// Hair · Cut & Style · Braids & Updos — L3 data const BRAIDS = { type: "Braids & Updos", parent: { title: "Cut & Style", href: "/en/hair/cut-style/" }, grandparent: { title: "Hair", href: "/en/hair/" }, totalCount: 56, // NOTE: hero is a working stand-in from the shared library — swap for a braids/updo editorial shot before final. hero: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1519699047748-de8e457a634e?w=1800&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop", heroAlt: "Editorial — braided and pinned-up hair", h1: "How to braid, twist and pin it up — properly.", deck: "Not a cut — a decision you remake every morning. The full library of braids, buns, ponytails and twist-outs, sorted by how much time you have and how much your hair will actually hold.", intro: "A braid is the one hairstyle that survives every trend cycle, because it isn't a trend — it's structure. The difference between a braid that lasts a workday and one that unravels by lunch is almost never the pattern; it's the tension, the sectioning, and whether the hair was prepped to grip. The same is true of a bun that sits versus one that slides, or a ponytail that stays sleek versus one that puffs by 3pm. Below: every braid, twist, bun and ponytail we've published — grouped by family, sorted by effort, and honest about which ones need a second pair of hands.", byline: "Edited by Nelly · Beauty & Style Director", meta: { count: 56, updated: "Updated 1 May 2026", reading: "Avg. 5 min per piece" }, }; // Cut & Style siblings — braids-and-updos added as chapter 13 (current here). const BRAIDS_SIBLINGS = [ { id: "bob", title: "Bob", n: "01", href: "/en/hair/cut-style/bob/" }, { id: "lob", title: "Lob", n: "02", href: "/en/hair/cut-style/lob/" }, { id: "layers", title: "Layers", n: "03", href: "/en/hair/cut-style/layers/" }, { id: "fringe", title: "Fringe", n: "04", href: "/en/hair/cut-style/fringe/" }, { id: "bangs-types", title: "Bangs types", n: "05", href: "/en/hair/cut-style/bangs-types/" }, { id: "curtain-bangs", title: "Curtain bangs", n: "06", href: "/en/hair/cut-style/curtain-bangs/" }, { id: "growing-out", title: "Growing out", n: "07", href: "/en/hair/cut-style/growing-out/" }, { id: "big-chop", title: "Big chop", n: "08", href: "/en/hair/cut-style/big-chop/" }, { id: "pixie", title: "Pixie", n: "09", href: "/en/hair/cut-style/pixie/" }, { id: "taper", title: "Taper", n: "10", href: "/en/hair/cut-style/taper/" }, { id: "undercut", title: "Undercut", n: "11", href: "/en/hair/cut-style/undercut/" }, { id: "shag", title: "Shag", n: "12", href: "/en/hair/cut-style/shag/" }, { id: "braids-and-updos", title: "Braids & updos", n: "13", cur: true, href: "/en/hair/cut-style/braids-and-updos/" }, ]; const B = "/en/hair/cut-style/braids-and-updos/"; const BRAIDS_QUICK_FACTS = { defn: { h: "Braid, twist, bun, updo — what's the difference", body: "A braid interlaces three or more sections into a repeating pattern (French, Dutch, fishtail). A twist rotates two sections around each other — faster, looser, the base of most protective styles. A bun gathers length and coils it against the head. An updo is any of these pinned off the neck. They share one rule: the finish is decided at the roots. Tension and clean sectioning at the scalp are what separate a style that holds from one that slips.", }, myths: [ { m: "You need long hair to braid.", t: "Shoulder-length is plenty for most braids, and Dutch or cornrow techniques work on hair far shorter because they're braided flat to the scalp. Length changes which styles suit you — it doesn't gate the skill." }, { m: "A tighter braid lasts longer.", t: "Up to a point. Excess tension causes traction breakage at the hairline and headaches, and doesn't add hold once the sectioning is clean. Even, consistent tension beats maximum tension every time." }, { m: "Messy buns are effortless.", t: "The good ones are engineered to look undone. A messy bun that actually holds relies on a hidden elastic, deliberate pieces pulled loose, and usually a texture spray — the 'effort' is just moved off-camera." }, ], }; const BRAIDS_BEGINNER_PATH = { h: "New to doing your own? Start here.", deck: "Four pieces, in order — enough to get a braid that holds and a bun that sits before you attempt anything fancy.", steps: [ { n: "01", t: "Prep: why grip beats