JiveDash

Box Braids - Rihanna

Box braids range from Xsmall to jumbo. They're created using a three-strand braid technique, knotted at the root and falling straight down from the head, and tend to have very precise square or triangle partings.

Knotless braids - Winnie Harlow

Knotless braids have risen in popularity in recent years, forgoing the traditional knot at the beginning of box braids instead gradually adding the hair into the root of the braid. It's a lot comfier to sleep on and gives a softer fall from the head without the lift of the knot.

Micro braids – Brandy

We had to throw it back for this one because Brandy is the ultimate micro braids icon. Grab a cup of tea and settle in, because these teeny-tiny braids take a long time to install. Made up of three strands, the style is essentially a micro version of box braids, however the small size means you need a lot more.

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Cornrows - Yara Shahidi

Cornrows (or canerows) are a three-strand style that's braided directly onto the scalp. They vary from micro to medium and are a core technique that is at the base of many styles, but also worn simply as they are.

Stitch Braids – Marsai Martin

Stitch braids are a type of cornrow/canerow, distinct in their sharp defined parallel lines of hair taken in each 'stitch'.

Fulani Braids - Willow Smith

often worn with beads, Fulani braid are a West African braid style that typically features a central braid, further cornrows coming back at angles and reverse braids over the ears. But there are lots of different patterns and angles that can feature.

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Tigray Braids – Jourdan Dunn

Also known as albaso braids or Tigray shuriba, this distinct style originates from Ethiopia and typically features patterns of larger raised braids alongside very thin ones, with the hair from the back of the head left out and curly.

Faux locs - Renee Downer

Faux locs are great if you’re iffy about loc-ing your natural hair.Your own hair will be braided first, then the excess (real or synthetic), is wrapped around the braid to create the illusion of dreadlocks.

Butterfly Locs- Leigh-Anne Pinnock

Butterfly locs are a type of faux loc using lighter weight and less tension, to give this soft loose look.

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Dutch Braids - Yara Shahidi

These classic braids are usually created by parting hair in the middle, and then braiding outwardly onto the scalp - essentially like two big cornrows.

French Braids - Logan Browning

French braids are similar to Dutch braids, but are created in the opposite way. When the hair is gathered it’s plaited inwards to create a braid that lies flatter on the scalp.

Boho Braids - Snoochie Shy

Hair is micro-braided from the root to about half way down the strand, the bottom half is then left loose and unbraided. Sometimes more strands will come loose from the upper parts of the braids adding to the undone effect. You can add a boho style to most braid styles.

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Pick and drop – Lizzo

Largely the same as boho braids (see above). Pick and drop involves partial braiding with long curls at the bottom.

Freestyle braids

It's hard to get one picture to demonstrate freestyle braids, but it's in the name. Using stitch braids and classic cornrows, any pattern imaginable is plaited onto the scalp; hearts, stars, zigzags and swirls (just swipe through to see the other side). Patterns are also created with the partings used, and by connecting different braids. This braider's page is filled with perfectly executed freestyle braids if you want to see more.

Ghana Braids - Keke Palmer

Ghana braids are cornrows that are usually braided into a ponytail or down to the nape of the neck. Patterns are created by alternating the size of the braids and the shape.

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Boho Locs - Jourdann Dunn

Another style of faux locs, boho locs are twisted to create this curly pattern, typically feature a more lifelike braiding hair/fibre with less shine, are more 'undone' in appearance.

Silk Locs - Ciara

Not dissimilar to goddess locs, this style is created in the same way, but the name comes from the material the hair is styled with - acrylic yarn. Using a synthetic yarn means these braids can be worn in a variety of cool rainbow colours.

Marley Twists - Leigh-Anne Pinnock

Marley twists are known for their coarser, more natural texture.

Made up of a two-strand twist, they tend to be quite small in size and therefore people tend to wear them in a longer length.

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Havana Twists - Brandy

These twists are suuuper similar to Marley twists (and even use marley synthetic hair). The difference between the two? Havana twists are double and sometimes triple the size of a single marley twist.

Senegalese Twists - Brandy

Senegalese twists are also formed of two strands, but the main difference is the fact that the twists are created using Kanekelon hair, which gives it a much smoother texture and look.

 Keeks Reid is the Acting Beauty Director at Cosmopolitan UK. While she loves all things beauty, Keeks is a hair fanatic through and through. She started her career in beauty journalism in 2013 as editorial assistant at Blackhair and Hair magazines working her way to of Blackhair magazine at 23 years old.  She spent much of her career working in trade hairdressing media at , and the British Hairdressing Awards. Which is why she is a regular contributor to Cosmo's franchise. Now, alongside her Cosmo work, she presents, creates content on social media and works with a range of beauty companies; from magazines and websites to beauty brands and salons.  
 

Elena Chabo is Cosmopolitan UK's beauty writer, working on everything from buzzy celeb news and trending beauty, to sincere first-person reviews and engaging video content for social media. She also creates meatier features and expert-led how-to guides, for print and online. Her passion for Black beauty, textured hair, and the ways beauty interacts with culture, society, identity and relationships, quickly took over her writing career and led her into beauty journalism. Following an MA in Magazine Journalism in 2017, she cut her teeth across various roles at Stylist Magazine, before taking on a Digital Writer role at Good Housekeeping. It was here that beauty took centre stage and she launched and ran the site's first stand-alone beauty section. Remaining at Hearst, she joined the Cosmo beauty team in 2022. Find her on LinkedIn. 

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