Preparing Your Hair
1
Ensure that your hair and scalp are in good condition. The type of hair is not as much of an issue but the more prone your hair is to curling, the easier it is to create waves. If your hair is long enough to get curls, your hair will be long enough for waves. Make sure your hair is healthy so it will grow nice and long.
- If you have scalp problems, or are struggling with dandruff, remedy those problems before attempting waves with specialized scalp shampoo.
2
Visit the barber or a hairdresser to get a haircut. There are several possible cuts to get the style started:
- Get your hair cut with a 1⁄3 inch (0.8 cm) guard, with the grain.
- Have a razor style cut. This is a horizontal line at the bangs.
- Have a traditional “Caesar” cut.
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Purchase some supplies. From this point, you’ll be tending your hair daily and the grooming requires tools. Things you might find handy to purchase include:
- A man’s hand brush. This means a brush without a handle, that is designed to brush through long hair. This type of brush gives you the control needed.
- Wave shampoo and conditioner. This will provide softness to make training your hair easier. If you don’t have wave conditioner, regular conditioner will work.
- Hair lotion. Lots of men use Luster’s Pink lotion to add moisture to their hair. Other hair lotion can work as well.
- Pomade. Pomade will help fix your wave in place, down to your scalp.
- Nylon or Spandex du-rag or stocking cap. You want your du-rag to fit tightly over your head. This is needed to pin the hair down and for hair protection during sleep.
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4Be prepared to spend time on your hair. You will be “training” your hair, so this requires time and effort on your behalf to rearrange the hair daily. If you’re good at watching TV or listening to the radio at the same time, you can find this a pleasant way to pass the time.- All you are doing is lengthening out the natural curls in your hair, which then form waves. Think of your hair like a spring or a slinky that’s wound up; when you unwind the slinky, it has a curve to it. That’s all that you’re going to be doing with your hair.
Part2
Training Your Waves
Wash your hair with wave shampoo. There are commercial shampoos available that are specifically made for men aiming to create wave styles. If you don’t want to use wave shampoo, you can use regular shampoo, or even soap. Getting waves is possible without special shampoo.
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2Develop a brushing routine. After you step out of the shower, having washed and conditioned your hair, apply lotion and pomade, just enough to cover your hair, and brush your hair down and out, starting from the crown of the head.- You also want to brush your hair on top forward, toward your eyes, and brush the hair on your sides forward but downward, toward your chin.
- Starting from the crown, brush the hair on the back of your head down, toward your neck. Imagine there’s a small circle on the crown of your head. Going all the way around the circle, brush outward radially the hairline until you get all the way around.
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3Brush evenly. Lots of guys say they only get the waves in front and not in back. What that means is that you haven’t brushed your hair enough in the back. Use a mirror to check the back section and make sure they are styled the way you want. Natural curls tend to be strongest at the back of the head, so this area may need more attention. -
Put the du-rag on your hair after brushing. This will help hold the wave in place. Make sure it’s tight, but not too tight. Leave the du-rag on your head for at least 30 minutes.
Use the ‘wolfing’ technique to train your hair. For the wolfing technique, you need to grow out your hair before cutting it. Stop combing and styling your hair and allow it to become matted together. Keep the matted hair underneath a du-rag for a few weeks before you shave your hair to make 360 waves.
Part3
Maintaining Waves
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1 Keep getting cuts. Remember to get your hair cut at least every 2 to 4 weeks, but keep your hair long enough so that curls can develop. Talk to your barber about what you’ve been doing and make sure your hair isn’t cut “against the grain,” as in against the direction you’ve been combing it.2 Keep it moist. Keeping your hair hydrated is the secret to great-looking waves. The du-rag will help with this, so moisten it with water before you put it on. Keep yourself hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids.
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Keep brushing your hair and putting on a du-rag/wave cap before sleeping. This protects your hair from rubbing against the pillow and pillowcase during the night, which could undo all your hard efforts.
- Brush your hair at least five times on each side at least three times a day. Brushing is what will tease your hair into place
- Don’t wash but rinse your hair while you’re developing your 360 waves. Rinse with warm water to help make your hair more pliable. Wash your hair weekly with wave shampoo and wave conditioner.
- You can also dampen a clean towel and microwave it for a few seconds. Wrap the warm towel around your hair for a few minutes to help soften your strands before you brush.
4Complete the do. Your 360 wave should be complete after several months of brushing several times a day. It may be longer than you’re accustomed to having it at this point, but that means your waves will be deeper.- If you’re having trouble getting the wave, you might need to brush more.
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