Braid Waves

[Artsy]

I have seen so many beautiful braid waves on this forum, but I can't seem to make it work on my hair. I am just wondering what is the secret? So far my braid is not very thick, and all I get is strange crimples with flatness on the top and on the tassel. I have tried rolling the tassel into a bun or on a rag curl, and it still looks weird. Two braids is even worse for what I have tried.:confused:
Do you have to have thick hair to get nice braid waves? Do you braid loosely or tight? Does it get easier when it's longer? I mean, mine is about 1" away from waist, so may be that's the problem.
Please share, pictures are welcome:p

[trinc]

I get beautiful braid waves when I make two dutch braids or french braids. that way the waves start at the top.

[Aud200]

Since my childhood, I have gotten pretty good braidwaves by doing 2 fairly tight french braids and keeping a shorter tassel. This achieves waves throughout the entire length of the hair.

Also, it is extremely helpful to go into the braid with damp hair and allowing it to dry overnight. Totally wet hair will obviously take longer to dry so that is why I say damp is best.

[telegraph64]

I too go for the french or dutch braids. And as far as the ends go, I have yet to figure out what to do with them. The best I can do is make sure the tassel is as short as possible, other than that I'm stumped. Look forward to hearing the real solution to the scare-crow hair ends.

[MissManda]

Braid waves take to my hair best when my hair is given the chance to completely dry. If there is even the slightest hint of dampness in my hair when I take my hair down, the waves won't look nearly as nice. It can be a pain because my hair takes forever to dry, especially in the winter.

I also recommend trying to braid as far down to the ends as you possibly can using the French/Dutch technique. The waves will start higher up on your head and since French/Dutch braiding makes your ends taper more, it is easier to braid all the way down.

I prefer the look of braid waves from a single French/Dutch braid as opposed to waves created by 2+ braids, but maybe that's because the more braids I put in, the poofier my hair gets and I don't always want uber-poofy hair. My other favorite way to get braid waves is to do a combination French/Dutch braid. I also braid quite snugly, otherwise they will loosen over time and cause horrible tangles.

The nicest braid waves that I have ever gotten were from last summer when I wore a braided ponytail for a whole day, which let my hair dry all the way. As you can see, my ends are still straight, but I love how the rest turned out! I don't think I added any AVG to my hair, but I may have used some coconut oil.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=3936&pictureid=74400

I haven't managed to get such beautiful braidwaves since then...

One last thing is that to get the smooth/silky look is I gently brush my hair a couple times. I know everyone says you aren't supposed to brush waves/curls, but it doesn't seem to pull them out or frizz them (that might be my hair type, though) as long as my hair got the chance to dry.

I hope that helps! :flower:

[Artsy]

I will try a french braid for tonight and try to post pictures after I take it down. I have tried double braids before, and they are so thin, that I get zigzag frizz, not waves:(

[MissManda]

Have you tried using a leave-in conditioner, AVG, or oil? One of those might keep your waves from frizzing.

[spidermom]

I get my best braid waves if I start with damp hair, use product such as aloe vera gel, and pick up bigger sections as I work my dutch or french braid in snugly but not tightly. Small, tight sections will do just what you complain about, make zig-zaggy weirdness.

I also recommend that you braid all the way to the end as much as you can, wrap a wet length of ribbon around the ends, then wrap a poly-band or even rubber band around that.
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c79/spidermom/tools.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c79/spidermom/agedbraid.jpg

Braid waves look so much better if they continue all the way to the ends rather than being abruptly cut off wherever you tied off the tassle.

Unfortunately, I don't have any braid-wave pictures uploaded to photobucket right now; drats! My hair does braid waves GOOD.

[Angeletti]

I usually let my hair air dry until it's just barely damp, I might spray the ends a tad if they dry too quickly then I dutch braid it and leave it in over night. When I tried braiding with completely wet hair the results weren't as good.

My hair is normally stick straight so you can get an idea.
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a203/genazollner/123-4.jpg

[MandyBeth]

Sigh. I want hair as pretty as Spidey and Angeletti!

[LovingLongHair]

I personally take my hair into about 12 braids all over my head. I make sure that I have a side part in my hair before sectioning for braids. Also, make sure that you don't take too small of sections (unless you want smaller, more fine waves). I braid when my hair is damp. I find that if I take multiple sections and make multiple brads I can braid farther down and eliminate most of the flat, straight ends! :) My hair isn't as thin, so it doesn't take me very long (about 30 minutes) to braid all of it. My hair is about MBL right now. My cousin also does this with her classic length blonde hair and comes out with great results.

