The beginning of a cornrow is similar to any other braid, crisscrossing one section of hair over the other.
"Start with the side sections, either right or left, and begin to cross the hair over the middle piece of hair that your index finger created," Placide says. "Once you cross the hair over that middle piece, take the middle section and bring it to the side. It will replace the piece of hair that you just used to overlap it. Switch fingers to allow a new section to take place in the centre, and make sure that you are holding each piece of hair with tension, so that the braid doesn't loosen up."