Waterfall Braid Tutorial

Braids have always been a type hairstyle that have constantly evolved and transformed with the times. For this reason, there are so many variations of the hairstyle; French braids, fishtail braids, Dutch braids and of course the classic 3 strand braid – the options are endless. However a modern and stylish braid has been trending recently and goes by the name of the waterfall braid. The waterfall braid uses the same braiding technique as the French braid, the only difference being that only part of the hair braided, leaving the rest of the hair to fall down naturally like a waterfall. In this Sebastian Professionals tutorial, we will take you through an explicit step-by-step guide on how you can achieve this fashionably ground-breaking look for your client. This hairstyle is a great opportunity to elevate the classic braid into something more striking and innovative – a perfect look for both daytime and evening events.

To ensure that you make the most out of this look for both you and your client, we have included all the essential Sebastian styling products to help you along the way. With the use of products such as the Zero Gravity Hairspray and Dark Oil, we guarantee that your client will leave happy and that the finished look will be perfectly styled.

The waterfall braids in this particular video were created by the CoelloCasadoa hair salon as an entry for our Sebastian Insider Community challenge – so a big thank you to the hair salon for recreating such a perfect version of this lush hairstyle!

Step 1: Wash the hair

Wash the hair with Dark Oil Shampoo and later remove any excess water from the hair with a towel. Then mix Whipped Creme + Dark Oil to refabricate the hair and apply this mixture all over the hair.

Step 2: Prep the hair

Dry the hair using a comb and a hair dryer for a natural finish. Then polish off the hair with Stylixir, applying it to the middle and ends of the hair.

Step 3: Section the hair for easy braiding

Make a central parting up until the highest point of the head to help you easily create the rest of your sections.
Then taking the highest point of the eyebrow as a reference, make a slightly triangular section about 4 or 5 centimeters from the centre parting, leaving the hair separated into two sections; an upper section and a lower section.
Take all the hair from the lower section and make a central ponytail using a small rubber band. Then divide the upper section into two parts with a central parting to begin braiding.

Step 4: Braid the hair

Make a triangular section of about one centimeter in width and divide it into three strands to create the beginning of your braid.
Then take 1.5-centimeter sections with the help of a tail comb and keep adding them to the original braid.
Braid the front part of the hair, using strands from the same side; meaning that you should only take strands from the back of one side of the head and bring them to the front.
Each new section of hair that you take from the centre should be slightly longer than the previous one until you run out of hair to braid.
Braid the rest of the hair and secure the end with a small rubber band.
Repeat exactly the same braid process to the upper section on the other side of the head.