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View Full Version : Do your braid waves stay in better wet or dry?



kwaniesiam
June 10th, 2008, 09:17 PM
My hair tends to not hold a wave if I braid it wet, they stay in much better when only slightly damp or dry. Most people seem to do it wet though. How to you achieve braid (or bun) waves?

yogachic
June 10th, 2008, 09:35 PM
I braid my daughter's hair alot and hair has to be only slightly damp. If its too wet, it doesn't hold the waves.

DecafJane
June 10th, 2008, 10:39 PM
My long hair always ended up straighter and fluffy if I dried it in a braid. :o

coppercurls
June 10th, 2008, 10:41 PM
Wet or very damp for me. Dry braids just get really, really fluffy!

Pikkukala
June 11th, 2008, 01:23 AM
Wet or damp for me - although I have to leave it until it is dry. Braiding it dry doesn't hold them at all.

Magicknthenight
June 11th, 2008, 01:52 AM
When i put my hair in a braid and its dry i usially get some waves if its left in.
But when i do it when its wet..its mega wavy!
I dont mind i like braid waves..but sometimes i get too much wave.
I enjoy it being wavy but if its too wavy and i brush it then it gets poofy.
I like putting a bunch of braids in my hair at night after a shower and then taking them out in the morning. It looks really nice! except i dont usially brush it so it doesnt ruin them. My friend has done this before but wow she did a bunch more then i did and really really right...it took me about 10 minutes and it took her like 30-40. I took them out the next day and WOW....way too much wave and way too poofy! my hair was like a whole new texture. i liked it but at the end of the day i missed my hair :o
anyway either wet or dry braiding gives me waves. damp usially works too:cool:

Magicknthenight
June 11th, 2008, 01:53 AM
When i put my hair in a braid and its dry i usially get some waves if its left in.
But when i do it when its wet..its mega wavy!
I dont mind i like braid waves..but sometimes i get too much wave.
I enjoy it being wavy but if its too wavy and i brush it then it gets poofy.
I like putting a bunch of braids in my hair at night after a shower and then taking them out in the morning. It looks really nice! except i dont usially brush it so it doesnt ruin them. My friend has done this before but wow she did a bunch more then i did and really really tight...it took me about 10 minutes and it took her like 30-40. I took them out the next day and WOW....way too much wave and way too poofy! my hair was like a whole new texture. i liked it but at the end of the day i missed my hair :o
anyway either wet or dry braiding gives me waves. damp usially works too:cool:

Magicknthenight
June 11th, 2008, 01:54 AM
opps sorry double post! i duno how i did that o_O?

Phalaenopsis
June 11th, 2008, 02:18 AM
When I do it dry, there's a little bit of wave, but not really noticeable. If I really want waves my hair has to be fairly damp.

AJoifulNoise
June 11th, 2008, 09:28 AM
If I want waves that really stand out, I braid my hair into pigtail braids while it is soaking wet. I can't really do bun waves this way because it would never dry. So, I don't really do bun waves.

marty girl
June 11th, 2008, 02:51 PM
Hello P...
I love the braid in your hair! Is there a site that I can go to to learn how to do this myself?
Thanks so much,
Marty girl

NorthernDancer
June 11th, 2008, 03:13 PM
Hello P...
I love the braid in your hair! Is there a site that I can go to to learn how to do this myself?
Thanks so much,
Marty girl


Do you mean Phalaenopsis? If so I think that's a 4 (or 5?) strand dutch braid. The 4 strand is the width part, the dutch is how it lays on top of the head, not intertwined like the french braid.
This is a good site for braid instructions: http://www.dreamweaverbraiding.com/index.htm

You could also just google 4 stand dutch braid.

That should help you.

Leisha
June 11th, 2008, 04:28 PM
Wet hair -> it takes long to dry. If I take the braid out while my hair is still slightly damp, the waves won't stay.

Damp hair -> seems to work best

Dry hair -> the waves don't really take, unless I leave the braid in for a looong time (and even then they "fade" very quickly). If I braid my hair dry and then mist it (or it rains and the braid gets wet), I get very good braid waves though. But I guess that's "damp hair" then :)

Saranne772
June 12th, 2008, 02:14 AM
I can do any of them- wet dry or damp. Generally I do damp as they are firmer. Softer braidwaves with dry and I dont really like the wet braid waves they are too sharp

Loreyanne_H
June 12th, 2008, 03:59 AM
I prefer to braid/bun slightly damp and not wet, so what it comes out is beautiful waves not to stiff.

Isilya
June 12th, 2008, 05:41 AM
For me, wet braiding = POOF once it's dry (and it takes hours to dry in braids too).

