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Cornrows are also called on-the-scalp braids.
They can create a style all on their own or they can create the base for other extension patterns.
The first step in creating your cornrows is to master your finger patterning.
Once you have those techniques down
you're ready to begin picking up hair and incorporating that into your braid.
The first step in creating your cornrows is to create your base track.
Track placement is incredibly important because your braid will always follow your scalp parting
Design cornrows rely on this scalp parting to create the extensive flow within those braids.
Make sure you use small rubber bands to tie the finer hairs away from your track braid.
Let's begin braiding.
To prepare the hair for braiding we're going to use some Ice Spiker and some water.
Just a little drop of Ice Spiker.
Then we're going to use the spray bottle to keep it watered down.
We're just going to use a little bit of that and mix it around.
And you want it to have a pretty light consistency.
The gel itself is gonna be too much for the hair to handle and it's gonna be too thick.
So we're just gonna use a light amount.
and we're gonna run that through the hair.
That's gonna create a nice tight, grip hold.
Be sure to wet down the ends of the rest of your hair and comb the hair in the track straight back.
Separate your front section into three
and we're gonna use that same finger positioning that we used before.
Pitch, Grab, and Rest.
So separate those into three.
Using your Pinchers.
grab the piece from the back.
Your Grabbers.
Grab the piece from the front and then position the third in that resting position.
We're gonna do that for three or four turns
to start our braid.
Once you have your off-scalp braid started.
You're gonna start picking up and incorporating that hair.
Always pick up hair
that you're directly over
Picking it up too far behind and too far forward will result in loops.
And since I'm right-handed, I'm placing everything into my left hand,
and not picking up with every turn.
It's that same motion.
Pinch from the back.
Grab to the front.
Pinch from the back.
Grab from the front.
So you can see with this you always have control.
Since you always have control and it's always being held with one hand
there's no reason pull. Doing cornrows should never be painful.
There's no reason to get heavy handed in there.
It's a good idea at certain points to stop.
Smooth out your ends.
So that your braids don't get too tangly.
And you can always smooth out the hair in the channel that you are working with.
and that's gonna make it easier to work with as well.
And use that Spiker for control as you need to.
So Pinch and Grab.
and incorporate that hair.
Your speed will naturally improve,
with the more practice you have.
Pinch and Grab.
Pinch, Grab
You can already see that braid starting to form.
If you're creating a cornrowed halo you can actually place your rubber band at the base here.
Or if you've completed your braid and you're ready to come off the scalp you're just gonna stop picking up hair.
So we're gonna continue that same braiding motion.
Pinch and Grab. We're just not going to incorporate any further hair from the scalp.
If you're doing design work at this point your braid can jump tracks.
So you can stop here and it pull over to the next one and continue braiding down. That's how you create cross-over cornrows.
We're just gonna continue braiding.
At this point if it's more comfortable for your to braid in an underhand position rather than an overhand
you're gonna take the fibers and transition your hands to a downward position.
The braiding motion is still gonna be the same.
You're basically just gonna be pushing the alternating sides to the back of the strand.
Once you get to the ends of your hair, go ahead and band that off.
Continue adding braids until you reach your desired style.