You don’t have to be a mermaid to have a tail! "The mermaid braid is the newest thing in hair," says Latest-Hairstyles.com guest contributor Melissa Cook. "They’ve been all the rage this season! Just think of it as the upgraded French braid. This beautiful hairstyle can be dressed up for a night out or worn in a more casual way for an everyday hairstyle.
"What is neat about this type of braid is that if you already know the basics of braiding and have mastered the French braid, then it’ll be a piece of cake to do," adds Cook. "The technique behind the braid is exactly the same as French braiding, but when strands are pulled in, they are thinner and smaller so that the hair underneath shows through. This gives it a more intricate and detailed look since the individual pieces are showing up a lot more."
Get the Look:
- Start with a deep side part and pull all the hair over the opposite shoulder.
- Divide out a section of hair at the back of the head on the heavy side of the part.
- Divide this into three pieces for the braid.
- Cross the back strand over the middle.
- Cross the front strand over the middle.
- Cross the back strand over the middle, then bring in small section of hair directly below where the braid began.
- Cross the front strand over the middle and add in a small section of hair directly in front of the braid.
- Repeat steps 6 and 7, pulling in skinny sections until the braid reaches the bottom of the hair.
- Once all the hair is braided, tie off the end with an elastic band.
[Image courtesy of Janice McCafferty PR]
