Braid UpdoIf you try this hairstyle, please submit a photo to let us see how it turned out!.
I went for an all-out formal look in designing the back of the braid updo. If you do not want something as complicated in the back of the head (or do not have someone to help you style the back), you can just put the back of the hair in a simple ponytail or chignon.  Materials Needed:
Step #1 In order to acheive the look you see in the picture above, the hair needs to have some wave or form to it. As you can see, the hair above the braids does not sit tightly on the head but has some wave and lift to it. In order to achieve this wave, we put hot rollers in the hair and used a volumizing spray on each section of hair before we set it. Click here to find out how to curl your hair using hot rollers and then come back here for the rest of the steps. Step #2 Part your hair using a side part which flips your bangs over to one side. Starting at the part, separate the bangs section into 3 parts to begin braiding. - Make sure that you go back at least 2 inches from the hairline in order to create a thicker-looking braid. - Don't worry if you have short bangs, the short bangs will work themselves into the braid since it is a french braid. If shorter hairs end up poking out, just spray them back into the braid. - You also have the option of letting your bangs lie on your forehead (as normal) and just braiding the hair behind your bangs.  Step #3 Cross the right section over the middle section, and then cross the left section over the new middle section.  Step #4 Continue braiding over to the side using the french braid technique. You will continue crossing right over middle, and then left over middle - but each time you do this, grab some hair from beneath the braid to add to each section of hair that crosses over the middle section.
Once you run out of hair on the scalp to pick up, continue to braid normally (regular braiding - not french braiding). Secure with a small rubber band.  Step #5 Once the braid is secure, gently "pull" the braid apart with your fingers to make the braid look thicker and fuller. Spray with hairspray.  Step #6 Add some height and fullness at the crown, (directly behind the braid) by back-combing and spraying with hairspray.  Step #7 French braid the hair on the other side of the head (Repeat steps 2-5). Leave the hair on the top of the head (the section you just back-combed) out of the braid.
Secure the braid with the other small elastic ponytail holder. Gently "pull" this braid apart to create a thicker-looking braid and spray. Step #8 Pull all of the hair together into one big ponytail on the lower part of the back of your head. Once all of the hair is secure with the large ponytail holder, you can remove the small ponytail holders off the ends of the braids and let that hair blend in with the rest of the ponytail.  You can either end the braid updo here, or you can put the back ponytail up in a pin-curled chignon. Here are directions to finishing the back of the hair: Step #9 Since the hair is already curled from the hot rollers, use these curls and gently shape them. Take a section of hair that is curled and turn it in a loop that sits on your head. Bobby pin the curl to your head and let the ends hang out, so you are essentially just pinning the middle of the curl and letting the curled ends hang.
Work your way around the entire ponytail holder so that none of it shows. Pin-curl all areas of the ponytail, filling in holes and securing all of the hair to the scalp with bobby pins.
When finished, your braid updo should look something like this:
Since it is hard to do your own hair this intricately in the back, you may want to try this clip in chignon by Hollywood hairstylist, Ken Paves.
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