Hope this gives you some ideas! :)

[AnqeIicDemise]

Mine work best on damp hair and if I rag-curl the tips. I did this method to get the curls on my avatar.

Mind you, the picture was taken AFTER hours of partying and drinking. xD

[ScarlettAdelle]

I get decent waves when I dutch braid starting at the base of my neck (like bend down, and then have someone in front of you braid. That way, the ends are dispersed instead of being consentrated... I also don't have any decent pics :/

[Artsy]

I get my best braid waves if I start with damp hair, use product such as aloe vera gel, and pick up bigger sections as I work my dutch or french braid in snugly but not tightly. Small, tight sections will do just what you complain about, make zig-zaggy weirdness.

I also recommend that you braid all the way to the end as much as you can, wrap a wet length of ribbon around the ends, then wrap a poly-band or even rubber band around that.

Braid waves look so much better if they continue all the way to the ends rather than being abruptly cut off wherever you tied off the tassle.

Unfortunately, I don't have any braid-wave pictures uploaded to photobucket right now; drats! My hair does braid waves GOOD.

That is such a great idea with the ribbon and elastic on top! I should definitely try this, otherwise both slip out usually on their own.



I usually let my hair air dry until it's just barely damp, I might spray the ends a tad if they dry too quickly then I dutch braid it and leave it in over night. When I tried braiding with completely wet hair the results weren't as good.

My hair is normally stick straight so you can get an idea.


Your braidwaves look exactly what I am looking for: looser on the top and tighter on the bottom. It will probably work better with more length/weight of the hair.


Have you tried using a leave-in conditioner, AVG, or oil? One of those might keep your waves from frizzing.
I use oil+leave in all the time and it definitely helps, I am just afraid I am not handling my hair right yet

[Lostsoule77]

I get my best braid waves when I braid my hair damp. I can get them when I dry braid my hair too. I just braid my hair in the am and don't take it out until the next am. Then I just separate a bit and finger comb the scalp. Keep in mind that my hair is naturally wavy which may help my braid waves form and stay in better even though I'm doing it when my natural waves are brushed out & my hair is almost straight.

[joyfulheart18]

I'm going to braid my hair overnight tonight and see if I get some nice waves. First time ever :)

[Artsy]

So, I have made several attempts at braiding to get waves, and it looks like a total fail:)))) I am guessing the problem is in my layers, but may be I was doing something wrong
Here is a proof:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=6273&pictureid=100433
I braided on damp and took them out in the morning when my hair was completely dry. Separated with fingers only

[Panth]

I get nice braid waves using just one or two english plaits and I'm a 1b. I get the best ones usually on the second or third day of wearing some sort of plaited style (not the same plaits - I take them out in the morning, comb and then restyle - but from wearing plaited styles 2+ days in a row). I think I get better braid waves on hair that has not been freshly washed.

I always braid really quite tight and leave only a small tassel.

I actually find I get worse braid waves if I try to make them "set" by plaiting wet hair. Unless my hair is 99% dry before plaiting it is almost always still damp when I unplait it and, unless it has gone 100% dry whilst in the plaits, the waves fall out within minutes.

[Artsy]

I get nice braid waves using just one or two english plaits and I'm a 1b. I get the best ones usually on the second or third day of wearing some sort of plaited style (not the same plaits - I take them out in the morning, comb and then restyle - but from wearing plaited styles 2+ days in a row). I think I get better braid waves on hair that has not been freshly washed.

I always braid really quite tight and leave only a small tassel.

I actually find I get worse braid waves if I try to make them "set" by plaiting wet hair. Unless my hair is 99% dry before plaiting it is almost always still damp when I unplait it and, unless it has gone 100% dry whilst in the plaits, the waves fall out within minutes.
I guess you are right, my hair is always freshly washed, or I have scalp issues, so this probably means no braid waves for me. My hair was completely dry when I took it down, but it didn't work at all.
Thanks for your input

[kanzer]

Hi Artsy, I have the same problem as you do! I've tried two braids, one French/Dutch braid, a normal braid - but nothing seems to work. I just get weird kinks starting halfway down my head and my layers make it really hard to put the tassle low down so I always have a straight bit at the bottom... ack!

