Winter Quarter ‘Do’s
Winter Quarter came in like a wrecking ball and us collegiettes need to polish up on some of our study skills for 2015. Here is a fun and easy hair style to start the quarter off with style and keep your hair off your face while you hit the books! The Dutch Braid.
Start by parting your hair to whatever side you feel most natural. The further over you go, the more hair you will have to work with. Brush out any knots and tangles in order to make this braiding process easier.
Take a chunk of hair about an inch or two back from your forehead and separate into three even strands. Begin braiding making sure the outside strands are going UNDER the middle strand. This is important in order to get that dutch braid look instead of the classic French.
There are videos on Youtube by hair expert, Annie’s Forget Me Knots who can explain this process in complete video form.
Continue braiding down, including new chunks of hair to both the inside and outside pieces as you continue. Remember to bring in hair from the other side of the head as you go so nothing gets left out!
Once you have reached the nape of the neck and all of the hair is included, continue down the length of your hair braiding as you would normally. Once finished, you can use a clear elastic band that can be found at any drugstore, Target or Fred Meyers, but any hair tie will work.
Now it is time to begin the PANCAKING process. This is what makes the braid look full and gives it the Dutch character. Begin at your part and gently tug at the front pieces continuing down. Notice how the braid begins to fluff up, but don’t pull too hard or the pieces will break free.
After you reach the bottom of one side, begin the opposite side starting at the bottom this time and working your way up. After finishing, you can touch up any pieces by pulling the braid apart or pancaking any pieces that went flat again.
If you want, gently pull out a few face framing tendrils of hair. Use bobby pins to secure the back of the hair where the hair was brought over from the other side. You can apply a little bit of hairspray so it can maintain its pancaked look all day long.
Enjoy your fun Dutch Braid! Remember, practice makes perfect! It won’t always be the way you want it on the first try.