How Long Does It Take To Get Waves?

Waves have become one of the most popular hairstyles over the last couple of decades, especially amongst black men, the style is characterized by the wholly unique with the 360 wave pattern that is created all around the head. 


The look has become very popular but despite its popularity it is still fairly difficult to achieve this style.

The speed at which you develop waves heavily weighs on the texture of your hair with some people taking several weeks to develop them.

This may sound complicated but fortunately you have come to the right place, as in this article we will explain all of the right methods.

Being committed and having a lot of patience will be major factors in having the success you are looking for with your pursuit of waves. 

So we are going to explain all that there is to know about waves, how to get them and all the preparation needed and how to maintain them after the fact.

How To Prepare?

Before we even think about getting waves there are things you must do to prepare.

Advanced preparation is absolutely necessary for you to get the best possible waves. Make sure to follow these steps before going all in. 

Protect Your Scalp

Before going for a haircut you must make sure that your scalp is healthy, if you suffer from issues such as dandruff or have a dry scalp then you should be looking into solutions for those as it can be important to make sure that you get the best waves. 

There are many solutions available and most are sold over the counter.

These scalp shampoos will directly target the issue and have your hair perfectly set up for the waves, but before you go ahead and begin the process there is one more step that is needed in the set up phase.

Getting A Haircut

One of the most essential steps in getting waves is getting the perfect cut to mold into them.

Most barbers will know what to do when you tell them you are getting waves, having a nice short cut is the perfect canvas to allow the waves to develop. 

The general idea is that you should have a close cut but not enough to see the scalp.

Getting an edge up will also benefit you as it will further enhance the style of the waves when they do appear.

Be Prepared To Commit Your Time 

To achieve your end goal of getting the best waves possible you must be prepared to invest a large amount of time in the process of letting the waves stew.

You must also be prepared to train your hair with this requiring daily effort from you. 

Getting your waves requires dedication and knowledge of what you are doing, to get 360 waves you are going to need a lot of commitment.

Ensure that you are ready to invest a decent amount of time into your hair to make sure the results come out as you want them, if you do not put in the time then it will be impossible to get the desired outcome.

How To Train Your Waves?

How To Train Your Waves

So now you have your fresh cut, it is time to get this show on the road. What do you do now?

Well the waves will not just form out of nothing so here are the next steps to make sure your attempt at waves works out well and not a disaster.

Wave Shampoo

There are many shampoos designed for you and others who want waves.

The shampoos are not an essential item but will help you more than just regular shampoo.

You can still achieve waves with regular shampoo but you would be better off looking for a more herbal, conditioning or even a protein shampoo.

With this process you will still need to wash your hair but less than you probably are currently.

Shampoos will remove the oil from your hair that is essential for making waves so it is probably only best to wash it once a week at the most.

When washing your hair make sure you are also conditioning it.

Use A Durag

The quintessential item that is heavily associated with waves is the durag.

The silky headpiece protects your hair from the outside world and seals in all the moisture. How often should you wear it?

People will tell you that you should always be wearing it but is that the case, not really but you should be ensuring that you have it on tightly after you have brushed your hair.

You should also be wearing it whilst sleeping as the durag will hold the waves in place whilst you are lying down.

There are multiple types of durag with the most common being the more iconic satin variant, this helps keep in the moisture and prevents breakage.

The other type is polyester is another type that is relatively common with the more niche type being velvet which can be harder to find and is more commonly seen in the fashion world than the regular durag wearer. 

How Long Is The Process?

There is no clear answer to the question as to how long it will take for them to form.

It can heavily depend on the texture of your hair and the time and effort that you are willing to invest into your waves.

Another factor is how healthy your hair is, the process can range from two weeks to upwards of six weeks, this range of time is typically the average time for waves to form and be visible.

So if you are an impatient person you should be hoping to be on the lower end of that scale.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully that is all of your questions answered, the process is not a short one so be prepared to invest a lot of time into getting waves. Whether the time spent is worth it’

s up to you.

Matt Park
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