No Fuss Faux Fishtail Tutorial

One of the first hairstyles I wanted to learn as my hair got longer was a fishtail braid. Well, I did learn how to “do” a fishtail braid, but “do well” would be another thing entirely! Although I understand how to make this style, it’s far from being my favorite.

My fishtail braids always fall apart or look messy in a bad way. Thankfully there are a few ways to get a fishtail braid look without actually having to do the real technique.

This style looks like a big, messy (in a good way) fishtail and is pretty easy. It actually uses some of the techniques I’ve highlighted previously in the triple twist ponytail and French pull-through braid tutorials.

Related: 25+ Easy Hair Tutorials For Any Occasion

Looking for more braid tutorials?

• Easy (Wonder Woman Inspired) Knotted Braid
• Messy Fishtail Milkmaid Braids
• A Textured No-Braid Summer Braid

Step One: Take a small section of hair from both sides of the head and twist them (I like to twist both inwards) and tie them together in a small ponytail.

Step Two: Repeat this step with two more small sections of hair.

Step Three: Take another small section of hair from both sides of the head and tie them into a small ponytail.

Step Four: Take the last small ponytail, find the middle and pull your hair up and through (this might be a familiar step if you remember the triple twist ponytail tutorial).

Step Five: Pull tight.

Step Six: Continue making small ponytails, inverting them and pulling tight.

Step Seven: When you reach the end of your hair, you can tie it off and be finished, or you can pull the outside edges of your braid to make the final braid thicker and messier (my preferred style!).

Looks a lot like a fishtail braid, right? But if you’ve got slippery fingers like me when it comes to braiding, the way you build this braid is a lot easier than the “real” technique.

It also gives you the chance to do a really thick, full braided look, which I’m a fan of. Cheers, Rebecca.