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360 Waves: Brush, Brush, Brush

Introduction

One of the most important daily tasks involved with developing and keeping circular 360 Waves is brushing.

In fact, most 360 Wavers will tell you that you don't need to worry about the products as much as you do the brush and the frequency of brushing.

This is an oversimplification since all things created equal, not all people can achieve waves. In some cases, when waves are created, it doesn't mean that the waves will be as deep or well formed as what others might achieve.

This is due to the natural texture and type of the hair that is being trained to achieve full 360 degree waves.

Everyone's Waves Are Different

African American hair is most suitable for this type of hairstyle which consists of waves that lay in a complete 360 degree circle. The natural texture of African American hair, which is full of tight curls and coils which is known by some as nappy, is the key to creating the desired wave patterns.

If the hair texture and type is derived from mixed racial genetics, it is possible that they hair will have a softer and straighter texture and waves will develop that are bigger and deeper waves. Waves just tend to form more easily in straighter and softer hair while super coarse hair is more likely to develop much smaller and tighter waves.

If hair is super straight, it might be much harder to develop any wave patterns at all. Waves may get deeper if they are allowed to space out over time.

A wave is in essence a straightened out curl. The curlier or nappier the hair, the better chance for developing the ideal wave pattern.

No two 360 wave patterns will look the same. This is because everyone has a unique hair texture and type.

The shorter the hair, the more shallow the waves that form. The longer the hair - to a certain extent - the deeper the waves that can form.

Some people have a mix of different textures throughout their hair. This means that creating perfect 360 degree waves throughout the head would be virtually impossible.

Since the brush is definitely an important tool, it has been covered in detail in this article.

Type Of Brush

The type of brush used can make all the difference in whether the waves deepen or not.

Everyone has a different opinion of the best brush to use. However, generally speaking brushes are categorized by:

  • Soft
  • Medium
  • Hard

Ultimately many people believe that the best brush is one that helps to stimulate and direct the hair, moving it around the head.

Some experts say that a hard brush will help you train your hair faster. However, the downside of a hard brush is that it can be uncomfortable or actually cause the scalp to become sensitive.

For those that find the hard brushes to cause sensitive scalps and the soft brushes to be ineffective, the option is to go with a medium brush.

Some 360 wavers will start out with a soft brush, work their way up to a medium and finish with a hard. In other examples, they might have all three brushes and alternate use depending on how their hair reacts to the repeated brushing.

A soft brush will still help train the waves, but maybe not as quickly or as comfortably as the hard brushes.

Another downside to hard brushes is that they can cause hair to become frizzy. To avoid the frizz factor you can brush with the hard or medium brush and then finish up with a soft brush to help the cuticles lay flatter. In many cases the 360 Waver will use a soft brush as a touch up brush to help brush down random strands and keep the finished look softer.

Brushing when hair is dry will most definitely provide deeper wave definition. Brushing the hair when wet may develop waves quick but the waves may space out more.

Brush On The Grain

The direction that hair grows from the roots is known as the grain. It is very important the you do not brush against the growth pattern. In other words, brush with the grain and brush in the direction that the hair grows naturally to maximize the wave patterns.

It is also recommend that whatever you do with your hair whether it is getting it cut, styled, brushed or washed, always work in the same direction as the grain and never against it.

How To Brush & How Long

The common question that 360 Wave Wannabes ask is how long to brush every day.

Most veterans of the 360 Wave Development Wars report that they brush at least 50 times around the entire head. The head is often divided into sections that include: 1. Each side of the head - left and right.

2. The back of the head from the top down to the bottom.

3. The top of the head from the beginning of the hairline to the crown.

Some people will separate the top of the head and the back into smaller sections to guarantee that they don't miss a single spot with the brush.

Depending on how careful the brushing is done, it can take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes for a single brushing section.

To keep track of how many times a 360 waver is brushing, they will often count down while brushing. If the goal is to brush 50 times on each section they will count forwards or backwards such as 1 through 50 or 50 down to 1.

When brushing the hair, start at the very center of the head and brush out in every direction towards your skin. As an example, you would brush from the center of your crown out towards your forehead or the top of your hairline. You would brush from the crown down towards the ears on either side.

