Dutch braid vs French braid, which one looks more classy? Which braid helps achieve the best curls?
This is a fair thought to cross your mind. After all, braids are one of the oldest yet the best hairstyles to flaunt your hair. They create an impression and when done right, they surely add that extra glam to your look.
There are countless braids that you can experiment with but the best of them all are Dutch braid and French braid.
Dutch braid and French braid are the perfect way to up your hair game. You can turn the tables around with these braids when you are having a bad hair day. Not only will your hair be perfectly secured while you carry on with your daily chores but you will look flawless while doing them.
Dutch braid vs French braid both are a bit difficult to do, especially if you are a beginner at hair braiding. All it takes is a little practice.
To level up your hair game even further, you can add your hair extensions or Brazilian hair bundles to create an illusion of a thicker braid. That’s not all, you can add your hair accessories, style them with flowers or even roll them up in a bun for extra brownie points.
The options to style these braids are infinite.
French braids are a goldmine of hairstyles that help you achieve a chic and stylish look that is perfect for a formal gathering, a casual hangout with your friends, or attending a wedding. They look extra fabulous with soft highlights and different hair colors.
Whereas if you don’t want to put in this much effort and yet look equally good, opt for Dutch braid. Often known as the French braid’s sister, this braid looks intricate, and sends out the perfect hair vibes.
In this article, I will be comparing the Dutch braid vs French braid, their pros and cons, and which one is best for your hair.
Let’s get the ball rolling, shall we?
Difference Between Dutch Braid Vs French Braid
The main difference between these sister braids is how they are weaved. Simply put, it’s the difference between under vs over weaving your hair. You simply braid the Dutch braid on the bottom of the middle hair strand while the French one is weaved on top. With little practice, over time weaving both these braids will become a piece of cake.
Dutch braid and French braid both require a little extra effort, are easy to do and with time you can learn to do it yourselves on your hair or braid other’s hair. I would recommend you to try your hand at both of them and decide which one becomes your hair’s BFF.
Although both these braids look a bit similar they have a few key differences:
- The Braiding Pattern: Dutch braids are weaved when the hair strands are weaved under each other whereas in French braids the strands are being crossed and weaved over each other. This is exactly why oftentimes Dutch braid is referred to as the reverse French braid.
- The Volume: If you want to opt for a braid that would help your thin hair appear thicker and voluminous then go for a Dutch braid. This is because French braids are weaved often tighter compared to the Dutch braids.
- The Style: If you are going for a modern and edgy look, go for a Dutch braid whereas if you want to go for a more traditional look opt for a French braid.
Dutch Braid vs French Braid: The Similarities
Like both of these braids have their own distinctions, both of them have some similarities too.
Like:
- The Weaving Pattern: While you start braiding a Dutch braid vs French braid, you will notice that in both of these, you start with three sections of your regular braid and start incorporating smaller yet equal sections of hair strands from the sides.
- The Start to Finish Route: To create these braids, you usually begin at the crown of your hair and continue braiding your hair until you reach the ends of your hair length. Or you can even opt for a half updo and end your braids in the middle.
- The Versatility Factor: Both of them look equally stylish and can be customized into a half updo, a bun, a single or double braids or you can style them with accessories or even flaunt them with pretty flowers.
What Is The Dutch Braid?
The Dutch braid is when you start weaving the hair strands from the crown to the nape. You start with the three sections for your regular braid and slowly start incorporating small sections of hair from each side but instead of going over, you need to add the sections from the side under the main three sections.
Dutch braid looks stylish when done single or as a double braid. But instead of appearing like a smooth waterfall, it creates an illusion of a 3d braid gliding gently on top of your hair. Dutch braid helps to make your hair look thicker and creates an instant illusion of volume.
It’s mesmerizing how subtle variation in the braiding technique can create such different yet equally stunning results, don’t you agree?
How To Do a Dutch Braid?
Start by detangling your hair strands gently. You can also use argan oil, rosehip, or your regular hair serum at this point to help you better detangle your hair, keep those flyaways secure and make your hair more manageable.
