It can be a hassle to style your natural hair every single day— getting braid styles can save you from that. Braid styles for natural hair are usually easy to do, though they can sometimes take hours to finish. However, the best way to maintain and grow natural hair—while looking gorgeous at it—is by getting protective hairstyles, and braids are the best and most common protective hairstyles. Braid styles can be done with or without hair extensions and would still come out beautiful. You may be wondering by now about the dozens of looks you can make with natural hair. These are 25 natural hair braid styles that you can select from!
1. Two Braids With Weave
Two braids with weave is a simple and fun hairstyle for everyone. To achieve two braids with weave, you’ll start by parting the hair into two, followed by sleeking both sides and making cornrows on each section until it gets to the neck. The weave is then attached to the ends by sewing it to secure it properly. It can be maintained by covering it with a silk scarf or bonnet.
2. Box Braids With Natural Hair
Box braids with natural hair is a great hairstyle choice for when you want to give your hair a breather. It is made by creating square, or “box,” parts and making individual braids without any extensions. It is a low cost hairstyle because no extensions are needed. Box braids with natural hair is a good protective hairstyle because you can still use all your favorite hair products to grow out your hair and you can style it any way you like.
3. Loose Braids
Creating loose braids involves using synthetic hair and braiding it into your natural hair without making it tight at all. The roots of the hair are braided tightly to secure the braids, then the rest of the braid is done loosely. Braiding loosely gives the braids more volume while keeping them lightweight. When making loose braids, it is advised to make sure the natural hair is tucked in under the braiding hair.
4. Neck Length Braided Bob
This neck-length braided bob is the perfect hairstyle for the hot weather. It is achieved by making the hair into individual short length braids. The bob forms when the ends are burnt with a lighter to secure the ends right above the shoulders. Hot water is not required to seal the ends. The neck-length braided bob could be done with a side part or a center part and it would still come out great!
5. Feed In Ponytail Braids
Feed-in braids have rapidly become a favorite because they look natural and beautiful. Feed-in ponytail braids are made by sectioning the hair into any design and feeding in synthetic braiding hair under the natural hair–from the hairline to where the ponytail stops. The concept and goal of feed-in ponytail braids is for the braids to look like no braiding hair was used.
6. Natural Hair Braid Out
This natural hair braid out is a fantastic way to flaunt your ‘fro. It is an easy hairstyle that can be done by anyone that knows how to do a basic braid. Natural hair braid outs are achieved by applying your favorite curl products and making individual braids, then leaving it for a while (or overnight) to dry out and taking out the braids afterwards. After undoing the braids, you can use your fingers or a comb to separate the curls and make them look full. It is important to note that the smaller the braids, the tighter the curl pattern.
7. Five Stitch Braids
Five stitch braids is another quick and easy protective hairstyle to try. It involves sectioning the hair into five straight parts that run from the hairline to the nape of the neck, then making a stitch cornrow braid on each section. It is advised to use a braiding gel to sleek the hair so that the stitches can be very visible and neat.
8. Small Feed-In Braids To The Back
Small feed-in braids to the back is a cute hairstyle that will make your face pop! It involves making feed-in braids in small sections from the front of the hair to the nape of the neck. They can be done in any length and color, and do not require much maintenance.
9. Fulani Braids With Curls
Fulani braids are also called tribal braids. Fulani braids with curls involve making a part from ear to ear along the back of the head to section the hair into two, then braiding the top part into cornrows and making individual braids with curls at the back. The curls can be added to the end of the braids, to the length of the braids, or even both.
10. Knotless Braids With Beads
A beautiful way to spice up knotless braids is by adding beads to them. Knotless braids with beads are done by making individual braids without knots and adding beads to the ends of each braid. Hair beads can be made from a variety of different materials such as wood, acrylic, and plastic and can come in a wide range of different colors. If you are getting knotless braids in a longer length, it is best not to use too many beads because it will make the hair heavy and put stress on the hairline.
11. Slick Back Ponytail Braid
We can all agree that slick-backs are always gorgeous and elegant! A slick back ponytail braid involves packing the hair to the back and holding it with a holding gel or spray, then attaching a ponytail braid to the end. It is easier and quicker to use a pre-made ponytail braid, but if you don’t have one available you can also attach loose hair to the end and braid it yourself. A slick-back ponytail braid can be done in any color—you can even dye your natural hair temporarily or permanently to match the color of the braided ponytail.
12. Cornrow Ponytail Braids With Weave
Are you bored of the regular cornrow ponytail braids? Then you should try cornrow ponytail braids with weave! This look is achieved by braiding regular cornrows to where the ponytail is desired and sewing a weave to the ends. Another way of getting it done is by making regular cornrows and adding a detachable ponytail at any time. Using a detachable ponytail weave is easier and more comfortable because you can remove and wear it back anytime you want.
