# Do you know how to braid? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 7, 2013, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-to-braid/668260 "2013-09-07T17:43:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![stui\_magpie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stui_magpie/32/11010_2.png) [@stui\_magpie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stui_magpie)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-to-braid/668260/61 "2013-09-09T03:46:04Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > No human male knows how to braid hair. Not even Big Gay Al-level gay ones. Heterosexual male here and I know how to braid, simple 3 strand plait. I used to do my daughters hair for school in the mornings. Because it was layered and not all the same length you always had some frizzy bits sticking out but that couldn’t be helped. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-to-braid/668260/62 "2013-09-09T03:55:32Z")
I’m a man, and I know how to braid. That being said, I’ve never attempted to braid hair until just a few moments ago, when I tried it on my own hair (which comes halfway down my back). I’m sitting on the sofa, with benefit of neither mirror nor comb, so I’m afraid I did a pretty poor job, but I daresay I could do a \*\*\*much \*\*\*better job braiding _someone else’s_ hair. And I think now I’m going to learn to braid my own hair well, just because… ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-to-braid/668260/63 "2013-09-09T06:33:39Z")
This poll’s, of course, going to be exceedingly self-selective - most people who don’t braid aren’t going to click a thread about braiding. I’m here (male, can braid the things “guys” braid) and responded “Can’t”, because I’m guessing this is mostly about hair. This is another of those things we teach girls, (as part of “how to care for long hair”) but not boys, so big surprise. I did want to say - I have made it to 64 without ever knowing that women braided their own hair. Yes, I know you have really great manual dexterity and all, but - keeping 3 strands taught and evenly spaced and tensioned behind one’s own back is amazing. I doubt I could separate my (past waist) hair into 3 even strands, let alone manipulate them. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-to-braid/668260/64 "2013-09-09T12:35:26Z")
I’m a man, and I can braid - I sometimes braid my girl’s hair. I can also make braids using the lucet, the _maru-dai_ (_kumihimo_) and fingerloop braiding. ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-to-braid/668260/65 "2013-09-09T12:46:35Z")
Man braider here. I braid my wife’s hair every day before she goes to work. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-to-braid/668260/66 "2013-09-09T13:14:30Z")
I can do a simple braid on someone else’s hair, but trying to do my own usually ends in a lopsided mess. I also haven’t mastered a french braid. I’m okay with that. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-to-braid/668260/67 "2013-09-09T13:34:11Z")
I can braid my own hair (including multiple kinds of french braids). I can braid things (rope, bread, fabric, etc.) I even know how to do 4, 5, 7, etc. strand braids. On rare occasion, I have tried to braid other people’s hair and it just doesn’t work. ---
**Author:** ![Macca26](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@Macca26](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Macca26)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-to-braid/668260/68 "2013-09-09T16:05:04Z")
> [@usedtobe](#): > > This poll’s, of course, going to be exceedingly self-selective - most people who don’t braid aren’t going to click a thread about braiding. > > I’m here (male, can braid the things “guys” braid) and responded “Can’t”, because I’m guessing this is mostly about hair. > This is another of those things we teach girls, (as part of “how to care for long hair”) but not boys, so big surprise. No, it wasn’t particularly about hair although that is what prompted the thread. My husband had no idea of the method behind braiding - if you gave him some string and asked for a simple plait he’d be at a loss that he was supposed to take three pieces and then criss-cross them repeatedly. I wasn’t too clear in the original post and evidently my followup post is lost in the shuffle 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-to-braid/668260/69 "2013-09-09T16:07:25Z")
I have two daughters. I learned enough to get by when they were little. I didn’t have enough skill once they cared how it looked. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-to-braid/668260/70 "2013-09-10T22:14:00Z")
I don’t, to my embarrassment. I have, however, realized that I am at least competent to twist my long hair around itself then coil the results in a bun and jam a couple bobby pins in to hold it in place. That frees me from having to ask someone else to please braid my hair for me when I’m out for a long walk. ---
**Author:** ![piepiepie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47774/32.png) [@piepiepie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/piepiepie)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2013, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-to-braid/668260/71 "2013-09-11T01:00:43Z")
I can plait but I don’t braid. By plait I mean three strand braids that are between a nickel and a quarter or larger and a braid is usually smaller than a dime or otherwise cornrows, micros, French, or if you decide to put in beads. I can plait my own hair and others’ if need be. I wore plaits for most of my life until I went natural. My hair would stay in place so I didn’t use rubber bands since they really pull on your hair (IME). I’ve never done them on myself but I could do two strand twists if I wanted. I’m not sure if that’s braiding though. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-to-braid/668260.md?page=3)