Technical File: Advanced Plaiting

Plaiting

You will need:

Paddle brush

pin tail comb

hair elastics

kirby grips

hair spray

French Plait

Take a section of hair and split it into three.

Start plaiting it into a normal plait by taking alternate sections from the outside and putting them over the middle section.

Then take hair from outside the plait and add it to the outer sections that you are going to put over the middle section so that the hair from the outside is incorporated into the plait.

When you have no hair left to incorporate into the plait then then just plait the rest of the hair off in a normal plait and secure with a hair elastic.

Dutch Plait

Section the hair using a pintail comb however you want to create your chosen look. For example you could put a parting down the centre of the hair and have two dutch plaits, one either side of the parting or you could not do a parting and put all of the hair into one dutch plait.

Then take a small section of hair from the top of the hair you are going to plait and split it into three equal sections as you would do with a normal plait.

Then take one of the outside section and put it under the middle section so that it becomes the new middle section.

Then do the same with the piece of hair on the other side so that it now becomes the new middle section.

This is the same principle as a French plait the only difference is that with a dutch plait you take the sections of hair under the middle section instead of over the top.

Repeat taking the hair on either side under the middle section a couple of times.

Then start to take in hair from the side of the hair that is going under the middle section and add it to this section to incorporate it into the plait.

Do the same everytime you put a section from either side under the middle section.

This should give the plait a raised effect so that it stands out from the rest of the hair.

When you get to the nape of the neck there should be no more hair to incorporate into the plait so just continue plaiting making sure you keep taking the outside sections under the middle section.

When you get to the end on the hair secure the hair using a hair band.

If you want to you can shape the part of the plait that is hanging down to create pretty shapes such as buns. Secure the shapes and structures you create using Kirby grips then finish the look with hairspray.

 Waterfall Plait:
Take a small section of hair from the front of the head and split it into three sections, angling the hair backwards.

Start a normal plait but  let the section of hair that is now on the outside hang down. It is easier if you ask your model to hold onto this piece of hair for the moment.

Now that you are left with two sections, take a piece of hair from above the plait as you would do in a french plait so that this now becomes the third section.

Then plait the hair until the middle section is on the outside. The middle section will end up being the section that you took from above the plait and this is the section that you let fall down.

Let the section on the outside drop down and take another section from above the plait so that you have three sections again.

Continue to do this for as long as you want to, then when you no longer want any sections to hang down plait the three sections as you would in a normal plait and grip into place with a kirby grip or secure with a hair elastic.

If you want to you can do more waterfall plaits below the original one and incorporate the sections of hair that are hanging down from the original waterfall plait.

 Ladder plait

Complete a waterfall plait in the hair.

Then underneath this plait do another plait in the hair like you would do a normal french plait. However the sections from above the plait that you incorporate into it are the sections from the waterfall plait that you let hang down.

You can continue this method all the way down the hair if you want to so that you have several ladder plaits.

Another plait

Take a section of hair from the front of the head and start plaiting down vertically.

Take a section from the opposite side of the head and bring it around so that you can incorporate it into the plait like you would do in a french plait.

Continue to do this until all of the hair is incorporated into the plait.

You can then shape the plait however you want to and use grips or pins to secure it.

 5 strand plait

Take the section of hair that you want to plait and split it into five sections.

Take one of the outside sections and put it under the section next to it, then under the next section.

Then take the outer section of hair from the opposite side and put it over the section next to it and then under the next section.

Then repeat this pattern until you get to the bottom of the hair, taking the outer sections from alternate side each time and putting them over a strand and then under the next strand.

Secure the plait with a hair elastic.

Eight stand plait

Complete a 5 strand plait in the section of hair you want to plait but leave some hair free at one side so that you can add three more strands into the plait.

When you have finished the 5 strand plait, take the spare hair at the side and split it into three sections.

Start plaiting like you would do for a normal plait but after you have plaited a bit take the section next to the 5 strand plait that would be about to go into the middle of the three strand plait and thread it through the outer strand on the 5 strand plait.

Then put it into the middle of the three strand plait.

Continue to plait and then do the same as before and thread a piece of the three strand plait through the 5 strand plait.

Repeat this until you get to the end of the hair, remove the hair elastic from the 5 strand plait, add the hair at the bottom of the two plaits together and secure with a hair elastic. If the hair does not reach the same point then put two seperate elastics in the hair and later you can combine the two.

Eleven strand plait

Section the hair you want to plait into three but have the middle section a bit bigger as you need to make 5 strands out of this where as the outer sections only need three strands.

In the middle section complete a 5 strand plait.

Then take one of the sections and plait it so that the two section join together to be an 8 strand plait.

Then take the other section and plait it in the same way as the other outer section so that it is incorporated so that the hair becomes an eleven strand plait.

You can then use the plaits to create structures by folding it and wrapping it. Secure the shape with kirby grips or hair pins.

 Evaluation:
I found the french plait the easiest as I have done it several times before and then the dutch plait as it was the most similar to the french plait. The waterfall plait was the most complicated as it was difficult at first to hold the sections correctly and to remember which sections to let go of.