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Monday, January 29, 2018

"How to: Waves" by Alexander O


360 Waves is an old-school African-American hairstyle that has been gaining more popularity in the recent years. It consists of curls that lay down in uniform to resemble waves of an ocean. When properly maintained, they can be a very great and professional look. If the wavy hairstyle doesn’t pertain to you, then use this post as some cultural enlightenment!
Why get waves?
  • ●  It’s a classy look
  • ●  Promotes long term scalp health. Brushing increases blood flow.
  • ●  It’s fun
  • ●  Girls love to feel them! 

    Who can get waves?
  • ●  Full-Africans, African-Americans, African-Mexicans, African-ANYTHING. Anyone who has at least a quarter of African in them hold the curl pattern to obtain 360 waves!
  • ●  The hair style is mainly worn by men, but can also be worn by women who have short
    hair. 

    What do you need?
● Du-rag (Usually made of Polyester, Cotton, Silk, or Satin) ● Moisturizer
● Brush (The most important tool in the box!)


Words to know:
  • ●  Durag: Used to lay down your curls, usually while sleeping.
  • ●  WTG: With the grain. Type of haircut that involves cutting in sync with your wave pattern.
  • ●  ATG: Against the grain. Type of haircut that involves cutting against your wave pattern
    for a cleaner cut. Should not be used until your pattern is well established.

    How to get waves!
    It’s quite simple to get waves, but it can take a lot of time. You will want to start by getting a haircut. And please , go to a barber shop that is familiar with black hair types. Not Supercuts, not Great Clips. Ask your barber for a 1.5 length haircut WTG . This will be a great starting length to obtain waves. When you get home, start by washing your hair. Then, moisturize it with a product of your choice. The next part is the fun part, the almighty BRUSH. There are 3 types of brushes: Soft, Medium, and Hard. All of them have their use, but you will want to save the medium and hard for when you are more experienced and your hair is longer. They can make your scalp sore if you’re a beginner. Grab your soft brush, and start brushing from your crown directly down
to your forehead, your ears, and your neck. Make sure to keep your brush angles the same. This ensures that your hair curls are being laid down in unison to form the beautiful wave pattern you want. Brushing your hair is going to be the number one step to getting waves. It will require lots of work. 20 minute brush sessions throughout the day. Some even go as far as brushing while at school (The grind never stops). Brush, brush, brush, then brush some more! At the end of the day, tie your durag on to lay down your curls and go to sleep! Wake up, and then guess what? Brush some more! Apply some moisturizer and continue your day as normal. You want to repeat this everyday. Once you establish your wave pattern, you can chill on the brushing a little. Plan on cutting your hair every 4-6 weeks, depending how established your waves are. Don’t cut too often, because you want your hair to grow past its curl length to progress your pattern. It’s as simple as that. I hope you guys learned something from this post! And to my friends of non African descent, I hope you guys gained a little insight into black culture! 

Warning: Do not wear your durag to school. You will be promptly chased down by a security guard asking you to remove your “head gear”. 

Everyone should go ask Mr. Jaramillo to create some Etiwanda durag spirit wear. Just saying. ;)

15 comments:

  1. I am so glad that I read this post because it is not only informative but contained information that I was not aware of and helped me to gain knowledge about the topic, I loved how in the midst of the instructions it contained some slight humor which made me want to continue reading, now I know the precision of achieving this look.

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  2. Great post! Not only the colloquial atmosphere you bring to the "how-to," but your familiarity on the topic and the intimate style of writing reveals your skill as an author. Personally, it's always good to see something that people can relate to their culture. When I cut my hair, I'm definitely coming back to this post...

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  3. Very interesting! I never knew that having waves took a lot of time and effort. What fascinated me the most was the type of brushes there were to create waves, as well as, taking care of your crown. Nice job! Erick Gutierrez per.4

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  4. This was beautiful to read. Your'e hilarious. It was dope reading how guys (or gals with a shorter length of hair) get their waves because my process is very similar. I do use moisturizer, a brush, and a durag (well, more of a silk scarf.. so it can go around my bun) at night, except I don't brush as much. Also !! I sometimes use a tiny bit of oil for a bit of shine, and over time it makes your hair softer. You should try it (: Again, amazing how to. Props to you! -Imani Crenshaw, per. 2

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  5. Great blog! I did not know that waves consisted of so much time and effort. It was very interesting to hear about all the different types of materials needed and it was fun to learn about, thanks for sharing.

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  6. I've never truly took the time to learn more information about this particular hairstyle, but I do really like the sleek look it gives off. I also appreciate the time you took to type out and tell us the history behind this hairstyle. Great job!

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  7. As an African American I thought this was hilarious. It was not only informative but it was funny. I especially liked the warning at the end.
    Alaijah Solomon-Jackson
    Period 4

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  8. Although I'm white and in no way shape or form could ever get 360 waves, I think you bring up some good points about our school needing to provide a way for African-American students to wear a du-rag, especially since the sole purpose is to train your hair. Great piece!

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  9. Thanks for this. This hair style has seem to be trending again over the past year and something I could try to do next. Thanks for the directions, you made it seem like something real easy to do. Hopefully my outcome will be good compared to others.
    Austyn Coleman
    Period 1

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  10. This was really good! You did a great job at teaching the reader about this popular hairstyle and I found it very informative.

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  11. Your piece was very interesting and informative. I really enjoyed reading through your how to and I found myself laughing at some parts because I read them in your voice. I liked the fun tone you added to your piece to engage with your reader on how to perfect this hairstyle. Good job!

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  12. this was hilarious and extremely eye opening, i knew black female hair was a struggle lol but for males who want this type of style it definitely takes a dedication that i wasn't aware of but can definitely appreciate and love the comedic aspect you put into it.
    Tiana Wheatley

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  13. Your "how to" was very unique and informative. Some of the reasons why I enjoyed reading this was because of the sense of humor attached and the way you demonstrated how much time and hard work goes into trying to achieve this specific hair style. After reading your piece I received a strong impression that you are very passionate about your waves.

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  14. This was fun to read because it was very creative and different. The tone made me laugh and was interesting about your cultures hairstyles and how they are made

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  15. I like this post a lot because I can relate to it a lot. I used to have this hairstyle and it was cool to go back and read everything that goes into it. Waves and durags are popular on the web right now and explains why a lot of people wear durags nowadays, to preserve their hair pattern. This is not only a how to but a cultural lesson as well. Great work.

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