Dry braiding gives me nive, soft waves. I don't even need to leave them in for a long time, my hair holds waves very fast. When I was 15, I made a small braid at the front, didn't like it and took it out after 10 min. I had to wet that strand to get it back to normal :?

joyful373
June 12th, 2008, 12:06 PM
I like slightly damp hair the best. Wet hair ends up super piece-y for me, and I have to detangle more often. I do occasionally braid my hair while dry, but since I do it more often while damp, that was my vote. (The cheese sounded fun though):cheese:

ZaBasDa
June 12th, 2008, 12:42 PM
Wet or very damp only. It may take forever to dry, but leaves me with nice smooth very wavy hair with no frizz.

Dry or just damp braiding gives me straighter hair with poof issues.

Finoriel
June 12th, 2008, 02:18 PM
I have voted for the cheese option :wacko: cheese, yummy!

Braid waves do not last in my hair at all. Wet or dampen the finished braid and let it dry completely is the "most" successful method for my hair, though. Lasts about an hour before my hair is straight again :wink: I´m not complaining, I like my hair as it is, so I´m glad that braid waves do not last long.

Unofficial_Rose
June 12th, 2008, 02:21 PM
Hmm, this is a topical one for me as I'm suffering a frizz-fest today caused by braiding overly damp hair. Then I over-oiled to compensate and had to bun hair all day :rolleyes:

Normally I do it when it's dry/99% dry and it looks great though. Sure saves on the blowfrying damage. ;)

burns_erin
June 12th, 2008, 03:55 PM
If I braid or bun my hair while even so much as damp it takes about 3 days to dry, at which point in time it is time to wash it any way. If I put it but dry it just gets on kink at the top by my scalp.

mira-chan
June 12th, 2008, 04:02 PM
My hair will get and keep braid waves whether I braid wet or dry.

Islandgrrl
June 12th, 2008, 04:04 PM
If I bun or braid my hair when really wet, it just stays wet. It could be days before it's dry. I do it anyway, but I'm just saying....

Damp works best if I want the waves to really come out. Dry is just a PITA.

akka naeda
June 13th, 2008, 07:53 AM
My hair is wavy when wet, so I classified myself after a bit of help as 2a/2b. I had problems because -
If I bun my hair it becomes straight immediately and will then remain that way for as long as I leave it down, I have never in my life had bun waves. Having said that I do not bun my hair when it is wet, just slightly damp or dry.
Braid waves will stay in wet or dry hair for well, let's say an entire day - over 12 hours. I sleep with my hair plaited so I've no idea if it'd straighten out overnight. The only way I can get rid of them is to bun my hair:)

harley mama
June 13th, 2008, 08:05 AM
I don't try to braid my hair if it is wet, only when dry or damp.
The braid waves will last until I CO again. Probably because I
already have natural curl.

holycannoli
June 14th, 2008, 04:20 PM
Mine start wet, but I sleep in them overnight and wait til they're dry or almost dry and they usually hold all day but start to get fluffy around noon :( .

Teresa9000
June 14th, 2008, 04:27 PM
Whether I braid my hair (wet or dry) or not, it's going to do what it wants. No amount of product, heat, or energy will make it hold a curl/wave if it does not want to do so. But in the past I have braided my hair wet, left it that way for a little over a day, and had decent beach waves for about half a day (they might have been better if the inside of my hair [does that make sense?] wasn't still wet from being in a braid). If I braid my hair dry it looks sort of wavy for about five minutes or until I comb it, whichever comes first.

plainjanegirl
October 28th, 2008, 09:12 AM
SO if you are braiding to get the waves do you add any gel, mousse, oil, etc. before or after braiding to help hold the wave???

TheStorm
October 29th, 2008, 10:30 AM
I definately get stronger waves from wet hair but I do get subtle waves from dry hair too, I don't add any mousse or gel or anything.

burns_erin
October 30th, 2008, 07:28 AM
Wet or at least very damp lets my hair give its very best impersonation of bun or braid waves, which is to say they hang around for 30min-1 hour instead of just fifteen minutes. Of course it will take almost 3 days to dry if I bun or braid it wet so for obvious reasons most of the time I do not bother.

Gladtobemom
October 30th, 2008, 07:50 AM
I don't bun or braid my hair when wet.

I wait until my hair is just damp, then I very lightly loil from the ears down (about 3-4 rice grains of oil) or I use a little Frizz Buster Gel (Aloe Gel and a tiny amount of oil).

Then I comb well and either braid or bun.

However my hair dries . . . it will maintain the curl for 3-4 days.

