7 Things You Need for 360 Waves

• Using pomades produces buildup and flakes.
• Most pomade wave products contain heavy petroleum, which makes hair waves feel gooey and gummy.
• Also, they may clog hair pores and cause acne on the face and upper back. They may even potentially cause a receding hairline if you frequently wear fitted baseball caps.
• If you use pomade, only do it sparingly and only to get your waves started.

Using hair creams that contain shea butter and essential oils is healthier. Your wave products should feel light on the hair—not thick and heavy, which causes flaky build-up. The only time that you should brush the waves is after applying a hair cream or a moist hot rag, or when shampooing.

More Tips for Maintaining Your Waves

• Only brush when hair is moist. One thing to avoid is brushing the hair while it is dry. Only brush when moisturizer has been applied to the waves.
• You don't need to brush too much. Some men brush 3–8 hours a day. Strange, isn't it? But that isn't necessary. In fact, too much brushing can cause the hair to get thinner, and it makes it feel like the individual is brushing more scalp than hair. The idea is to get waves—thick, healthy-looking hair. You won't do that by over-brushing the cuticles.
• Take vitamins. Taking care of hair goes further than just applying products. A good tip for good healthy hair is to take biotin. Multivitamins and biotin supplements can be purchased at a local pharmacy. Biotin is known for making hair thicker and healthier.
• Get a good brush. A good one to buy is the 100% Boar Bristles Diane brush, or another wave brush brand of your choice. It's a good idea to have both a hard bristle and a soft bristle brush.
• Be patient. It can take 6–8 weeks or less for some men to form deep 360 waves.
• Combing and brushing. Once you have established deep waves, you can use a wave comb to comb your style. The soft brush is also for when your waves are established and already formed. Avoid sharing your brushes and combs with other people for sanitary reasons. It's good to wash your brushes and combs in hot water and soap every two days.
• Avoid using chemical perm. Good news: Black men's hair is naturally curly. This is why it should be easy to train it to form deep waves.
• Use your hands instead of a brush when hair is dry. Rubbing the waves with the palm of your hands when the hair is dry is better, rather than brushing the hair when it's dry.
• Using excessive amounts of hair products is not necessary. Just using a good conditioning moisturizer is all you need.
• Help formation by using a wave cap, durag, or stocking cap. It's only necessary to wear a wave cap when the hair is wet, damped, newly moisturized, or when going to bed. Wave caps don't have to be worn out in public unless you're new to forming waves. But if you already have waves, it's okay to let the hair get some air in public and to leave the cap at home.
• Trim regularly. Some men go to a barbershop to get their short haircut, or some might cut their own with clippers at home. Cut hair every 4–5 weeks for coarse hair.
• Most wave moisturizers can be found at beauty supply stores or local pharmacies. Once you find out which moisturizers work for you, continue to use them. The products that work for one person's hair may not work for your hair or skin. Learn your own hair type, and when you find out which products are better for you in making deep waves, continue to use them.