How to Cross Wrap Your Hair

For years and years, black hair care has been based on one main practice: hair wrapping. This is what keeps hair straight, keeps it flowing and helps to keep "the bump" on the ends of the hair and allows the hair to rest without constant manipulation..
The only problem? Thinning edges on the side that is being pulled.
Solution? Cross wrapping: an innovative approach to keeping your edges, keeping the flow and loosing that damaging flat iron!

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Wide Tooth - Comb
• Brush
• a light hair moisturizer and/or hair polisher
• two bobby pins
• silk head scarf

1. apply a dime-sized amount of your favorite hair polisher or hair moisturizer to the hair, (I recommend Neutrogena Triple Moisture leave-in, as it is light and non greasy, make sure to concentrate more in your ends.)

2. Comb through with a wide-tooth comb, eventually forming your favorite side part and continuing all the way down the middle of the hair, splitting the hair in half.

3. Take one side and gather it tightly in one hand as if you are gathering it to form a pig tail in the lower back of your head. Take that side and place it vertically on the other side, pinning your ends (bobby pin) in place.

4. Take the other side and gather it tightly in one hand as if you are gathering it to form a pig tail in the lower back of your head. Take that side and place it vertically on the other side, pinning your ends (bobby pin) in place.

5. Congratulations! You have now cross wrapped your hair. To keep the style, carefully tie a satin scarf over the hair as tight as you desire and is comfortable (for the flat iron effect), making sure all outside hairs are fully tucked in! (not tied along with or on top of the knot in back.

6. Because the bobby pins in the hair are most likely to create dents in the hair, carefully, while your head scarf is on, slide the pins away from securing any hairs, (Use your intuition to figure this out). Your pins should remain in the scarf as not to destroy your style. It should fall off when you want to un-cross wrap the hair.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember to make sure all of the hair is securely tucked in inside the scarf, not on a knot.. (in other words, give your hairs a good distance from the circumference of the scarfs) to avoid dents.
• Use very light product as it may cause you to loose your bounce depending on how thin your hair is.
• Concentrate on moisturizing mainly your ends to improve the health of your hair while cross wrapping
• Beware of falling bobby pins when unleashing your cross wrap!

[Ladybugblue]

on 5/26/2008 This was a well explained article. I enjoyed it!

[changeling]

on 5/25/2008 Very thorough article. Good stuff.