Fishtail Braid Into A Low Side Bun

Xiang with our hair stylist Zoe

In the last post Zoe did a tutorial on french braid crown for short hair. Today she is doing a demo for fishtail braid on Xiang's long hair. Hope you enjoy it!
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For a whimsical, yet elegant and feminine look, nothing is better than braids with a low bun. And if you are like me, want to venture out of the usual french braid, then give fishtail braid a try. Fishtail does require a bit more patience, especially if you’re doing it on yourself (it even took me a couple of rounds of a practice to get it right on Xiang). So if you can, bribe a friend to help. Below are Xiang's before and after photos:

Before the step by step tutorial, here is a summary of what I did:

I braided four fishtails in total: two on each side – one big and one small. The smaller braid starting at the crown, and a larger braid that wraps around and caresses the nape of her neck. Then braids on both sides come together to create a low loose bun, reminiscent of a delicious cinnamon roll – perfect for the holiday season.

Step 1

Start by parting the hair as you’d naturally part your own. Xiang has her hair parted down the middle, so it was easy for me to start from the center of her crown. Start with the small fishtail first: pick up a small strand of the hair closer to the crown (think about your ideal thickness for the smaller braid), then evenly separate it into two sections in preparation for fishtail braid.

Step2

Start braiding by grabbing a strand from the back of the right bunch, and then cross it over to tuck into the back of the left bunch. Braid until you’ve run out of hair. I know this sounds very confusing, but watch this YouTube video tutorial for fishbraid, (you can skip to 2:00), then you'll get it. 

Tip for keeping the hair in their respective section: It is easy for the hairs to slip out of your fingers during braiding. Here is a little tip I like to keep them in their place: hold one bunch in between my index and middle finger, while holding the other bunch in the space between my index finger and thumb, for better maneuverability. It’s ok if it takes a couple tries – practice really does make perfect!

The fishtail, unlike the French braid, is separate from the rest of your hair because you’re not embedding the braid into the rest of your hair. Although this is my suggestion for this hairstyle. If you’d like to play around, you can embed the braid into your hair. Try it and send us photos!

Step 3
When finished with one side, tie the braid with a hair tie or pin the braid to the side of your head with a bobby pin, while working on the other side.

Step 4
Repeat the same steps above to create another small fishtail on the other side of the skull. When finished, pin of them together at the back of the head.

Step 5
For the larger braid: start the same way as when you started the smaller braid. The difference for this is that you’re braiding along the natural line of your scalp. I stopped the braid when I reached the end of her neck. Then mix the big braid with the small one on the same side, then tie them into a ponytail.

Step 6
I separated the hair into two bunches and twisted them in opposite directions. I then wrapped the hair into a bun and secured it with another hair tie. Take some bobby pins and secure some sticking-out small hairs into the bun.

Step 7
Now grab a branch, flower, or some mistletoe and weave it through. Regardless if you’ll be having a long night or not, secure that holiday cheer with bobby pins and you’re good to go.

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That was a wrap for our hair tutorial this holiday. Again, thanks Zoe for being the stylist and Annie for the photos. Also Zoe and Xiang have curated this holiday hair magazine full of holiday hair style inspiration, tutorials and hair accessories. Check it out!