Now take a section at the center of your crown and divide it into three equal strands. Hold the sections with both your hands and start braiding.
Start with the section on the left and cross it under the middle strand. Then take a smaller section from the right and secure it under the middle one. Continue the process until you reach the desired length and then secure with an elastic or rubber band.
To separate equal sections from both sides, you can use a rat-tail comb. And make sure you remember to weave the sections from the side, under the main section in the middle.
That’s it, your Dutch braid is ready to flaunt. And the best part is after you remove your Dutch braid and gently detangle it, you will have the beautiful waves that too without using any heat styling tools. How cool is that?
You can also check out this article on WikiHow about Dutch braid.
What is a French braid?
A French braid is a braid where you start braiding your hair strands from the crown to the nape.
It adds a waterfall-like illusion to your regular braid as you weave the smaller sections of your hair within the three main strand sections of your braid with all the remaining hair strands being tied together at the bottom using a rubber band or an elastic band to secure the braid in place.
It looks equally beautiful as a double braid or single braid. Even the simplest french braid can be easily customized to suit your preference. You can try a half updo while flaunting your long hair. You can add hair accessories or flowers or even change the look by weaving smaller or bigger sections of your hair strands.
French braids are super easy to customize and experiment with.
How To Do A French Braid On Your Hair?
If you are wondering how to do a beautiful french braid, then here are the step by step instructions to master a french braid:
Start by detangling your hair gently. You can use your hair serum, coconut oil as a leave-in conditioner or even a little argan oil goes a long way here.
Now like the dutch braid, start by taking three sections from the center of your crown and start incorporating smaller sections from both the sides but instead of crossing under this time we will be crossing over the middle section.
Continue until you are done braiding until the desired length and secure with an elastic band or a rubber band. And that’s it, you have your french braid ready to flaunt. French braids are easy to master compared to the dutch braid and are low maintenance and great for securing your hair.
The only con that I could think of is that it doesn’t, make your hair look as voluminous as a dutch braid would.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: What is the main difference between the Dutch Braid and the French braid?
Answer: In a Dutch braid the sections of your hair from the sides are weaved under the main strand in the middle while in a French braid you weave the sections of hair strands from the side, over the middle main section.
Question: Is French braiding hard to do?
Answer: French braid is comparatively easier to master since you follow the same technique as that of a regular three-strand braid but with a slight variation of adding the smaller sections from the sides. All you need is a little bit of patience and practice and you will be rocking a French braid in no time.
Question: Are French braids or Dutch braids bad for your hair?
Answer: Both of these hairstyles require you to braid your hair tightly. So if you do them on regular basis it may lead to hair breakage and some damage.
Question: Which One Gives The Best Waves? Dutch braid or french braid?
Answer: Dutch braid gives better waves compared to french braid. Also, another point to keep in mind is if you do these braids on your wet hair, you might be able to achieve beautiful waves and curls. But don’t do them regularly as it might lead to hair breakage and split ends.
Conclusion: Dutch braid vs French braid, Who wins the battle?
French braids are easy to master and look more traditional whereas dutch braids give a modern yet edgy look and require a bit of practice before you master them perfectly. You can achieve better wavers and curls with a dutch braid as compared to the french braid which adds soft waves.
Both of these braids look timeless and fabulous and the best part is you can do it yourselves. You can rock both of these easy and quick hairstyles for college, office, or even a wedding.
Take your pick and have a happy braiding time. Also, I would love to hear your thoughts on Dutch braid vs French braid. Which one would you pick? and Why? Also before you go don’t forget to check out:
- 5 Best Non Binary Haircuts For A More Androgynous Look
- What Is Pineapple Hairstyle? And How It Can Protect Your Hair?
- 5 Best Curl Activator For Relaxed Hair To Achieve Your Dream Curls
- Is Biolage Good For Your Hair? Or Is It Bad? Let’s Discuss
Have a lovely day.