fresh-washed hair", time: "4 min", note: "Second-day hair, or texture spray on clean hair — the single biggest factor in whether a style holds." }, { n: "02", t: "The three-strand and Dutch braid, done right", time: "5 min", note: "Master the flat-to-scalp tension here and every other braid gets easier." }, { n: "03", t: "A low bun that actually stays put", time: "4 min", note: "Sectioning, the hidden elastic, and where the pins really go." }, { n: "04", t: "Sleek vs messy — finishing a ponytail", time: "3 min", note: "The two finishes, the products behind each, and how to stop the mid-day puff." }, ], }; const BRAIDS_TRENDING = [ { rank: "01", t: "How to Install Box Braids at Home", time: "8 min", auth: "Nelly", date: "Apr 29", img: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1519699047748-de8e457a634e?w=1100&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop", reads: "18,640", href: B + "how-to-install-box-braids/" }, { rank: "02", t: "How to French Braid Your Own Hair", time: "6 min", auth: "Iris", date: "Apr 25", img: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1492106087820-71f1a00d2b11?w=1100&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop", reads: "15,209", href: B + "how-to-do-french-braid/" }, { rank: "03", t: "How to Do a Messy Bun That Actually Looks Good", time: "4 min", auth: "Nelly", date: "Apr 21", img: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1522337360788-8b13dee7a37e?w=1100&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop", reads: "13,884", href: B + "how-to-do-messy-bun/" }, { rank: "04", t: "The Slicked-Back Ponytail That Actually Stays Put", time: "5 min", auth: "Iris", date: "Apr 16", img: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1485875437342-9b39470b3d95?w=1100&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop", reads: "11,470", href: B + "how-to-do-slicked-back-pony/" }, { rank: "05", t: "How to Dutch Braid Your Own Hair", time: "6 min", auth: "Nelly", date: "Apr 11", img: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1534528741775-53994a69daeb?w=1100&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop", reads: "9,932", href: B + "how-to-do-dutch-braid/" }, ]; const BRAIDS_FORMAT_GUIDE = { h: "Braid & updo families, by effort and hold", deck: "Six families, each solving a different morning. What you're reaching for matters more than how fancy it looks.", formats: [ { name: "Three-strand braids", when: "Any length past the shoulder, everyday", avoid: "Very short or heavily layered hair", note: "French, Dutch, fishtail, rope. The foundation — learn these first.", verdict: "Start here" }, { name: "Box braids & protective", when: "Coily/curly hair, weeks of wear", avoid: "If you won't budget the install time", note: "Knotless, triangle, crochet, faux locs. Real time upfront, low upkeep after.", verdict: "Longest wear" }, { name: "Buns & chignons", when: "Work, heat, hair off the neck fast", avoid: "Very short or slippery fine hair without grip", note: "Low bun, ballerina, donut, sock, chignon. Fastest polished option.", verdict: "Fastest polish" }, { name: "Ponytails", when: "Gym to desk to dinner, one base", avoid: "Fine hair wanting volume without backcomb", note: "Sleek, slicked-back, side-swept, half-up. Sits or slicks depending on finish.", verdict: "Most versatile" }, { name: "Twist styles", when: "Natural texture, definition without heat", avoid: "Wanting a sharp, sleek result", note: "Flat twists, twist-outs, rope twists. Definition that lasts days.", verdict: "Heat-free" }, { name: "Statement updos", when: "Events, when you have time or hands", avoid: "A rushed weekday morning", note: "Braided crown, French twist, milkmaid, twisted updo. Occasion-level.", verdict: "High impact" }, ], }; // Real published leaves under this hub (subset shown; full library is 56). const BRAIDS_HOWTOS = [ { t: "How to Install Box Braids at Home", time: 8, tech: "Protective", auth: "Nelly", date: "Apr 29", img: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1519699047748-de8e457a634e?w=900&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop", kick: "Protective", pick: true, href: B + "how-to-install-box-braids/" }, { t: "How to French Braid Your Own Hair", time: 6, tech: "Braids", auth: "Iris", date: "Apr 