Flying Betty
October 30th, 2008, 05:15 PM
!!!!!!!!!!

florenonite
October 30th, 2008, 05:25 PM
I voted wet, but it really just needs to be quite damp. Dry waves don't last long, and wet ones never dry, so it needs to be damp so that it will dry within two days but will still hold.

Gumball
October 30th, 2008, 07:49 PM
I had to choose that I don't do braid/bun waves just because my hair has natural waves and curls. If styling just happens to create waves or accentuate what's already there then it's just happenstance. I do braids for braids and buns for buns. :)

BranwenWolf
October 30th, 2008, 08:04 PM
For some reason my waves stay in better dry. I braid or bun my hair to go to the barn, and when I unbraid at the end of the day there are lovely waves that stay in until I wash my hair at night.

For some reason anything I try with my hair while it's wet or damp goes flat a few hours later.

sissadawn
January 23rd, 2009, 11:07 AM
Wet or very damp and then left in the braid until dry. If I braid dry I get hardly any waves. It's pretty hard to keep my waves for very long either, even with product!

Ryanne
January 23rd, 2009, 12:27 PM
Wet/damp, I'll braid it and when it's almost dry I change it to a bun.

LadyMoon11
January 23rd, 2009, 01:28 PM
I get the best braid waves from braiding damp hair, and keep it braided until dry.

UncommonTart
January 23rd, 2009, 01:44 PM
If I braid dry, I get nice, soft waves. If I braid damp, I get more sharply defined waves, but then they go all poofy.

I used to love to damp bun so that when I took it down I'd have soft, spiral sort of waves. Lately however, if it's even slightly damp when I put it up, it'll be just as damp when I take it down, and then the waves fall out as it dries. I suppose this is because my hair's healthier and thicker. It's certainly longer. Even though all of these are good things, I do sort of miss the waves.

Jamme
January 23rd, 2009, 01:55 PM
If it's too wet it literally never dries. If it's completely dry I might get some waves, but they'll go out rather quickly. So just slightly damp is best for me.

plainjanegirl
January 23rd, 2009, 02:15 PM
I can't figure it out. When I want the waves they don't turn out but if I don't care then I get amazing waves....go figure.

Here is a youtube video on how to get waves:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0NMLSUICp4

flapjack
January 24th, 2009, 10:36 AM
My hair loves the braidwaves thing. They stay in and my hair gets really wavy but smooth whether I do it wet or dry. Shoot, even when I twist it loosely in a bun when damp/wet, I get giant waves. I think my hair is extra pliable or something, ahaha.

neon-dream
January 24th, 2009, 10:53 AM
I braid when dry mostly, my hairs really wavy anyways but when I fancy a change in pattern I braid it.
When I braid it damp they're more defined, but I like the dry waves better.
They both stay in pretty well :)

Copasetic
January 24th, 2009, 11:04 AM
They stay in better when my hair is wet, but it takes forever to dry if I braid it when it is wet.

Gingevere
January 24th, 2009, 11:54 AM
My hair hates holding anything more than its natural slight wave, so I have to braid it while it's still quite wet and leave it in all night in order to achieve good results. Remember to be extra careful when working with wet hair, though!

dearladydisdain
January 24th, 2009, 12:32 PM
If I braid my hair soaking wet chances are it will take a VERY long time to dry. I get the best braid waves when I braid dry or very slightly damp hair.

Charli800
January 24th, 2009, 01:30 PM
If I braid my hair when it's wet it stays wet and straight. I have to wear it braided and bunned for about a day to get waves, but I do get waves.

Peter
January 24th, 2009, 01:36 PM
If I braid it while dry, my hair actually gets straighter. If I braid while damp, it'll get a bit wavy and fluffy but they don't last until my next wash. I imagine that braiding my hair while wet would result in killer waves, but it would take so ridiculously long to dry that it's not really an option for me. :(

Carolyn
January 24th, 2009, 02:29 PM
I only do bun waves. I don't find braid waves to be attractive so I would never wear my hair loose after it's been braided. I get nice bun waves if I do the bun when my hair is slightly damp and it's been bunned for several hours. My hair will stay slightly wavy for a few hours.

Iylivarae
January 24th, 2009, 03:23 PM
I braid the hair wet and then I let it dry until it is only slightly damp. If I take out the braid then and loosen the waves a bit, they look really nice. If I let the hair dry completely, the waves don't look that nice. I've never tried to braid the hair when it is only damp, I mostly do it right after washing.

pariate
January 24th, 2009, 03:47 PM
My hair will hold braid waves regardless of how wet or dry it is when it's braided. I think it probably has something to with the fact that I'm 2c/3a - if you put any kind of artificial wave or curl into hair that is naturally so, the artificial will hold much better than it would in straight hair. That's my personal experience anyway. :)

Might seem odd that I braid when I'm wurly anyway, but sometimes I want a different wurl. :wink:

Mainesongbird
September 7th, 2013, 02:39 PM
Definitely wet, my hair doesn't like to wave or curl, I have to force it into wavy or curliness.

