How to Use a Wave Brush: Hardness, Direction and Sessions

Choosing soft, medium or hard bristles

The right brush matches how much resistance your hair gives. Fine or looser-textured hair needs soft bristles that lay it down without scratching the scalp; thick, coarse or tightly coiled hair needs medium or hard bristles to push through and train the curl.

Many people who brush seriously own two. A medium or hard brush does the heavy training in the morning and evening, and a soft brush smooths the surface and finishes the shine. Boar bristle brushes are the traditional choice because the natural fibres spread moisture as they go.

• Soft: fine hair, sensitive scalps, finishing and daytime touch-ups.
• Medium: the all-rounder most people start with.
• Hard: thick or coarse hair, and the first weeks of training a new pattern.

Brushing direction by section

Waves form when every section is brushed in the same direction, every time, so the curl is trained into a repeating ripple. For 360 waves the pattern radiates out from the crown like a whirlpool.

Find your crown first: it is the spiral point at the back of the top where the hair naturally grows outward. Everything is brushed away from it.

1. Top: from the crown straight forward to the hairline, keeping each stroke in a line.
2. Front corners: forward and slightly out toward the temples.
3. Sides: from the top of the head down and slightly forward, following the angle toward the sideburn.
4. Back: from the crown straight down to the nape.
5. Rear corners behind the ears: down and slightly outward, so the back meets the sides smoothly.
6. Finish each section with a few slower strokes using light pressure, then move on without going back over finished areas.

How long and how often to brush

Short, regular sessions train waves better than one marathon. Several sessions of 10 to 20 minutes spread through the day, plus brushing before bed, is a common rhythm among people who wave seriously.

Consistency matters more than force. Brushing so hard that the scalp goes red or tender does not speed things up and can irritate the skin. People call the period of daily brushing without a cut "wolfing"; it lets the hair grow slightly longer so the waves become deeper, typically over a few weeks.

Moisture and the durag

Waves hold best when the hair is slightly moist, not dry and not dripping. A light pomade, butter or moisturizer brushed through after a shower gives the brush some slip and keeps the curl soft.

The durag is the other half of the routine. It compresses the pattern you have just brushed so it sets in place, especially overnight. Brush, then tie it on straight away, and wear it snug enough to hold but not tight enough to leave a line across the forehead.

Mistakes that stall a wave pattern

Most people who give up on waves were doing one of a few things that break the pattern down as fast as they build it.

• Changing direction from day to day, or brushing the sides backward instead of down.
• Brushing dry hair, which frizzes the curl instead of flattening it into a ripple.
• Skipping the durag at night, so the pillow undoes a day of brushing.
• Cutting too short, too often. Very short hair has little length to wave.
• Using a dirty brush. Wash it in warm soapy water regularly and let it dry bristles down.

The cut underneath the waves

A clean, even cut is the foundation for 360 waves, because uneven lengths ripple unevenly. We cut with the grain, often with a low guard on top and a taper or fade on the sides, and we check your crown before going short.

Tell us if you are wolfing or about to start, and we will cut accordingly: longer on top, with only the edges and lineup tidied. Many wavers pair the look with a skin fade for contrast.