This braid is similar-looking to a conjoined double Cobra Braid, only the stranding is different and very tricky.
This is not a new braiding technique, but the braid should be included on the list as one of the most beautiful braids out there!
I first saw this technique in video form on YouTube in Spanish back in July by a talented braider named Diana Rojas. Our version uses the technique diagonally across the back and ending in a braided bun for an absolutely gorgeous updo! {The braid would actually look great in any number of hairstyle combos.}
Tag your own photos of this hairstyle with: #CGHZipperBraid
We imagine this hairstyle as being a perfect updo for Prom, Homecoming, or any other formal occasion. You are going to simply LOVE IT!!!
My first huge tip is to wet down the hair before braiding. For braids that involve multiples in stranding, we find that this helps the braid be more clean and crisp in the final look.
As you braid, you may find a few “sharks” {parts where the hair sticks up like a shark fin in water} will appear. Simply comb them towards the braid and tuck them under it, to help hide them.
This is an expert-level braid that can be difficult the first few times, but is easy each subsequent attempt and truly amazing if you know how to do it! Again, the first few stitches are the most difficult, so keep practicing until you get it!
CGH3 has worn this to school a few days over the past few months. The girls at her school loved it so much that they were taking photos of them on their phones and texting it to their friends.
Apparently the photos spread to older sisters, who then showed the photos to my twins at their Junior High asking them to show me the style! My twins and CGH3 thought that was so funny how fast it spread, and came back full circle to us!
Enjoy!
Items Needed: Brush, rat-tail comb, spray bottle, 1 hairband, 3-5 bobby pins, hairspray {if desired}.
Time Requirement: 8-10 minutes
Skill Level: Hard
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Begin by wetting down the hair…
- Start with a small section near the top of the head, and divide into three strands…
- Now, take the middle strand and take it over the left strand…
- Then take the new middle strand and take it over the right strand…
- This completes your first stitch of the braid.
- Now take the new middle strand and take it over the left strand again, then take it under the two strands to the right, and have your daughter hold it {this secures the first stitch in place, without slipping}…
- Pick up a tiny section of hair on the right side of your head, which will be come the new strand.
- Next, take this piece over the middle strand and then under the left strand, and ask your daughter to hold it…
- Up until this point, you have been prepping the base stitches for the core braid.
- Now you will begin the Zipper stranding…
- Pick up hair on the left side of the head, take it over the middle strand and under the right strand, and ask you daughter to hold {she will now have two strands of hair in her right hand}…
- Take the first strand she was holding, and bring it UNDER the new strand you just gave her, and add it to the middle strand…
- This will create a little sandwich around that strand of hair.
- Pick up more hair on the right side, and take it over the middle strand, and then under the left strand, and have your daughter hold this second strand…
- Now, take the first strand of hair from her, and take it UNDER the second strand you just gave her, and add it to the middle strand {from this point, the braid is repetitive}…
- Continue to repeat Steps #11-12, and 14-15, until you run out of hair {as you go, the braid will continue to take form and look more and more like a zipper}…
- Feel free to finish it off with an elastic for a ponytail, add a bow, or continue with a simple braid and twisting it up into a bun {as we did in the video}.
- Use bobby pins to secure any option bun in place.
- Add hairspray {as desire}.
Please feel free to leave me a comment below letting us know what you think of this Zipper Braid Updo! As always, if you loved this hairstyle, please feel free to share it!
Happy Hairdoing!
This past week, my twins BrooklyAndBailey shared a Book Review video, sharing their thoughts on John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars, and Marie Lu’s Legend!
Very pretty!
This Looks so extraordinary. I have yet to try it.
Gorgeous!!!
I love this hairstyle! It’s super cute and adorable!
This was really a fun braid. Pretty easy once I got into the rhythm of it! Like the fish tail ending idea. Love all your hairdos!
I love this braid, But instead of turning it into an updo, is it possible to contnue the braid so it becomes a zipper side braid? Thanks!
Absolutely, Evelyn!
Amazing Hairstyle. Thank For this video. It is helpful.
ang galing naman paturo ako
i did this on both of my sisters, and it looked amazing!!