[ElvenArchess]

Back when my hair was at BSL in high school, I got wonderful waves by doing a loose French braid when my hair was about half-way dry after a shower. I'd leave it in for an hour and a half or so (I'd wake up way before I had to head out for school), then take it out and spray it with something (I think I used something by Biolage and a very, very light hairspray for frizzies). If it wasn't windy out, I was ready for the day! :) ... Now I miss my long hair even more. I loved braid waves. *Sniffle*

[LittleOrca]

When I get braid waves, they are usually from either one of two sorces:

1) A semi-loose braid that I do to stay in my hair over night. (Strangely, I get this same effect when I sleep with my hair in a ponytail inside one of my tailsocks (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=20880&highlight=tail+socks).)

2) When my hair is French braided by my mother*. Usually this happens when I am sick, such as I have been lately, so that I do not have to worry about caring for my hair while I am worshiping a porcelain god.

This time, I got the waves from being sick. At lease being sick was worth something since my hair today looks great. :)
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/216567_821003904628_19707057_41047910_7618917_n.jp g
(Linked from my FB account. You might have to be logged in to see it. It can be fickle.)


*Yes, I live with my mother. I'm in grad school, the school is near by, and living here is free. :) It keeps me from having to work and allows me more time to focus on my studies. Yay mom!

[pepperminttea]

I find my best braidwaves come from a single braid, 90-95% dry (just enough that your braid still has that feeling of extra thickness from being a tiny bit damp), as near to the ends as you can braid - if layers poke out, just keep on going. I also find it works better on 'cone free hair, but I 'cone anyway, to make detangling easier later. Exhibit A: Sig photo. :)

[Madora]

The pic was taken in the 1980s and shows years of braiding.

You can achieve braid waves by dampening your hair then braiding it and leaving it braided overnight.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?pictureid=87275&albumid=6554&dl=1294274515&thumb=1 (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=6554&pictureid=87275)

[alipes]

All of these pictures are so wonderful! I just recently started braiding my hair at night and was delighted to discover braid waves in the morning, so I will definitely be interested in trying these suggestions to improve them!

[jil]

My hair sort of resembles "braid waves" naturally (especially if I put product on it before it dries).
I put my damp hair in one braid (or a rope-braid) when I want to achieve looser waves :)

Artsy: I like the waves in your photo! Were you trying to get tighter waves than that?

[Yozhik]

I recently experimented with twin dutch lace braids to get awesome braidwaves.

Here are the initial braids and the result after a day of wearing them and sleeping on them overnight (no product added).

Braids:
http://i833.photobucket.com/albums/zz256/Yozhik87/Hair/May5003.jpg

Braid waves:
http://i833.photobucket.com/albums/zz256/Yozhik87/Hair/DSC_0265.jpg

[Fufu]

Yozhik: Your braid waves are amazing. Beautiful.

[Yozhik]

Yozhik: Your braid waves are amazing. Beautiful.

Thanks for the compliment, Fufu. :o
I really like the way they turned out and will be adding this style to my list of everyday ones. :)

[Maddy25]

I recently experimented with twin dutch lace braids to get awesome braidwaves.

Here are the initial braids and the result after a day of wearing them and sleeping on them overnight (no product added).

Braids:
http://i833.photobucket.com/albums/zz256/Yozhik87/Hair/May5003.jpg

Braid waves:
http://i833.photobucket.com/albums/zz256/Yozhik87/Hair/DSC_0265.jpg

It looks so perfect and princessish!

[lapushka]

Yozhik, gorgeous braids.

[SwordWomanRiona]

Everyone's braidwaves are gorgeous!!
Now, about my own tries: I have really straight 1a hair, but I have been experimenting a bit over the last couple of months, and I have managed to get braidwaves that lasted until my next wash (yay!!). This is what I have tried:
-Braiding the same day I have washed my hair gives me braidwaves, but I don't keep the hairstyle overnight, the braidwaves are gone by next morning.
-So, whenever I wanted some braidwaves, I braided my hair in four or so English braids (a multi-braided style), and left them overnight. Just overnight - I get visible braidwaves, but they don't last for long, less than a day.
-Then, I got near Saint Patrick's Day. I'm studying Irish, and we students prepared a show for that day. I played a Celtic female warrior, and did a multi-braid style consisting on as many medium-small English braids as I could. And I decided to keep that style until my next wash + wash my hair with the style still on + let my hair dry with the style on + stay overnight with it still on. Result: S-braidwaves that lasted for three days!!!!
I have to practise this still, my ends were a bit too straight for the braidwaves I got, but I had thought for years that my hair couldn't get braidwaves for more than half a day, so wrong!! :D

I'll upload some pics as soon as I can!

