How to Correctly Part Your Hair When Doing Micro Braids

1.

Plan out the "map" of your head before you begin, so you can section off all the areas you're not working on, plaiting one section at a time. For a basic map, part your hair in half down the center. Then envision an invisible line across the crown of your head from one ear to the other. This make a quadrant on your head that forms the beginning grid for micro braids. Make another imaginary line across the high back of your neck, where your occipital bone is. Since it's the hard bottom of the skull, the bone is easy to feel and can guide you. Make two more lines parallel to your center part, one on either side of the head. This gives you a grid with tiny manageable sections you'll part one by one.

2.

Part your hair using a rat-tail comb. First, part your hair in half, then section the hair along the imaginary line from one ear to the other. As you create sections, use hair clips to tie them up. Tie up one section, then subdivide it later when necessary.

3.

Think about how wide you want to make each micro braid before you dive right in. Use 1/2- to 1-cm sections, or about 1/4-inch, suggests Nicole Singleton Lasher on Cornrows.co.uk.

4.

Let one section loose so you can begin braiding. Using your rat-tail comb, section off a small piece of hair. Take your time and work along the hair from your roots down your head, taking an even amount of hair so you end up with a good looking braid.

5.

Braid your section of hair from roots to the end, securing the plait with a mini rubber band when you finish.

6.

Grab another section of hair just like you did the first, using your rat tail comb to grab the hairs. If you stray from the part, let go of the hair and work to collect the hairs again. Keep working your section just like this till you've gone through the whole area.