Okay, so let me tell you about my long hair journey and trying to find something, anything, quick and easy to do with it. For ages, it was either down and getting in my face, or up in a boring ponytail. I just didn’t have the time, or honestly, the patience for those super complicated styles you see everywhere. I needed solutions that wouldn’t make me late for everything!
My First Breakthrough: The Super Speedy Rope Braid
I started experimenting, really just playing around. I remembered seeing something about twisting hair, and thought, how hard can that be? Turns out, not hard at all! This became my go-to for a while.
Here’s what I actually do:
- First, I pull all my hair to one side. Makes it easier to manage. Sometimes I’ll put a little serum in if it’s feeling frizzy, but not always.
- Then, I split that chunk of hair into just two sections. Two! That’s the magic.
- I take each section and twist it. I twist both of them in the same direction. So, like, both clockwise. You gotta twist them kinda tight.
- Then, here’s the trick: I wrap those two twisted sections around each other, but in the opposite direction. So if I twisted them clockwise, I wrap them counter-clockwise.
- I go all the way down and then just slap a hair tie on the end. Done! It looks way more complicated than it is, and it literally takes me about two minutes, no joke.
Seriously, this one was a game changer. It keeps my hair out of my way, looks pretty neat, and I don’t feel like I’m wrestling an octopus every morning.
Next Up: Mastering the Classic (But Fast) Three-Strand Braid
Now, I know what you’re thinking, “a three-strand braid, how original.” But hear me out! For the longest time, my three-strand braids looked messy, or they’d loosen up super fast. I figured out a few things that made a huge difference for speed and neatness.
My process now is pretty simple:
- Again, brush your hair! I can’t stress this enough. Tangled hair makes for a sad, lumpy braid.
- I gather my hair where I want the braid to start. Sometimes it’s low at the nape of my neck, sometimes I do a side braid.
- I divide it into three equal sections. I try to make them as even as possible, but I don’t obsess over it.
- Then it’s just the basic over-and-under. I take an outside strand, cross it over the middle one. Then take the other outside strand, cross it over the new middle one.
- The key for me making it quick and neat is to keep a decent tension. Not super tight like I’m trying to give myself a headache, but firm enough so it doesn’t immediately fall apart. I also use my fingers to smooth down each section a little as I go.
- Braid all the way down, secure with an elastic. Sometimes if I want it to look a bit fuller, I’ll gently pull on the sides of the braid a little bit – they call it “pancaking,” I think. But only if I have an extra 30 seconds!
These two are my absolute saviors for my long hair. I went from feeling frustrated with my hair all the time to actually having a couple of quick styles that make me feel put together without any real effort. It’s all about finding what works for you and not getting bogged down by complicated stuff. Simple is often best, especially when you’re rushing!