25", img: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1492106087820-71f1a00d2b11?w=900&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop", kick: "Braids", pick: true, href: B + "how-to-do-french-braid/" }, { t: "How to Do a Messy Bun That Actually Looks Good", time: 4, tech: "Buns", auth: "Nelly", date: "Apr 21", img: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1522337360788-8b13dee7a37e?w=900&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop", kick: "Buns", pick: true, href: B + "how-to-do-messy-bun/" }, { t: "The Slicked-Back Ponytail That Actually Stays Put", time: 5, tech: "Ponytails", auth: "Iris", date: "Apr 16", img: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1485875437342-9b39470b3d95?w=900&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop", kick: "Ponytails", pick: true, href: B + "how-to-do-slicked-back-pony/" }, { t: "How to Dutch Braid Your Own Hair", time: 6, tech: "Braids", auth: "Nelly", date: "Apr 11", img: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1534528741775-53994a69daeb?w=900&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop", kick: "Braids", pick: false, href: B + "how-to-do-dutch-braid/" }, { t: "How to Do a Fishtail Braid", time: 5, tech: "Braids", auth: "Iris", date: "Apr 06", img: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1519699047748-de8e457a634e?w=900&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop", kick: "Braids", pick: false, href: B + "how-to-do-fishtail-braid/" }, { t: "How to Create Knotless Box Braids at Home", time: 9, tech: "Protective", auth: "Nelly", date: "Mar 30", img: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1492106087820-71f1a00d2b11?w=900&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop", kick: "Protective", pick: true, href: B + "how-to-do-knotless-box-braids/" }, { t: "How to Do Twist Outs on Natural Hair", time: 5, tech: "Twists", auth: "Iris", date: "Mar 24", img: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1597586124394-fbd6ef244026?w=900&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop", kick: "Twists", pick: false, href: B + "how-to-do-twist-outs/" }, { t: "How to Create a Braided Crown Hairstyle", time: 6, tech: "Updos", auth: "Nelly", date: "Mar 18", img: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1485875437342-9b39470b3d95?w=900&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop", kick: "Updos", pick: false, href: B + "how-to-do-braided-crown/" }, { t: "How to Do a Low Bun for Work", time: 4, tech: "Buns", auth: "Iris", date: "Mar 12", img: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1519699047748-de8e457a634e?w=900&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop", kick: "Buns", pick: false, href: B + "how-to-do-low-bun/" }, { t: "How to Create a Sleek Ponytail", time: 4, tech: "Ponytails", auth: "Nelly", date: "Mar 06", img: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1522337360788-8b13dee7a37e?w=900&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop", kick: "Ponytails", pick: false, href: B + "how-to-do-sleek-ponytail/" }, { t: "How to Do Space Buns", time: 3, tech: "Updos", auth: "Iris", date: "Feb 28", img: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1534528741775-53994a69daeb?w=900&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop", kick: "Updos", pick: false, href: B + "how-to-do-space-buns/" }, ]; const BRAIDS_TECH_FILTERS = ["All", "Braids", "Buns", "Ponytails", "Updos", "Twists", "Protective"]; const BRAIDS_CROSSLINKS = [ { n: "→", title: "Coily & curly hair", deck: "The texture most protective styles are built for — prep and care.", count: 61, href: "/en/hair/hair-type/coily/" }, { n: "→", title: "Curly finishing", deck: "Plopping, scrunching, sealing — the technique behind a clean twist-out.", count: 44, href: "/en/hair/technique/curly-finishing/" }, { n: "→", title: "Detangling done right", deck: "Where every braid starts. Knots out before you section.", count: 38, href: "/en/hair/technique/detangling-done-right/" }, { n: "12", title: "The Shag", deck: "If you'd rather the cut did the work than your hands each morning.", count: 161, href: "/en/hair/cut-style/shag/" }, ]; Object.assign(window, { BRAIDS, BRAIDS_SIBLINGS, BRAIDS_QUICK_FACTS, BRAIDS_BEGINNER_PATH, BRAIDS_TRENDING, BRAIDS_FORMAT_GUIDE, BRAIDS_HOWTOS, BRAIDS_TECH_FILTERS, BRAIDS_CROSSLINKS, });