[spidermom]

Some of the straight hair types don't take waves (or curls) very well. I have a niece like that. I could set her hair on rags, and what curl we did manage to get was gone by noon. Same with braid waves.

[Theobroma]

Yozhik, fantastic waves!

spidermom, my hair is anything but straight, but I'm finding that braid waves don't last nearly as long now that my hair is well moisturised as they did before I started CO and oiling. Back when my hair was dry, braid waves would last for five or six days. Now, with better hair care, they're pretty much completely gone after a day.

[JuliaDancer]

I recently experimented with twin dutch lace braids to get awesome braidwaves.

Here are the initial braids and the result after a day of wearing them and sleeping on them overnight (no product added).

Braids:
http://i833.photobucket.com/albums/zz256/Yozhik87/Hair/May5003.jpg

Braid waves:
http://i833.photobucket.com/albums/zz256/Yozhik87/Hair/DSC_0265.jpg

This is so beautiful! How do you get the ends to be curly? My hair is pretty straight, so while the rest of my hair looks pretty and wavy, the ends are always straight, like I randomly ironed the ends...

[Yozhik]

Maddy25, thanks for the compliment! It felt great to be called princessish. :o

By the way, your hair is getting quite long! :flower:

Lapushka and Theobroma, thanks for the compliments. :D
All of them really made my day :cheese:

JuliaDancer, my hair is naturally 2b/c, so that may be the reason behind my "curly" ends, although I find it kind of funny that you should ask, because I think they look not as nice as the rest of my waves and stick out awkwardly. :silly:

It helped for my hair at the sides that it was actually braided all the way down to the ends -- braiding as far down as possible helps with getting them curlier all the way to the bottom, and as some other people have mentioned in the thread, something else you can do is curl up the ends with sponge rollers. I hope that helps! :flower:

[SwordWomanRiona]

Two pics of the braidwaves I get with the 'three braids when hair is dry and leave overnight' method. These were taken when I came back from university, so they're beginning to fade...
As usual, sorry for the gigantic pics!
http://1i1qpw.bay.livefilestore.com/y1pGZfmP6UQOv1qvhNQtJXumd5KiLI1ofoAs26OFX3UQ5ftUqK R54ZPftxX3MlxxKU8EOKHzlXXgDqvT_KGDyhzfSOyrUyIxjqZ/braidwaves.jpg?psid=1

http://1i1qpw.bay.livefilestore.com/y1pxWEPloFo_kbIgmwAI2wGkAqUtl4wopbCHKn2ii5l0GxepSV Are-ArAOgfRR58iEioHcaJz4pfw5t7k5h4uxIWnbT6qwjm0qt/braidwaves2.jpg?psid=1

[Tornerose]

If I want to avoid spagthetti ends, I find a perm roller and roll up my ends (and the braid itself if it will not be too clumpy).

[jel]

I find rope braids the best for braid waves. The twisting almost makes a pin-curl effect...

Here's an old example:
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c131/jel_sher/IMG_0069.jpg

[Stub]

Braid waves from double english braids worn in fairly heavily jojoba oiled hair today. My hair seems to take braids better when oiled rather than damp with water.

http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/5568/braidwaves0001.jpg

[julliams]

My best results have been from one english braid down the back, or separate my hair into 3 and then english braid each of those (so three equal braids all up). The latter is how I did my hair for this Eowyn costume. My braids are thick though.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4132/5022326967_d7648e8754.jpg

[RecklessCharlie]

One thing I've noticed is that some people don't braid their braid tight enough to achieve good wave. OP do you make sure your braid is nice and tight? Each strand being pulled as snug as it can be may help :) I think that a loose braid may not accomplish the curly task, especially is your hair is verrry straight!