13. Natural Hair Halo Braid
Natural halo braids definitely give princess vibes because it is a very elegant hairstyle. The natural halo braid is achieved by making a middle or side part, then making a cornrow(s) and wrapping the hair on each side to form a crown. Natural halo braids are perfect for quick occasions because they may not last for more than a few days.
14. Natural Hair Cornrows
Sometimes, all you need is a very simple hairstyle. Natural hair cornrows are made by parting the hair into any style and making cornrow braids without any hair extensions. Natural hair cornrows are low cost and also low maintenance. You can spice it up by adding hair accessories such as beads, clips, cowrie shells, etc.
15. Natural Hair Braids With Beads
Whether you have long or short natural hair, natural hair braids with beads would look great on you. It is achieved by making individual braids without any hair extensions and adding beads to the ends. The beads are secured with small rubber bands to stop them from falling off the braids. You can switch up your natural hair braids by using a temporary dye to add some colors and also using different colors of beads.
16. Stitch Braids Into A Bun
Stitch braids into a bun is a great hairstyle option because it doesn’t require daily styling. All you need is to get dressed and lay your edges and that’s it! Stitch braids into a bun is achieved by making stitch cornrow braids—which involves creating horizontal lines on each section—into an up-do and rolling the ends to form a bun. The bun can be secured using a thread the same color as the synthetic braiding hair to sew it on. If you also do not like hair touching any part of your body, stitch braids into a bun is perfect.
17. Half Up Half Down Feed In Braids With Weave
Half-up/half-down feed-in braids are made by sectioning the hair into two parts, making feed-in cornrows on the top part, then sewing a weave to the back of the hair. The feed-in braids can be done with any design and the weave can be any type: either straight, curly or wavy.
18. Natural Hair Braids Updo
A braided up-do with natural hair involves braiding cornrows from the front of the hair to the middle to make an up-do, without using any braiding extensions. Braiding gel can be used to get crisp parts and make the style come out neater. Natural braids are very low-cost because all you need is your hair and your braider. It also cuts down salon time.
19. Ponytail Cornrow Braids With Swoop
These ponytail cornrow braids with a swoop are not common, but it’s a very beautiful hairstyle. It involves creating a side part and making cornrows on the lower side to where the ponytail stops, then making cornrow braids with a swoop on the other side. The swoop is achieved by directing the cornrows a little to the side of the face before sweeping them to the back, creating an arch. Ponytail cornrow braids with a swoop are a good option if you would like to cover a part of your hairline that has little hair. It would also save you from laying down your edges every time.
20. Pick And Drop Braids
Pick and drop braids are definitely a Y2K-inspired look because it is an older, more vintage hairstyle most popularly seen in the ‘90s. It is made by braiding the roots of the hair just a few inches and curling the rest of the synthetic hair. It is basically picking the braids out and dropping them after securing the roots. Pre-curled braiding hair can also be used to achieve pick and drop braids and save time.
21. Natural Hair French Braid
These French braids are done without any hair extensions. They involve parting the natural hair, usually down the middle, into two sections and braiding each side from the crown of the head to the nape of the neck. French braids can be achieved with or without a holding product, depending on preference.
22. Straight Back Braids With Beads
Straight-back braids can be boring and basic sometimes but it can be made extra by adding beads to the ends. Straight back braids with beads involve making any size of cornrows in a straight line, until they get to the neck and then braiding the ends and adding beads to them. The beads would instantly give the straight backs a different and beautiful look.
23. Box Braids With Color In The Back
Box braids with color in the back are usually called “skunk stripe braids” but the colors are only at the back of the hair. It involves making individual box braids in one color until you reach the lower-back portion of the head, then using a different color(s) at the back. Using a different color definitely gives the box braids a more vibrant look. A warm color is usually used to braid the majority of the braids, then a brighter color like pink, lemon, or red is used at the back.
24. Knotless Braids With French Curls
Knotless braids with French curls is a new hairstyle trend that is here to stay. It involves making individual knotless braids and adding loose curls to the ends. The braiding extensions used for knotless braids with French curls usually come pre-curled and all that is needed is to carefully separate it and then braid—however, the cost of pre-curled braiding hair is more than regular braiding hair. If you still want to get knotless braids with French curls but you’re on a budget, you can improvise and curl the ends of your regular braiding hair with a big flexi-rod to form the loose curls.
25. Layered Braids
Layered braids are a Y2K-inspired hairstyle that is done by doing individual braids in layers. The hair is sectioned into two or three parts, depending on how many layers you want, then each section, or layer, is braided into different lengths. The tips are curled with either a basic curling iron, electric curling iron on low heat, or large-sized hair rollers.
