Straight back braids are simple styles braided to the back of the hair. They’re great protective hairstyles that can be braided close to the scalp or slicked back. One advantage of these styles is that you can do them in any size, length, or color and with or without hair extensions. Wearing your braids to the back brings out the beauty of your facial features because the hair is pulled back rather than covering your face.
Straight back hairstyles come in many varieties and are perfect for different occasions. Here are the 25 best ways you can get this simple but trendy hairstyle done.
1. Simple Straight Back Braids
As the name implies, straight-back braids go from the front of the head to the nape of the neck in straight lines. They start with straight-line partings that you then braid into cornrows. These simple straight-back braids can be upgraded with hair extensions and in different colors and lengths.
2. Straight Backs with Braids
Straight backs with braids are a great option when you want straight backs with a little more volume. They are made by sectioning the hair into two parts, then making straight cornrows on the top of the scalp and turning them into individual braids that flow down or to the side rather than hugging the scalp at the nape. Straight backs with braids give you more ways to style your hair as opposed to regular straight backs.
3. Straight Back Feed-In Braids
Straight back feed-in braids are great for a simple and natural look. They involve braiding straight cornrows and gradually adding small portions of braiding hair underneath until the braid becomes thick. Straight back feed-in braids are quick, easy, and low maintenance.
4. Braid Back Locs
Locheads aren’t left out of braid back hairstyles! Braid back locs involve sectioning the locs from the front of the head to the nape of the neck and using the loc strands to make straight cornrows to the back. Braid back locs come out best when you get a fresh retwist, but it would still look good between retwists.
5. Slick Back Ponytail Braid
Using any holding product, such as gels and holding sprays, you can slick the natural hair down to the head to begin a slick back ponytail braid. Once the hair is slicked back, add a braided ponytail to the natural hair. A small piece of braiding hair, wrapped around the ponytail braid, will cover where it is attached to the natural hair and make the style look especially clean. It’s always important to cover your hair with a silk scarf or bonnet when you get a slick back ponytail braid.
6. Six Braids to the Back
Six braids to the back is a style achieved by parting the hair into six sections and braiding cornrows down each section. It’s a very easy style and doesn’t take long. Extensions aren’t required, but they can help to thicken the cornrows according to your preference.
7. Straight Back Braids with a Heart
Straight back braids with a heart is a hairstyle that every certified lover girl should get. It gives regular straight backs that extra pop. You can create hearts by parting one or two sections on either side of the head into a heart shape, braiding it, and connecting it to the rest of the hair, which is then braided into straight backs.
8. Long, Small Straight Back Feed-In Braids
Sometimes getting a lot of length is all you need to make your hairstyle pop. Long, small straight back feed-in braids involve braiding small, straight cornrows to the nape and braiding the ends until they’re long enough. If your preferred braiding hair doesn’t come in long enough lengths, you can feed in more braiding hair until you reach your desired length.
9. Straight Back Braids with Beads
Beads will never go out of style, and we can all agree that they make braids more beautiful. Switch up your straight back braids by adding beads to the ends and securing them with rubber bands. Adding too many beads to straight back braids can make them heavy and uncomfortable, so it’s best to use a manageable number of lightweight beads.
10. Straight Back Stitch Braids
Straight back stitch braids are achieved by sectioning the hair with straight lines going to the back and then braiding each section into cornrows while creating horizontal lines to form the stitches. Straight back stitch braids take longer than regular straight backs because the stitches require a careful, steady hand, but that precision is what makes them so eye-catching.
11. Goddess Straight Back Braids
Another way to switch up regular straight backs is by adding curls. Goddess straight back braids involve braiding the hair into straight cornrows and adding curls to the braids. Attach the curls to the braids with a crochet needle or feed them in while you’re braiding. Make sure to carefully maintain the curly parts to avoid tangling.
12. Straight Back Braids with Bun
Straight back braids with a bun are simple yet elegant! This style starts with straight back cornrows. The ends are then rolled into a bun. Secure it with a hairband or a thread to prevent unraveling. The bun can cause tension in your neck, so it’s important that it’s not too tight. This hairstyle doesn’t need everyday styling and is very convenient for people with busy mornings.
