How To Fishtail Braid Your Own Hair

Who doesn’t love a good fishtail braid? It’s a timeless and elegant braid that looks intricate but is surprisingly easy to master once you get the hang of it. Once you’ve perfected this braid, you’ll be able to create countless other styles, like French fishtail braids, chunky fishtail braids, or half-up hairstyles featuring fishtail braids – the possibilities are endless!

In this week’s tutorial, we’re bringing back another edition of our “Back to Basics” series with a simple guide to creating a fishtail braid. Whether you’re new to braiding or just looking for a quick refresher on how to do a basic fishtail braid, check out our tutorial with Karin Dragos below, or keep scrolling for an easy 3-step guide.

How To Fishtail Braid Your Own Hair

Ready to be amazed by how simple this is?

Step #1

Start by dividing your hair into two sections—let’s call them left and right.

Take a small section of hair from the outer left side, cross it over to the middle, and add it to the right section.

Step #2

Now, take a small section of hair from the outer right side, cross it over to the middle, and combine it with the left section.

Step #3

Repeat the process: take a thin section from the left, cross it over to the right, then take a thin section from the right and cross it to the left.

That’s it! Keep alternating small sections from left to right, working your way down the braid.

Here’s Alex Gaboury’s video on how to do a fishtail braid. You can watch it for a better understanding.

The fishtail braid is essentially a two-strand braid, and once you get the technique down, it’s incredibly easy. Let us know in the comments: Are you already a fishtail braid pro, or is this your first time learning? Also, what other “Back to Basics” tutorials would you like to see from us?