Braiding your hair for waves in the morning is a great way to ensure that your hair will stay wavey for the rest of the day. As someone who loves wavy hair, I find that using braids for waves is a good and easy way to make your hair look amazing in the morning.
In this post, I connected with Molly Leahy, a professional makeup artist and hairstylist of over 14 years, to share with me her best tips for creating braids with waves.
Here’s How to Braid Hair for Waves in The Morning:
Step 1: Damp your hair slightly (NOT soaking wet)
Step 2: Apply a light gel or mousse to your damp hair. The thicker your hair the less wet it should be. Preferably apply a product with some hold like Living Proof In-Shower Styler that enhances all the natural textures you will put in with the braid.
Step 3: Braid hair by splitting your section into 3 parts. Alternate moving the left piece and then the right piece over the middle piece. If you are doing a French braid, simply add a little hair into the left or right pieces before you cross it over (or under, if you’re doing a Dutch-style braid) your middle piece. Secure end with small elastic.
Step 4: Wait for your hair to dry or use a hair dryer on the braids to speed up the drying process.
Step 5: When your hair is dry, take out the braids. Run your fingers through your hair to split up the texture and either add a texture mist to enhance the waves or a grooming cream to pull them out more
for a looser texture.
Extra Tips from Molly:
– The more braids you have, the more waves you will have. However, if you do too many braids it can have a more crimped effect than a subtle beach wave so it is generally best to stick to one braid down the middle of two Dutch braids.
– If you are doing 2 braids and wear a side part, I recommend doing a zigzag parting down the middle so that when your hair is dry and you flip to your natural part there won’t be a distinct line that keeps separating your hair.
– If you want the waves to start closer to your scalp, a French braid is best. If you want the waves to start lower, simply move your braid starting point lower.
Sandy’s Notes:
Allow enough time in the morning to get your braids right. This process takes some practice. The longer you can leave your braids in your hair, the longer your waves will hold for the rest of the day. If time is a problem or if you’re in a hurry, consider using a professional blow dryer to help speed up the process.
Professional blow dryers create negative ions that break down water molecules to help dry your hair faster. Negative Ions also help to seal in hair cuticle (the outermost part of the hair shaft) to reduce frizz, seal in moisture and make your hair glossy and soft.
If you simply don’t have time in the morning for this hair routine. You may consider doing your braids at night and take them out in the morning. Your braids may be compressed against your pillow and ultimately change the shape of your waves in the morning but it will save you some time.