🙂 🙂
Ilove this braid!! I’ve done it on three different friends!
It won’t let me post a picture of one, I found that finishing it off with a fishtale braid blends in with the zipper style, it’s seamless.
Bardzo podobają mi się twoje fryzury , niektóre są naprawdę świetne chociażby ta. Bardzo długa próbowałam ją zrobić jednak mi nie wychodziła w końcu jednak się udało . Staram się robić wszystkie fryzury z twojej strony bo są naprawdę fajne.Chciała bym cię kiedyś poznać na żywo. Jeżeli chcesz na mojego facebooka są niektórym są fryzury , które sama zrobiłam.
Kamila Gruszczyńska
White Polish …
I realy like it!
thats so cool!
Hi!
I really love this hairstyle!!! I’ve tried to do it on myself (I made it!) by holding the hairpieces in my mouth and it works fine, especially with wet hair. This braid looks so good and you can keep it for more than one day, which is great 😉
I really like your braids and I check your youtube channel every week 🙂
Greatings from Sweden!
did you do it straight or diagonal? that tip would be really helpful thanks.
Diagnol
I love this one! I have managed to do this one on myself but it takes a long time! I need a model! My only option is my younger sister who hates having her hair done in any way!
Same for me! My little sis HATES me doing her hair! Just let her know that she is lucky to have an OLDER SISTER who can do CUTE HAIRSTYLES. She’ll be realize just how lucky she is when you tell her every once in a while;) Happy Hairdoing!
I always have to promise my sister a sleepover to let me do my younger sister’s hair! It’s annoying
Is it possible to do this style on yourself?
IKR it seems IMPOSSIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love your hairstyles I done this one on my four year old daughter and for my first attempt it turned out a lot better than I thought it would so I was amazed I would not be the best at hair but seen watching cute girls hairstyles I can now do a lot more than just up in a ponytail
It took you 7 minutes. For me, it took 41 and a half minutes to do it. And mine turned into a messy textured zipper-braid bun. I still love it because it has the right pattern! Hopefully I get it right next time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! /:)
I have found my engagement party hair do, wait am not even engaged yet… =(
LOL!!!!
I did this braid on my daughter this morning and it looks amazing!! I agree that keeping the added hair small and equal is important! I love your hairstyles and tell any and all who ask where to go to learn intricate styles for their girls.
Mindy, should get rid of that automatic video play when you first open the website. It is very annoying and needs to go. Im sorry, but I just don’t like it.
I tried this braid on my daughter’s hair a few days ago. I was a little skeptical, because her hair is so thin. But it turned out beautifully! She received loads of comments on it and someone even took a picture of it.
Thank you so much for all your tutorial videos. I will be trying out many of your hair styles on my 2 girls, now that I have found your website!
interesting books!
This braid is beyond BEAUTIFUL. Everyday after school my daughter goes to your website to look for a new hairstyle that she wants me to do to her hair. Thank You from the bottom of my heart! GOD BLESS you and your precious family.
Love always,
Baby Girl
Amazing Hairstyle. Thank For this video. It is helpful.
I just wanted to say I love hairstyles so much and I do a different one every day and I was wondering if you could create a hairstyle for my grade 6 graduation
Yeah. I have 6th grade graduation ming up and I don’t know how to do my hair.
If you are worried that people will see the smaller ponytail, you can always use a topsytail to flip it through. That would make the ponytail stay closer to the head and be less noticable.
I like some of your video
I can’t do it yet (I do hairstyles on myself, so most of these are pretty tricky) but after all my massive homeworks are over I am going to keep trying!!!!!!!!
You should read the percy jackson series BEST BOOKS EVER
BY THE WAY YALL ARE AMAzing
OMG, You are so right Liz Claire
Absolutely Beautiful,I cannot wait to try this one!
I really love this hairstyle and i tried it on my own hair, but my hair keeps slipping and it isn’t working out. Do you have any ideas on how to do this braid in your own hair?
The way I do it I put the strands that need holding in my mouth to hold for the time being until I need them. 🙂 It’s unusual but it works! 😀
Wow! So beautiful!