I usually french or dutch braid my damp hair as far down as I can (which isn't super far due to still growing out layers) and then take a small sponge roller with a clasp on it and roll the ends around that and up a bit into the braid. I leave out a band or tie completely, letting the curler act as that and eliminating any 'band mark'. :)
This pic was taken a while back when my hair was quite a bit shorter. And as you can see the waves a loose, I'd been wearing it down all day and they'd fallen somewhat.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j195/doofuschucklesniffer/chair5.jpg

[FarmGirl]

Ok, to the people who have "spaghetti ends"... after you braid down as far as you want, take a piece of 6-8in long fabric or ribbon. Start at the end of your tassel and wrap your hair tightly around the ribbon. When you get up to your elastic end of braid, tie the ribbon around the elastic-ed braid to secure.
When you go to take out your braid, just unroll/unwrap the ends and take out your braid. You will have beautiful princess hair!!
Works for me every time :)

[Madora]

Reckless Charlie...that is a gorgeous picture!

[RecklessCharlie]

Reckless Charlie...that is a gorgeous picture!
Thank you Madora! :) I rarely wear my hair like that, I need to get in the habit, its a fun style!

[silverstars]

I like to do double dutch braids when my hair is wet and leave it like that for the day. Then, I leave them in for the night and take them out in the morning. I finger comb my hair to separate the waves. If I comb it, its a bushy mess.

[Mrspuddinhead]

Well, I'm just learning to braid my self. Seeing that my daughters hair is chin length I'm my own practise subject. I noticed I have a easier time when it is wet yet I have a hard time making the strands close to the same size. Any way here is my braid waves from a double Dutch braid. I too need to braid closer to the ends.

http://i54.tinypic.com/2ld86tk.jpg

[DARKMARTIAN]

Ive said it before and i'll say it again. I dislike my braid waves.

I tend to braid rather tightly so my BW's come out looking somewhat unnatural and I dont particularly care for that. Besides....Ive discovered that I enjoy my natural waves so much more....:)

[Mesmerise]

Braid waves don't seem to work well on me either... umm maybe because I've got so much taper I don't get a nice even wave?? But I guess I'm also fussy, because when I braid the top will be straight, and therefore I don't get a nice uniform wave from it...

Oh, for me I get the ends okay if I make sure I wet the hair at the end after doing the braid. The wet hair forms a nice natural ringlet lol. If it's drier when I do it though, or my hair is wet when I start, it doesn't always ringletize as well! (Yeah, I know that's not a word, but I like to make words up :D).

[Lilli]

My hair has to be dry or any waves will fall out. Also, it has always resisted curls, and so waves won't last past a few hours, even in arid weather. Plus, it is hard to get even sections, so the waves are uneven. Dislike all around.

[Boudicca]

My hair goes into good braid waves - but I think it might be because it is naturally curly, and want to take a shape anyway.

For wavy/curly girls (and boys) a way to deal with the tassel: Just wind it round your finger and hold for about thirty second. When you let go it should be in a ringlet shape and will hold that way.

[Mrspuddinhead]

Ok, well last night I decided instead of two Dutch braids I would do one. I can't tell you how much more natural the waves look. I think the ACV rinse on my hair is doing wonders too. It seems as if it going blonder.YEAH!!

http://i52.tinypic.com/28l56y0.jpg

[schweedie]

Mrspuddinhead, your waves look great!

I put my hair in a French braid before it was completely dry the other day and kept it that way overnight - next morning this was what it got me:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=6095&pictureid=102820 http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=6095&pictureid=102821

I really need to braid further down. *sigh* Those pin straight ends do not look pretty.

[sharicat]

beautiful waves everyone :) I don't think my hair suits them, it's quite fine so my braid is skinny, and I just get crazy zig zags! I don't like straight ends eithers but going to try the ribbon tip.

[SwordWomanRiona]

Ok, well last night I decided instead of two Dutch braids I would do one. I can't tell you how much more natural the waves look. I think the ACV rinse on my hair is doing wonders too. It seems as if it going blonder.YEAH!!

http://i52.tinypic.com/28l56y0.jpg

Gorgeous braidwaves! :)

[SwordWomanRiona]

Mrspuddinhead, your waves look great!

I put my hair in a French braid before it was completely dry the other day and kept it that way overnight - next morning this was what it got me:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=6095&pictureid=102820 http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=6095&pictureid=102821

I really need to braid further down. *sigh* Those pin straight ends do not look pretty.

I get the straightish ends a lot of times too (*sigh* again), but we shouldn't worry so much about them, they aren't really that noticeable. In your case the effect looks lovely, actually!

[SwordWomanRiona]

My hair has to be dry or any waves will fall out. Also, it has always resisted curls, and so waves won't last past a few hours, even in arid weather. Plus, it is hard to get even sections, so the waves are uneven. Dislike all around.

