Five {5} Strand Messy Braid | Top Hairstyles

I am a HUGE fan of messy braid hairstyles, and you can see them pretty much anywhere right now in movies, on TV, in magazines, etc. They are so popular that we decided to give you the 5-Strand Messy Braid tutorial today!

Close-up view of the 5-Strand Messy Braid Hairstyle

When you braid hair, whatever the braid variation, it is important to understand the stranding. For this braid, the stranding is a bit complex, since you are using five strands instead of three. Once you get the hang of it, this gorgeous braid will take very little time to create.

Side view of the 5-Strand Messy Braid Hairstyle

{If you do not know how to braid with five strands, make sure you are comfortable with a 3-stranded braid first.}

Be sure to watch the video carefully to see how we incorporate the additional two strands. Then, as we finish the hairstyle, we tie off the braid and then loosen the “elbows” of the braid {we call this pancaking} for that messy boho look.

Wherever I go with this braided hairstyle, I receive so many compliments because you can easily tell that it does not look like a regular braid. Other girls want to know exactly how I did the hairstyle, and I am sure that you will get the same reaction! Enjoy!

Items Needed: Brush, comb, ponytail holder, hairspray {if desired}

Time Requirement: 5 minutes

Skill Level: Hard

Happy Hairdoing!

* Note from Mindy: Don’t forget to follow us on BlogLovin, a new easy-to-use blog reader!

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Comments

  1. You should really try the five strand waterfall braid!!! it is fairly simple if you are good at both the waterfall braid and the five strand braid.It looks amazing!!

  2. i created this hairstyle on my mom but i cant create it on myself for this reason : my hair once in a year sometimes i don’t get it at all but it happens my hair goes CRAZY my hair is naturally curly and puffy but it goes all out, WAY to puffy if i wet my hair it works BUT only temporarily after that it gets even more puffy than before i was hoping that you Mindy would have some advice for my hair when it reacts this way. SORRY THIS WAS WAY TO MUCH! 🙁

  3. i created this hairstyle on my mom but i cant create it on myself for this reason : my hair once in a year sometimes i don’t get it at all but it happens my hair goes CRAZY my hair is naturally curly and puffy but it goes all out, WAY to puffy if i wet my hair it works BUT only temporarily after that it gets even more puffy than before i was hoping that you Mindy would have some advice for my hair when it reacts this way. SORRY THIS WAS WAY TO MUCH!:(

  4. i’m from england and i wish i was in spain

    love the look and i can’t wait to do it in my friend megans hair hers is down to her bottom

  5. I love this! It’s so cute for school and it has a really original look to it. You explained it well, thanks!

  6. This was SO helpful!!! Thank you!! I now know how to 5 strand braid!! Thankk youu!!! You explained it extremelyyy well!!

  7. I LOVE!!! All of your hairstyles I do them all the time on my hair!! I get so many comments on them!Thank you for sharing your hairstyles!!!

  8. Its quite complicated. Just to tell you I am a toper with 3 strand braid. Is it possible to do this on one of your daughter?

  9. i love playing with my hair. but my hair is naturally straight thought i would like some curls. so is there anymore no heat curls i tryed all of them

  10. I love this braid, I will have to try it. And since I didn’t see this video for a while, in January where I live it gets so intensively cold, probably because I live in the Icebox of the Nation, guess where that is. But I’d just like to stay here.

  11. Hey I’m always trying to do something with my hair, always jealous of the amazing hair styles others have, but no longer! this site is amazing, I love love loooooove it! I plan on comin back weekly for more!! I love this one and I’m gonna try it tomorrow.

  12. heey I loooovvee Ur kids and there hair I wish I had there hair and im like U I love messy braids and I love to learn new hair styles from Ur you tube channel 🙂 thankyouuu

  13. when you are a beginner, you could practice pulling a rubber band on the level of your shoulder and then try to do it, it’s more comfortable and easier like that, and when you know how to do it properly you can do it as shown in video:D

  14. Where did you get your hair extensions from because it was kind of hard for me to do it cause my hair isn’t very long.

  15. OMG, i luv this hairstyle! I’m only 11 y.o., and do this on myself all the time. If I could be anywhere,
    I’d go to Hawaii.

  16. Hey mindy I love your hairstyles!! I did his one on my self and I added a pink bandana to the top so it was totally cute! I got lots of compliments. Please check out my website!

  17. SO gorgeous! I have already done 5 strand braids in my hair….I love the messy effect though, it’s looks awesome!

  18. Just found out about your site a couple of weeks ago, hopefully my daughter will let me do stuff with her hair again. I have been doing her hair in fun ways since she was 1 she was born with alot of hair and never lost any. At 3 she donated 17 inches to locks of love and I kept 3.
    You guys are all so cute and very creative. Thanks can’t wait to try these.
    It has warmed up but, Hawaii.

