Everything you need to know about boho braids and all the inspo
Get ready to screenshot all these gorgeous styles and variations
Boho braids are a carefree and relaxed member of the braid family, featuring single braids with the addition of curly or wavy hair through the lengths, for an 'undone' finish. Similar to goddess braids or pick-and-drop, boho braids differ as the wavy pieces are worked in from higher up, whereas the former styles tend to keep the waves towards the ends – though for some, the names boho and goddess braids are interchangeable. As anyone acquainted with braiding will tell you... names can get a little malleable! That's why inspo pics are so essential, and lucky for you, we've rounded up a bumper stack to start with.
But before we get into those, we spoke to Deborah Johnson, co-owner of SIMPLY Gorgeous Afro Hair Salon in London, to find out everything you need to know about boho braids.
How do you create boho braids?
Deborah: "They're achieved by braiding to your desired point (around the crown, ear or chin), and then feeding in curly or wavy hair at one point or more throughout that single braid. The finished result, depending on the amount of curly/wavy hair you use, is a fuller and more voluminous look."
The logistics of boho braids
- Hair needed: "Human hair can be quite expensive so we suggest using synthetic hair for the main braid and then using human hair for the feed-in wavy sections. Human hair tends to be best as it looks more natural when it comes to the wavy finish."
- Time: "It really varies depending on how full you want your overall look but for us, they can take anywhere from 3-6 hours depending on the braid thickness."
- Price: "Each salon is different but we tend to change around £110-£200 depending on the thickness and length wanted."
How long have boho braids been popular?
Deborah: "It's hard to pinpoint exactly where this style originated as various sources state that it can be found as far and wide as the Fula Tribe in Western Africa, Ancient Egypt and amongst Native American Tribes. However, we've definitely started seeing a rise in requests for the style at the salon from around 2018."
How to care for boho braids and prevent tangling
Deborah: "We always suggest not keeping any protective style in for longer than 8 weeks maximum to care for your hair. In order to have your boho braids last as long as possible, ensure that they are wrapped up or put into a large braid before you go to sleep to prevent friction that can lead to knotting. Once a week wet the braids and apply a leave-in moisturiser, oil and comb through the strands with a wide tooth comb to separate any and allow to air dry."
Ryan Destiny's fluffy boho braids
Ryan Destiny is one of the most commonly used reference pics customers bring to Deborah's salon. Her classic boho braids are waist-skimming, fluffy, understated and just ooze cool-girl. The blend from the braids to the loose hair is almost imperceptible giving the impression of one flowing body of hair.
Extra Long Boho Braids - Large
This set are super long, but thanks to a smaller number of larger braids, they shouldn't take too much longer to do. The larger braids also add a playful touch.
Dense Curl Boho Braids
Small/Medium boho braids offer quite a different look when worn this long. With lots of curly hair strands fed in throughout the lengths of these braids, it maximises the density even further for a full, thick, luxe-look.
Corkscrew curl boho braids
While looser curls or waves are commonly used, actress Marsai Martin has gone for these gorgeous corkscrew curl extensions which changes the result and also gives the illusion it could well be her hair. Like, we know it's not, but our brain is happier to go along with it.
Two-tone boho braids
There are no rules when it comes to colour. But if you're not after something wild, but want to switch it up a little, you can opt for a different colour for the curly pieces. This typically works better going lighter, as it gives the curls a sunkissed effect.
Subtle Boho Braids
Ryan again. But she really kills it. Here very minimal strands of curly hair have been added in, and in small pieces. This gives a really naturally distressed impression (God do we wish this is how braids actually looked when dishevelled).
Fulani Boho Braids
Why not combine styles? Incorporating boho braids into a Fulani braid style over classic single braids. Not only does it look great, it keeps your braids out of your face.
Half-head Cornrows & Boho Braids (Left)
A simple half-head of cornrows also looks gorgeous melting into boho braids at the back, as seen on Stella from Flo. We included the rest of the band too in the pick as Renée (centre) is sporting boho locs while Jorja (right) has some classic boho braids with wavy pieces.
Boho Braid Bob
And there are no rules they have to be long. This boho braid bob is super cute. While at first, the full curly bottom half may look like pick-and-drop or goddess, if you look closely, curly strands are peeking out from higher up the hair.
Natural hair Boho Braids
This set uses just the client's natural hair for the braids (as opposed to braiding extensions), with the curly extensions woven in. The result is these delicate, soft, near-microbraids that give a really natural 'mother-earth' vibe.
Ombre Boho Braids
Adding multiple colours really brings out the depth and dimension of the braids, and makes the colours pop. This set works in biscuity tones and light blonde to give this ombre effect.
Boho braid x Pick and Drop Ends
This cute blonde look goes in max with the curly pieces, and like pick-and-drop, it ends entirely in loose hair. On this occasion voluminous, honey-blonde spirals create the style.
Boho Braid Space Buns
There are so many fun ways to style your boho braids too. The loose strands really add to updos like Marsai's boho braid space buns.
Face Framing Boho Braid Up-Do
Or here, where she uses the loose strands as face-framing tendrils in this glamorous red carpet look.
Elena Chabo is Cosmopolitan UK's former 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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