Ask around, and there are a few things people think you should just know how to do, like riding a bike or playing spades. Another is knowing how to do and maintain cornrows, which is a staple hairstyle in the Black community.
“Cornrows date back for over 3,000 years for women and for men, going back to parts of Africa,” hairstylist Camille Friend previously told PS. Back then, the hairstyle served as a signifier and made clear someone’s social position, age, marital status, occupation, or tribe. The hairstyle has since evolved, with styles like “designer cornrows” gaining popularity on social media.
So what exactly is one to do if they don’t know how to do cornrows? The only real answer is to never let anyone learn your secret and to teach yourself in private, and this is where hairstylist Kadeisha Placide comes in.
Before you start the cornrowing process, there are a few steps to do first. “The best way to achieve cornrow braids is on dry and stretched hair,” Placide says. “Start with detangling and combing through the hair for a smooth and manageable canvas.” It may also be helpful to presection your hair. “It’s important to note that all part spaces should be neat and precise for clean results. We recommend using a tail comb to part the hair and applying braiding gel to the scalp to keep the braids frizz-free.”
Now that the basics are covered, read ahead for a step-by-step photo tutorial on how to cornrow your hair (and keep your cultural dignity intact).
Experts Featured in This Article
Camille Friend is a hairstylist and Hask brand ambassador.
Kadeisha Placide is a Brooklyn-based hairstylist and the owner of Classic Beauty Salon.
POPSUGAR Photography / Ariel Baker
Step 1: Part Your Hair
After you’ve detangled your hair, part your hair to correspond with the amount of braids you want, sectioning each piece so they don’t overlap. “Make sure you’re parting cleanly from the front of the hairline to the nape of the neck,” Placide says.
POPSUGAR Photography / Ariel Baker
Step 2: Separate Hair Into 3 Sections
Once you’ve parted your hair and sectioned off the areas you’re not working on, start the cornrow closest to your hairline. “In the section of hair that you are braiding, make a small, horizontal part, from one end of the presectioned area to the other, left to right,” Placide says. “Then, section and divide just that front area into three small sections.”
POPSUGAR Photography / Ariel Baker
Step 3: Use Your Fingers to Visualize the Braid
It can get confusing to visualize where each section of hair should be, but Placide has a tip. “Use your thumb, index, and middle finger to separate the sections. Each finger will create a left section of hair, a middle section of hair, and a right section of hair,” she says.
POPSUGAR Photography / Ariel Baker
Step 4: Begin the Braid
The beginning of a cornrow is similar to any other braid, crisscrossing one section of hair over the other.
“When figuring out how to cornrow, start with the side sections, either right or left, and begin to cross the hair over the middle piece of hair that your index finger created,” Placide says. “Once you cross the hair over that middle piece, take the middle section and bring it to the side. It will replace the piece of hair that you just used to overlap it. Switch fingers to allow a new section to take place in the center, and make sure that you are holding each piece of hair with tension, so that the braid doesn’t loosen up.”
POPSUGAR Photography / Ariel Baker
Step 5: Create the Cornrow
Once you begin the braid, make sure that you don’t lose your grip on the hair. “Grab a half-inch section from the unbraided hair left in the section you are working in, and use it to create one bigger section with the middle piece of hair,” Placide says. “Then repeat step four, crossing both left- and right-side sections over the new center and continue this process down to the nape of your neck.”
POPSUGAR Photography / Ariel Baker
Step 6: Braid the Ends
When you reach the nape of your neck, complete a traditional plait, crossing each side section over the center and switching fingers to take each side section over the center piece smoothly.
Since you’re coming toward the end of the braid, there will be no extra hair to have to incorporate into the braid at this point.
POPSUGAR Photography / Ariel Baker
Step 7: Secure With Elastic
Follow the previous step all the way to the end of the length of your hair, and secure with an elastic. Repeat steps one through seven for the other presectioned areas of your hair, and voila – you’ve just given yourself cornrows.
POPSUGAR Photography / Ariel Baker
Ariel Baker is the associate editor for PS Beauty. Her areas of expertise include celebrity news, beauty trends, and product reviews. She has additional bylines with Essence and Forbes Vetted.