  19. I wish I would have known about this site before I cut my hair to a little above my shoulders! I cut it beacause i had nothing to do with it! If you could possibly think of short hairstyles, that would be great, thanks 🙂

  20. I live in a southern state, so we don’t get a lot of snow. Actually, we haven’t had any snow since I was in third grade (I’m in sixth grade now)! I would love to be in Indiana to see snow again, and to see my relatives!

  21. Thank you for this tutorial. I’ve been watching your videos for so long that I was able to do this after just two tries! I live in sunny SoCal so my weather is great, but I would love to be in Maui right now, just to escape from busy schedules.

  22. Could you show us your wand curls? I want to see what size wand you have and how exactly you do them, because my hair doesn’t look like that the second day after I’ve used my wand.
    And, I love this hairstyle! I saw it on another website last year and i did it just straight back down my head as a French braid, but I did under-over-under-over instead of the other way to make it pop out more. About half the girls at school commented on it. It was fun. But I love the messy way you did it! I’ll have to try it!
    Oh, and I want to be in Hawaii! I’ve never been and I want to go soooo bad! Snow is cool at first, but now its just slushy and cold. Haha 🙂

  23. I love this one! I’ve done it twice already! I also had to use extensions. 🙂 I think it looks better that way, actually, with the layers.

    A couple commenters mentioned a 5-strand french braid, and I think that would be great if you ever wanted to do it.

    And I live in Las Vegas, so I’d much rather live where you do, with snow!

  24. hello i really love this hairstyle and i cant wait to try it i have watched alot of your videos and learn ALOT from you and my friends say i do a wonderful and amazing job at it. thanks for all your cute styles and sharing them if it wasnt for you i wouldnt even know how to do anything on hair!!! <3

  25. I wish I was in Tahiti!! Sun, sand, and peace!

    LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this braid!! I have been following you for a few years and I am in love with the looks for older girls. My baby is now 8 and wants more of a big girl do…this is perfect! She had some fabluous hair-do’s thanks to you!
    Thanks for all of the wonderful tips and ideas over the years!

  26. Love the braid, need to find extensions like yours! If I could be anywere I would love to be in Grand Bahama visiting my friends. Here in Holland the wether is getting better, spring is coming! So I’m not sure if I would leave my lovely country thuis time of year ;)!
    Thans for the inspiration

  27. Wow! Such a cute way to do the side braid that is different then the regular 3 strand. Thanks for sharing!! I would LOVE to go to Hawaii- never been before. But my family is leaving for Disneyland this Friday (first time for my kiddos) and I’m so excited to be in a little warmer weather. Winter in Utah is hard, but I guess we’ve been a little spoiled this year! :)Thanks again for all the great tutorials!

  28. Thank you for this tutorial video! This is so much easier than how I had been doing braids with more than 3 strands previously – weaving one outside strand all the way through at a time. The messy braids are great for us busy moms whose hair ends up messy anyway, too. lol. I love being able to diversify these quick ‘do’s and not feel frumpy or boring. 😉

    If I could be anywhere besides here in the cold Midwest right now, I’d love to be in Cozumel, Mexico. We were able to go on a cruise for my parents’ 30th anniversary years ago, and I loved the beautiful ocean, weather, and dolphins there. I also dream of what it would be like to visit Australia/New Zealand on these cold days. 😀

  29. Hi! I loooooove you, your site, your girls!!! Congrats.
    I’m in London, but i wish to be in Brazil right now because it’s summer, it’s Carnival and I miss soooo much the beach….
    PS: Can you teach us how to do a french braid but with 5 strands. And some hairstyles with natural flowers. It’s possible?? Thank you sooo much!
    xoxoxo

  30. Lovely braid! But I still need practice on the simple ones as I am not a very good braider.
    I’ve done several of your lovely girly hairstyles on my 2 year old princess!
    It’s not that cold over here in Spain but still I’ll love to be in Paracas – Perú. It’s summer south there. 🙂

  31. Is it possible to do a french braid with more than three strands? I dont know where that thought came from, but could you give us a tutorial of that? Anyway, this is cool! I definately want to try this on myself.

    1. I have been abke to create a 5 strand french braid.. but I have not been able to do it on myself. It takes a lot longer than a normal french braid and works better with thick hair

    2. I have been abke to create a 5 strand french braid.. but I have not been able to do it on myself. It takes a lot longer than a normal french braid and works better with thick hair

    1. i’m from england and i wish i was in spain

      love the look sooo much cant wait to do it in my fried megans hair her hairs down to her bottom!

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