#hairoftheweek: Fishtail Accent Four Strand

Last week I didn't put too much thought into #hairoftheweek until the day of or the night before, choosing to prioritize my exam over my hair. I think that's fair. Similarly this week, I had went through the same though process. All the way down to having a hairstyle in mind that I thought would look great, but winding up changing course and ending up with something better. Despite the parallels in the journey to #hairoftheweek, the hairstyles turned out to be quite different, but still gorgeous in their own ways.

The Process:

Do I really need a reason to continue my love affair with four strands? To be honest, when I first saw this Instagram picture from Abigail Rose Hair, I didn't recognize it for what it was. I was amazed. Once my brain caught up, I got excited. This is just your everyday four strand braid that, with a little tweak in technique, looks like something else entirely. It took me no time to scrap my original idea because there was no way I was going to pass on this one.

The Tutorial:

(1) Brush your hair.
(2) From your temples, section off your hair by going back two inches and all the way to the top of your head. This will be your starting point.
(3) Divide this section into four equal parts. Skim a little bit extra for the fishtail section if you feel like there isn't enough hair. I allowed too little hair for this section but I did not want to redo ten minutes of work so I went with it.
(4) The second section will be your fishtail section. I did it with my third section and it was highly incompatible with the hand holds I was familiar with. Again, I would have redone this if the fishtail did not take ten minutes (and if my arms were not already so tired). I did an inverse fishtail for this hairstyle but I'm sure a regular fishtail would work fine. Do whatever you're most comfortable with.
(5) When your fishtail has been braided as far as it will go and tied off, pick up those three other sections and begin that four strand braid! It is imperative that you say "over, under, over" out loud if you don't want to lose your place.
(6) Add in big chunks of hair every time you start a new stitch. Keep this as tight as possible! It will come loose by the time you get to the bottom so you don't want to start with a weak foundation.
(7) Once you've added in all your hair (I'm not joking when I say keep it tight! I had to redo this part three times before I got it right and it cost me half an hour!) pause for a moment and find the fishtail. Tug on the fishtail to straighten that accent braid. This is an optional step but gives it such a unique look that I don't think it should be skipped.
(8) Tighten anything that got loosened during your tugging interlude and continue braiding a regular four strand until your fishtail runs out. Tie it off.
(9) Tuck in any crazy loose hairs to your liking and make sure your fishtail is straight (at the top, at least) and you're ready to go!

The Result:

2.9.17 fishtail accent four strand (x)

Whoops, didn't mean to make you love me. 💘 Don't forget to give it a like on Instagram if you haven't already!

The Verdict:

I had a lot of loose hairs flying around my face (the day's windiness was not a friend) and the front looked a little funny with the bumps from the inverse fishtail, but it was worth it. Nothing a little more practice wouldn't smooth out. Just look at that beauty! When I first put on my coat (with a hood) I was afraid to move my head because it felt a little stiff and I didn't want to risk damaging it. I had just done this hairstyle three times and it was lunchtime. I didn't have any more time to spare. I could complain about having to do it so many times in a row, but it's my fault for studying rather than practicing. My arms' struggle is the fault of job costing!

Who knew that just tugging on a strand would transform the look? I certainly hadn't thought of it before I saw that picture on Instagram. Speaking of Instagram, follow me to stay up-to-date on all things #hairoftheweek! The extra vote for Fan Favorite is still up for grabs and we've got four more chances to seize the opportunity! Be sure to let me know what you think of this hairstyle below! I am really in love with it.


Talk to you soon!

xo, Yvette