While brushing n the crown area, make a circular pattern.

How Often To Brush

Depending on the texture of the hair and how quickly waves are desired, brushing should be performed every single day in the morning and the evening before going to bed.

Many people will brush morning and night and will brush several times during the day. Some 360 Wavers report that they brush 4-6 times a day.

Yes, it is a lot of work but aggressive brushing is required to get the hair to form the wave shapes.

Brushing In The Shower

Some people prefer to brush in the shower. It is believed by shower brushing fans that it helps to develop waves faster.

To brush in the shower:

1. Get hair completely wet 2. Brush while holding head under a warm water flow. Cool or cold water will close the cuticle and cause it to shrink which will not be beneficial to the brushing process. 3. Apply diluted shampoo formula. 4. Rinse well. 5. Apply rinse-out conditioner. Allow to soak into the hair for up to 10 minutes. 6. Rinse well. 7. Brush hair after rinsing. 8. Finish with blast of cool/cold water. It is not necessary to use shampoo every day. Experiment with how often you wish to use a shampoo product. If you must shampoo every day, use a diluted version to prevent drying out your strands.

Products

Many 360 wave wearers use a variety of products to assist with the brushing process and the wave formation program.

There is a lot of confusion about the value of pomade in the creation of 360 waves. Pomade will help hold waves in place and add shine but pomade by itself will not create waves.

Some people use S-Curl Texturizer Spray on their hair in the morning when they get out of bed and then brush. Others will spray their hair with water before brushing.

Regardless of what products you use or don't use, the key to getting, developing, connecting and deepening waves is to brush, brush and brush some more.

How Long Will It Take To Create Waves?

There is no set formula. While disciplined brushing most people will see definitely wave patterns forming within one month. However, to get seasoned waves that are a full 360 degree pattern, nicely formed and deep, it can take up to 4 months of effort. It is important to brush consistently and constantly, keep hair trimmed to the desired maximum wave making length and be patient.

Different textures will have different results at different speeds.

Even when the waves start forming you will need to continue brushing to achieve full wave interconnecton. This means that all of the waves connect up and form that 360 circular pattern rather than operating as a series of random waves.

When the waves are connected they are known as "spinning" waves because if you look at them from a certain view they will appear to "spin".

Haircuts & Brushing

Many 360 wavers get their hair cut into what is known as a Ceasar cut. This is a cut named after the great Emperor. Some people go shorter with their hair being about 1 1/2 inches from the scalp. Other wear it longer up to 2 1/2 inches. Waves that are well defined and deep show up best on the shorter Ceaser cuts. Regardless of the length, the hair should be cut with the grain and the brushing should be done with the grain.

The haircut should be maintained with light trims every three weeks to hold the wave development pattern. Some experts advise that you not wet your hair for 2-3 days after a cut to let the waves settle in deeper into the grain of the cut. Any loose hairs can be carefully brushed off with a very soft brush.

Right after a haircut the brushing should resume on dry hair only and a durag or similar headgear whould be used to tighten down the wave pattern.

Wave Challenges

One of the most difficult locations on the head to create 360 waves is at the crown. This is because many people have hair at the crown that grows in a circle. It can take a lot of time and patience to get the crown to form the ideal circular pattern.

Some people recommend that the hair right at the crown not be brushed straight down.

Summary

It is important to remember that everyone is different. The type of hair and texture on the head will determine the end result of waves formed.

Each person should experiment and find their own best method when it comes to the type of brush that they use and prefer, how often they brush, whether they brush wet or dry and finally, the number of times they brush and how often during the day.

Waves will differ in dept and circular patterns based on the natural texture of the hair that is being trained, the type of brush used to train the waves and the length of the hair that waves are being developed in.

Take your time, experiment and enjoy the process. Many people take pride in the outcome of their 360 waves.

For additional 360 Wave Making methods stop by the HairTalk Forum at:

http://talk.hairboutique.com/forum/forum_topics.asp?FID=53 and share new 360 Wave Development tips.

If you want to talk more about this or other hair care articles on HairBoutique.com or anywhere else, please post a message on HairBoutique.com's Hair Talk Forums.

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