Really? My hair will only accept braidwaves that last more than a couple of hours if I braid when my hair's dry after washing. I have to keep the braids until my next wash + wash in them + let the hair dry in them to get waves that last for more than one day...:rolleyes:

[SwordWomanRiona]

Ok, to the people who have "spaghetti ends"... after you braid down as far as you want, take a piece of 6-8in long fabric or ribbon. Start at the end of your tassel and wrap your hair tightly around the ribbon. When you get up to your elastic end of braid, tie the ribbon around the elastic-ed braid to secure.
When you go to take out your braid, just unroll/unwrap the ends and take out your braid. You will have beautiful princess hair!!
Works for me every time :)

This sounds good! I'm going to try it! Thanks!

[SwordWomanRiona]

One thing I've noticed is that some people don't braid their braid tight enough to achieve good wave. OP do you make sure your braid is nice and tight? Each strand being pulled as snug as it can be may help :) I think that a loose braid may not accomplish the curly task, especially is your hair is verrry straight!

I usually french or dutch braid my damp hair as far down as I can (which isn't super far due to still growing out layers) and then take a small sponge roller with a clasp on it and roll the ends around that and up a bit into the braid. I leave out a band or tie completely, letting the curler act as that and eliminating any 'band mark'. :)
This pic was taken a while back when my hair was quite a bit shorter. And as you can see the waves a loose, I'd been wearing it down all day and they'd fallen somewhat.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j195/doofuschucklesniffer/chair5.jpg

This is gorgeous, RecklessCharlie!! That half-up with the braidwaves looks just like Éowyn's hairstyle when she's wearing the velvet green dress in The Two Towers.

[SwordWomanRiona]

My best results have been from one english braid down the back, or separate my hair into 3 and then english braid each of those (so three equal braids all up). The latter is how I did my hair for this Eowyn costume. My braids are thick though.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4132/5022326967_d7648e8754.jpg

I love your Éowyn costume!! That one's among my favourites :) And your hair looks very Éowyn-like :)

[Qadupae]

*subscribe* I suck at braid waves, but that might have to do with the fact that I suck at braiding in general and my hair is thick, but only a little above APL. Keeping on eye on this thread for sure for the future at the very least.

[gossamer]

I love your Éowyn costume!! That one's among my favourites :) And your hair looks very Éowyn-like :)

So many Éowyn costumes in this thread. Maybe we should start our own thread for those of us who've dressed up like her? :)

I've found the best braid waves ever for me come from two french/dutch braids done in slightly damp hair. Then I take the two braids hanging down and twist them into a rope braid. Ends up looking like this:
http://x8e.xanga.com/e40f97f773633275247341/m219382488.jpg

[Yozhik]

Gossamer, that is gorgeous hair! :thud:

Those braidwaves look incredible. :crush: :heart:

...and it looks like they stretch down forever. :bigeyes:

[SwordWomanRiona]

You have gorgeous, gorgeous hair, gossamer!! I love everything about it - the length, the colour, the waves! Beautiful!!

[charalito]

I'm loving this thread! Lots of inspiring pictures and great tips :)

Yesterday I did 2 french rope braids, with the ends curled on a scrunchy on dry hair and when I took the braids out this morning I had the most gorgeous braid waves ever!! Thank you so much for the suggestions.

[gossamer]

You have gorgeous, gorgeous hair, gossamer!! I love everything about it - the length, the colour, the waves! Beautiful!!

Thank you! I wish the waves were like that naturally!

I should probably note that if I let it air dry without any intervention, it's more or less totally straight. I had a slight natural wave at BSL, but that soon straightened out due to length.

Another braid wave thing I discovered is that I get much less wave if I use a very coney conditioner. Someone here helped me figure that out after I went home for Christmas and suddenly couldn't get waves after using my mom's conditioner. It was a bit of an a-ha moment for me.

[Mrspuddinhead]

Gorgeous braidwaves! :)

Thank you so much!! My husband also said he prefered my hair wavy vs. curled with curling iron. Plus it's much, much, much healthier. :)

[Mrspuddinhead]

Mrspuddinhead, your waves look great!

I put my hair in a French braid before it was completely dry the other day and kept it that way overnight - next morning this was what it got me:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=6095&pictureid=102820 http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=6095&pictureid=102821

I really need to braid further down. *sigh* Those pin straight ends do not look pretty.

