stitches, hold the end of one segment with one hand, and the other two segments with the other. Pull one strand, and then pull the other two in the opposite direction, to the base of the braid. Next, continue making your braid as usual, and then repeat the trick with the movement upwards again. Fix the braid with a rubber band, and then use a broad brush to comb some sections of the braid upwards. You will have a fashionable “loose” braid, rather thick and textured.
6. Curling before making a braid
If the hair is of different length, making a smooth braid almost does not work: each section of the braid has sticking strand tips. There is a way out – curl the locks. Use tongs of a small diameter (up to 3-4 cm), and make the wave of small strands all in one direction. Curling will help avoid unruly locks and hairs. The braid will be neat and will last for a longer time. Before curling, use mousse to treat persistent curls.
7. Ribbons, bows and other accessories
Accessories can make the braid much thicker, and the hair at the same time will remain the same. There are several ways to accomplish this. Firstly, the entire length of the ribbon can be woven into the braid (one or several). Secondly, there should be invisible beads or small flowers inserted into each section. This technique works well in a loose braid. And thirdly, even a single flower or a bow can help divert attention from some shortcomings of the hair. You can attach it to the temple, at the base of the braid or even at the end of the braid.
8. A braid without a rubber band on the end
A rubber band keeps the plaid together, but it looks too trivial and boring. Besides, it squeezes the hair and even breaks it sometimes. Try to manage without a band, fixing the braid at the end with an invisible knot. For this purpose, before making a braid, comb each segment of the braid well, but only at the ends. When you finish the braid to the end, textured locks will be easier to fix in a spectacular knot; after this secure the construction with an invisible pin (in the base of the knot). After this, use the strong fixation spray on the braid. This trick will create the illusion of more volume and a thick braid.
