Okay let’s be real, my short hair has been driving me nuts lately. It’s too long to be cute, too short to do much with, just sitting there looking blah. Scrolling through pictures of fancy braids on girls with long hair just made it worse. Like, cool for them, but what about us short-haired folks? Figured I’d actually try some braids myself, document the whole messy process. No promises it’ll be pretty.
The Starting Point: Pure Annoyance
First things first, grabbed all the junk I thought I’d need. Hair ties – the tiny clear ones, hoping they’d hold. Some mini clips. A rattail comb I hadn’t touched in months. Stood in front of the bathroom mirror and glared at my reflection. My hair barely touches my shoulders, and the pieces near my ears are still annoyingly short. This felt ambitious.
The Trial and Error Disaster Zone
Started simple. Tried a basic side braid near my temple. Big Mistake. Those shorter pieces? They immediately popped out like little springs. Yanked the comb through, tried gripping tighter. Ended up with a wonky, lumpy thing clinging desperately to the side of my head. Took a pic for honesty’s sake – it looked ridiculous.
Next attempt: Dutch braids. You know, the kind that sit on top? Yeah, right. Managed to get maybe an inch braided starting from my front hairline before chaos ensued. Sections got muddy, my arms got tired holding them up, and the underside near my crown was a tangled disaster zone where I couldn’t even see what I was doing without contorting. Seriously considered giving up. Just shoved some clips in the sad remains and called it a “textured look.” Not convincing.
Scoured my phone again, zeroing in on styles specifically tagged short hair. Found some tiny micro braids woven along the hairline. Okay, maybe. Using the rat tail comb, I tried to section off just a thin piece near my forehead. Tweezing out that little bit felt awkward. Started trying to divide that tiny section into three even tinier ones. Fingers fumbled. It kept slipping. Cursed quietly. Got about two clumsy “crosses” done before it looked like a sad worm. Pulled it tight with a minuscule clear band. Kinda cute? Maybe? But super fiddly.
The Semi-Victorious Mess
By this point, my scalp felt tender and my patience was shot. Last try: a simple small braid at the nape of my neck, just where my hair starts to flip up a bit. Weirdly, this worked better. The hair was slightly longer there, maybe? Washed my hands, ditched the comb, and just finger-raked the section. Braiding backwards felt weird but less tangle-prone somehow. Actually got a semi-decent, short little braid tied off low down. It wasn’t Pinterest-worthy, but it was recognizably a braid! Added a few more tiny braids randomly near my ears with the shorter pieces – those ones I’d just gathered and braided straight back, not trying anything fancy. Finally had something to show for the effort.
The End Result (and Honest Thoughts)
Took another pic. Honestly? The main braid at the back is passable. The little ones near my ears are messy but kinda funky. The rest of my hair is just… there. It’s not a full-head transformation. But you know what? It does add some interest. Makes my short cut look a bit more deliberate, less “I couldn’t decide what to do.” Takes practice, especially handling those short bits without wanting to tear your hair out. Don’t expect long-hair magic. Embrace the messy, small-scale braid life. It’s possible! Just gotta lower the expectations way down and be prepared for some finger gymnastics.