Thank you so much!! Your hair is such a beautiful color!! Is that your natural color??

[schweedie]

Thank you so much!! Your hair is such a beautiful color!! Is that your natural color??
Oh, thank you! :) Yep, all natural. Only just learning to enjoy it - it used to be quite a bit lighter (http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k626/growingmyhair/DSCN5661.jpg) (also naturally) and I've been missing that colour, but I'm starting to really like the gold!

[SoulOfTheSea]

I love rope braids!! They make the prettiest loose-spiral like waves that are so smooth! Oh, and you don't get those funky ends like regular 3 stranded braids generally give.

[Zesty]

I have to say that the nicest braid waves I've gotten have been from wearing a roped vortex bun all day. Rope braids seem to have less of a tendency to leave waves that just look like kinks. It also gave my hair a lot of pretty volume. Unfortunately the only pictures I got of it were very bad quality, so I'll spare you that. But that might be one thing to try. French braiding also gave me nicer waves than plain English braiding.

[SwordWomanRiona]

I've been experimenting with braidwaves quite a lot this past Summer :). I'll post some pics asap.

I love everyone's braidwaves in this thread!!

[Cirafly24]

I get my best braidwaves by making a "faux french braid" (tutorial is on torrinpaige's youtube channel) when my hair is about 80% dry. I leave it in until my hair is totally dry, and this is what I get:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=5280&pictureid=115165

[julliams]

I get beautiful braid waves when I make two dutch braids or french braids. that way the waves start at the top.

Totally agree with this. This gives me the perfect result. French braids don't give me as good a result but dutch braids are perfect.

[Madora]

I get my best braidwaves by making a "faux french braid" (tutorial is on torrinpaige's youtube channel) when my hair is about 80% dry. I leave it in until my hair is totally dry, and this is what I get:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=5280&pictureid=115165

Spectacular, Cirafly! I'm going to have to try that come Spring.

[MoreWhenNuh]

I just wanted to share something I tried last night. It sounds silly but it worked wonders and had a surprising result that I didn't even think of. I took one of my daughter's baby socks and put it over the end of my braid and then secured with an elastic. It protected my hair while I slept and also from the elastic. When I took it off this morning it left my hair with a cute curl from resting slightly coiled in the bottom of the sock. Instead of the stick straight ends I usually have! So happy I thought of this. Here's a picture (I know it's silly but you're just sleeping in it):

http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m564/WennaDale/photo-4.jpg

[Angel_099]

Mine are in my siggy! :) Braided dry hair before bed in french pigtail braids. I have great results doing this! I forgot to use Kimberly's defrizz spray before braiding that time so they didn't last as long. I get much better results when I spritz a little of that on before I braid.

[jacqueline101]

I used to do regular braids but smaller ones not micro braids just smaller ones.

[bluesnowflake]

I like my one-english-braid waves best. The waves start right below my ears and if you twist the ends it stays pretty, but maybe that's because my hair takes curl easily. If you do it when it's about 20% damp I find it works the best. I find two braids make giant frizz bomb hair and I can never get the top waves on french/dutch braids to look nice.

[Kelikea]

I get the best braid waves from double Dutch braids. In the evening, I coconut oil my hair, braid, then spritz with water until very damp, cover with sleep cap. I wear the braids the next day. A the end of the day, they will be dry and then you can either sleep on them again or take them out for braid waves that night or in the morning.
Here's me in my pj's with oiled, braided, damp hair:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=8987&pictureid=120532
and here it is after school the next day, when I took out the braids:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=8987&pictureid=120534

[Yozhik]

Very pretty, Kelikea! :flowers:

Twin dutch braids are how I achieve my best braidwaves, too. :)
I may have to experiment with coconut oil and water spritzing, though, as I usually do mine on dry or almost dry hair.

[Kira94]

I tried two rope braids the other night, and really liked the very natural looking wave it gave me. :)

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=8880&pictureid=121938

[Jessibear2854]

I get beautiful braid waves when I make two dutch braids or french braids. that way the waves start at the top.
Ditto! Esp. the dutch braids.