FuzzyBlackWaves
September 9th, 2013, 06:24 AM
Since my hair is constantly in a braid it holds braid waves well when it's dry; however it takes a lot longer to 'set'. If I braid it when it's damp it holds them naturally instead of needing lots of time in the braid.

rose313
September 9th, 2013, 01:59 PM
Definitely wet. My hair's already wavy, and it gets even wavier when I braid it wet. Dry works too, but wet is better.

gingerclip
September 9th, 2013, 02:12 PM
Wet works best for me, but it can take all day to dry that way. And once I sleep on it, even in a braid, it's sooo frizzy.

Sharysa
September 9th, 2013, 02:26 PM
As long as my hair's just a little bit wet before I braid it, it holds braid-waves much better. My hair's coarse and thick, so it's too heavy for dry braids to have any effect on it.

0xalis
September 9th, 2013, 09:58 PM
I braid my hair in double braids every night before I go to sleep and wake up with braid waves every morning even if it's bone dry. However I think they HOLD better when they are damp! I wouldn't braid soaking wet hair because then it'd just stay wet >.<

littlemonster
September 10th, 2013, 03:46 PM
I can get braid waves from dry hair, probably a wavy thing I'd imagine :) May seem good, but it means I can't braid for hair damage prevention and keep my hair fairly straight. Hmm.

WilfredAllen
September 10th, 2013, 04:08 PM
if I braid dry, the waves stay for about five minutes. If I braid wet, they stay for an hour. Definitely wet for me :P

Mizumi
September 11th, 2013, 12:49 PM
My waves stay better when I braid my hair dry, maybe because it's lighter than wet.

Lunearia
September 11th, 2013, 01:13 PM
I get nice defined waves if I braid my hair when it's just slightly damp, almost dry actually. Dry braiding works too but the resulting waves aren't as defined.
My braid waves never hold if I bun or braid wet.

jacqueline101
September 15th, 2013, 08:58 AM
Wet mine or use a leave in conditioner and it holds great.

restless
September 15th, 2013, 10:22 AM
I get great defined waves that last for a long time when brading my hair while its dry or slightly damp. If I braid it when its still wet the waves dont last, my hair just look limp and frizzy.

sparrowswing
September 15th, 2013, 01:17 PM
Dry or slightly damp for me, but it has to stay overnight. Wet could work if it would ever dry while braided, but since it never seems to dry completely and taking it out of the braid before it's dry means it will fall straight again, it's not really an option.

That said, I have no idea how to keep braid waves from turning into a gigantic frizzball capable of scaring children and small dogs.

mararie
May 3rd, 2014, 08:16 PM
I sometimes sleep with a braid, but don't really like the waves I get. They are very frizzy, probably because my ends are very damaged. I will try to make it a little damp next time to see if it works for getting pretty waves!

Johannah
May 4th, 2014, 03:12 AM
Wet for sure.

martyna_22
May 4th, 2014, 04:45 AM
My hair seems to love braid waves, they are pretty much always there. I usually braid my dry hair so it won't get in the way, and whenever I want to go out, I unbraid it - I get waves. It has become a habit of mine to such an extent, that people think it's my natural texture and if I go out with my hair freshly washed and without any body - they accuse me of straightening :D

cryptorchid
November 8th, 2014, 01:36 PM
I started off doing my braids dry but they didn't last the whole day. Now what I do is braid my hair (one on each side like Wednesday Addams) when it's dry and then slightly dampen the braids with some water and go to sleep. And to keep my waves, in the morning I use a little bit of hair spray and I don't brush it. I find that sleeping in braids also prevents my hair from getting messy or frizzy or knotted so I don't even need to brush my hair in the morning once I take my braids out!

lapushka
November 8th, 2014, 03:47 PM
Normally I don't do braid waves. But they stay better when you just braid when it's just slightly damp, not fully wet (because that won't dry well).

Begemot
November 10th, 2014, 03:00 PM
It's been a while since the last time I had braid waves but I would never braid my hair when wet. My hair just won't dry when it's braided. The same thing goes after a wash and hair that's braided while damp. Waves won't last if I braid dry hair. Best way for me would be to braid dry hair, then mist it with water.

Stiria
November 10th, 2014, 03:27 PM
I love braidwaves. I sleep with my hair braided, so it's always a bit wavy. But I definitely get best waves if the hair is damp. The most important is not how wet the hair is before I braid, but that it dries completely.