Tsoureki - Challah

I recently made the Greek Easter bread, tsoureki. It's similar to a challah.  A rich and sweet  egg bread that is braided with 3 strands. I made 6 loaves and all of them have a section in the braid where the dough looks pulled and torn. How can I prevent this from happening again?  I'm not sure if it means it was over or under proofed or something I did in the baking part?  Thanks for any feedback in advance.