[SwordWomanRiona]

I get my best braidwaves by making a "faux french braid" (tutorial is on torrinpaige's youtube channel) when my hair is about 80% dry. I leave it in until my hair is totally dry, and this is what I get:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=5280&pictureid=115165

Wow, gorgeous, Cirafly!! :)

[SwordWomanRiona]

I just wanted to share something I tried last night. It sounds silly but it worked wonders and had a surprising result that I didn't even think of. I took one of my daughter's baby socks and put it over the end of my braid and then secured with an elastic. It protected my hair while I slept and also from the elastic. When I took it off this morning it left my hair with a cute curl from resting slightly coiled in the bottom of the sock. Instead of the stick straight ends I usually have! So happy I thought of this. Here's a picture (I know it's silly but you're just sleeping in it):

http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m564/WennaDale/photo-4.jpg

I do something similar, I sometimes wrap my damp tassel around a bandanna [the bandanna waves/curls method] and leave it overnight. I get lovely waves that last all day long in the ends and subtler waves in the length because of the braiding. Something like this:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7152/6560334225_d35d7fa4c0.jpg

In this one I just bandanna-curled up to my shoulders:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7166/6565104585_7118baa06c.jpg

[SwordWomanRiona]

I get the best braid waves from double Dutch braids. In the evening, I coconut oil my hair, braid, then spritz with water until very damp, cover with sleep cap. I wear the braids the next day. A the end of the day, they will be dry and then you can either sleep on them again or take them out for braid waves that night or in the morning.
Here's me in my pj's with oiled, braided, damp hair:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=8987&pictureid=120532
and here it is after school the next day, when I took out the braids:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=8987&pictureid=120534

Wow!! Sooo pretty! I must learn to Dutch braid!

[kaiakai]

Wow!! Sooo pretty! I must learn to Dutch braid!

I concur! Those are the first braid waves I have seen that I actually like.

[RoseOfClare]

I have very fine hair. I get lovely braid waves with any type braid I do. I always braid wet tho! That's they key with me. If they are started near the scalp I don't get the odd flatness ontop my head. And my hair is only BSL

[RoseOfClare]

braid my mum recently tried on me

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a291/catlinrose/honeybee1.jpg


love the wave I ended up getting

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a291/catlinrose/honeybunbraidwaves1.jpg

[mzBANGBANG]

braid my mum recently tried on me
love the wave I ended up getting



OMG!!! I am unworthy!!! Simply gorgeous!

[Kat]

Wow, I need to start doing my hair in tighter braids! (And figure out how to french braid so they actually start at the top.)

I always have braid waves because my hair is almost always braided. Sometimes I wish I could find a way to contain it that WON'T make it wave so I can wear it down straight without the waves. (A bun will do it, but my buns are so big that it's uncomfortable to sleep in them because they make my head cant to a weird angle because they're at least as wide as or wider than my head.) I find straight it looks okay, but if it's waved and then I brush it, it ends up kind of bushy looking because it's like the brushing makes any damage I have fluff out. And it doesn't look like thick hair-- it looks like bushy damaged hair.

[Seeshami]

Rope braids give me the best results. But the naughty mess also fals flat in 5 minutes no mater what, unless I don't want it wavy.

[LadyKate]

I have fine, thinner hair, and for me, bun waves come out nicer. With braid waves, even if I only do one braid and take larger sections, by the time I get to the ends, the braid is quite small and I end up with little frizzy waves. With a bun, I end up with larger, looser waves that are less frizzy. If I want smaller waves, I will do 2 or more buns.

[Renate]

I'm done with braid waves, they look horrible in my hair. The ends come off very ugly. All dry, frizzy and stiffy. Just plain ugly. Plus, I'm concerned with the hair elastic damaging my ends.

[RoseOfClare]

OMG!!! I am unworthy!!! Simply gorgeous!

Ur not unworthy lol my hair is naturally pin straight so i love when i can get the waves in it for few days at a time

[Emaebe]

So my hair is already somewhat curly, but I get really pretty braid waves when I have slightly damp hair. Like just towel dried once and then braid- either one or two french braids if I want it all over or a regular braid if I just want half of my hair wavy and the top half smooth.

[Redbeetle36]

I am loving braid waves! On freshly washed hair that's almost dry I do one French braid starting right at the top and I braid it as far to the ends as possible. I do put a little bit of hairspray over it but that's it, in the morning once I'm showered and dressed, it takes a minute to undo, finger comb and I'm done, great for busy school mornings! I wish I could post some photos up but I'm still not allowed, not sure why?

[UP Lisa]

This is just from a plain old English braid.....

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v644/lmreddin/Hair/150by150.jpg