#hairoftheweek: Micro Accent Five Strand

Last week I did a hairstyle that was originally supposed to incorporate a five strand braid but that was a skill I did not yet have. Instead of frustrating myself, I opted for a four strand instead. It worked out just fine but it got me thinking. Why not try a five strand on its own? Certainly it'd be easier to control with more substantial chunks of hair to work with. And so I chose to tackle the challenge of the five strand braid for this week's #hairoftheweek.

The Process: 

If you've been with me long enough to remember how I got my start in four strand braids, you'll recall I made the job easier by having an accent strand that helped me keep track of which strand was going where. It was no different with the Micro Accent Five Strand. The tricky part was figuring out which of the five strands would be the accents. That's where Lainey Marie comes to the rescue! In

The Tutorial:

Positioning your hands is the hardest part, but it only takes a couple practice runs to get a good feel for it. (1) Brush your hair and bring it all over one shoulder. (2) Section off enough hair from approximately the middle of your hair (below your ear) to become your two micro braids. (3) Move the rest of your hair out of the way, split the chunk in half, and braid two micro braids as far as your hair will allow. Tie them off. (4) Divide your remaining hair into three equal strands, placing one strand on the outside of the two braids, and two strands in between your braids and your neck. (5) Starting with the strand closest to your neck, weave it UNDER the other strand, OVER the first micro braid, UNDER the second braid. This strand is now your second strand from the outside-in. (6) Repeat Step 5 starting with the outermost strand being the first one. (7) Repeat Steps 5 & 6 all the way down the length of your hair, tightening as you go. It helps to say, "under, over, under," out loud as you weave. It also helps to hold two strands in one hand and three in the other. Sometimes it got overwhelming and I somehow ended up with all five strands in one hand. Needless to say I had to start over. (8) Find a good stopping place and tie it off with a small elastic. You can release the elastics on the micro braids if you're satisfied with your look and if they are showing.

The Result: 

10.12.16 micro accent five strand (x)

That little tuft of hair was subject of my twiddling all day long. It became my friend, of sorts. Don't forget to give it a like on Instagram if you haven't already!

The Verdict:

I won't say I like this hairstyle more than the four strand but it has potential. Maybe I just need to warm up to it a little more. I will, however, say I loved the way it made the top of my hair look. Having the strands go under first gave my "bangs" a gorgeous swoop. Usually I mind having hair in my face but it looked way too good for me to complain. Now that I sort of have the hands figured out, I might be able to work the five strand into more hairstyles! It'll take a little more practice, though.

What did you think of this hairstyle? I liked it a lot, although at times it was almost as if I was wearing a four strand. Not sure if the difference is significant enough to justify the extra effort that goes into hanging on to all those strands and trying to get your hands in a good position. Who knows? Maybe practice will solve all my problems. As always, don't forget to follow me on Instagram if you haven't already to stay up-to-date on #hairoftheweek! Remember the person with the most first likes every season gets an extra vote for Fan Favorite so don't miss your chance!


Talk to you soon!

xo, Yvette