Fishtail Hair Tutorial

Today I’m sharing one of my favorite lazy day hairstyles. A fishtail braid is one of my several go-to hairstyles for days when I’m either running late or just don’t feel like doing a full blow-out. It’s so easy and can be done on damp hair or on one- or two-day-old hair. I’ve gotten lots of questions on how it’s done, and it’s so easy that I want to show you how!

Braids, especially fishtails, are much easier to do on dry hair, so I definitely recommend that even if you are just getting out of the shower that you let your hair dry as much as possible before styling.

Step 1: Separate hair into two equally sized sections and hold one in each hand.

Step 2: Drop one of the sections, and from that section, pick out a small strand of hair (about 1/4 in. to 1/2 in. wide) from the outermost side.

Step 3: Cross that small strand over to the opposite half of hair and grab it with your other hand.

Step 4: This part is a bit tricky, but hold both halves of hair in the same hand, while still keeping them separated with one of your fingers in between, to free up the opposite hand. With your free hand, pick out a small section (again about 1/4 in. to 1/2 in. wide) from the outermost side.

Step 5: Cross the selected strand across to the opposite half of hair and grab it with your opposite hand.

Repeat steps 2-5, selecting one small strand at a time and crossing it over. The smaller the strands, the more intricate the braid will look.

Step 6: Continue all the way to the bottom of your hair and secure with a hair tie. Sometimes I like to pull out a few face framing strands and loosen the braid up a bit for a softer and more feminine look.

What is your favorite hair style for lazy days or when you’re running behind schedule?    xo -L