13. Straight Back Braids with Designs
If you’re bored of simple straight back braids, you can add several designs to make them stand out. By parting the hair into different shapes and lines such as hearts, circles, triangles, zig-zag lines, or criss-cross lines, you can add designs to your straight back braids. You can come up with any design to add to your straight back braids or your hairstylist can get creative and create some lovely designs.
14. Four Straight Back Braids
Four straight back braids involve parting four straight lines from the front of the head to the nape of the neck and making straight cornrows down each section. Four straight back braids are straightforward and don’t take much time.
15. Zig-Zag-Part Cornrows
Zig-zag parts coupled with straight cornrows braided to the back, create this eye-catching style. Zig-zag-part cornrows are a great way to switch up regular cornrows. Extensions aren’t required, but they can help to thicken the cornrows according to your preference.
16. Straight Back Braids with Curly Ends
Straight back braids with curly ends are made by braiding straight back cornrows of any size and adding curls to the end of each braid. The curls can be pre-made or made after braiding the hair. Use flexi rods, hair rollers, or a thread to curl the ends, depending on the desired curl pattern. They need to be carefully maintained to prevent tangling.
17. Blonde Straight Back Braids
Blonde straight back braids are perfect if you like bold colors. Using blonde braiding hair, braid straight cornrows to the back. Blonde straight backs can also be done on your natural hair color or dyed hair.
18. Straight Back Braids (Male)
Straight back braids are also suitable for males because they’re simple and don’t take much time. They’re made by parting straight lines and braiding each section into cornrows all the way to the back of the head. This style requires little to no extra braiding hair. The natural hair can be blow-dried and braided with a braiding gel. Males with short or long hair can get straight back braids.
19. Zig-Zag Braids to the Back
Zig-zag braids to the back are sometimes called “Alicia Keys braids,” after the singer because she was known to wear this style frequently. You part the hair from the front to the back, then braid cornrows from one side of the part to the other, alternating the braids to form a zig-zag pattern. Zig-zag braids to the back are beautiful and great for a classic Y2K look.
20. Jumbo Braids to the Back
Want cornrows but can’t sit for a long time? You should get jumbo braids to the back! Jumbo braids to the back involve parting the hair into big sections and braiding large-sized cornrows down each section. These thick cornrows need a large amount of braiding hair.
21. Straight Back Cornrows on Natural Hair
Straight back cornrows on natural hair involve braiding straight cornrows to the nape without any braiding hair. It’s an easy, affordable style, because only the natural hair is needed to achieve straight back cornrows. It’s also a great protective style that aids growth.
22. Slick Back Braided Ponytail with Swoop
Slick back braided ponytails with a swoop are achieved by slicking the hair to the back of the head and creating a swoop to one side, then adding a braided ponytail to the slicked hair. If you don’t like hair touching your face, this might not be the best style for you because the swoop sits over part of the forehead.
23. Two Slick Back Braids
What’s better than one slick back braid? Two slick back braids! Two slick back braids are done by sectioning the hair into two with a side or center part, then slicking both sides to the back of the head and braiding the ends. It’s important to use good holding products so that the slicked parts stay flat.
24. Straight All-Back Ghana Weaving
Straight all-back Ghana weaving is a hairstyle that involves braiding cornrows to the nape and using small pieces of braiding hair to create a weft on the braided cornrows. The difference between straight all-back Ghana weaving and feed-in straight backs is the way the braiding hair is incorporated. For a Ghana weave, add the braiding hair on top, and for feed-in straight backs, add it under the braids.
25. Straight Back Braided Wig
Straight back braided wigs are a very cost-efficient way of getting straight backs because you can wear them all over again. You can use braiding hair to make cornrows on a full lace to make this style. You can add designs or play with the parts to make it more interesting. It’s best to use a lace that matches the color of your scalp so the straight back braided wig can look natural when it’s worn.
