How to Create a Hair Wave With a Plait

It never fails that if you have straight hair, you want to have wavy or curly hair. You can create that wild fun look of out of control waves by just plaiting your hair. On the flipside, you can actually tame over-curly hair into softer waves by plaiting your hair as well. It's easier than you think, so just use the following steps to get you started.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Hair gel
• Hair ties or rubber bands for hair
• Comb
• Hair pick

Get the Desired Wave With a Plait

1. Wash your hair thoroughly before you start. Leave your hair damp to start plaiting or braiding your hair. Plaiting your hair is an old-fashioned term for braiding.

2. Divide your hair into small sections if you want tighter waves. The smaller the sections, the tighter the braided plait making the final head of waves very tight. For very curly hair, section your hair into four to six larger sections and do a thicker plait with hair gel and dampness added. Be sure to make the plaits tight, even though they're thick. When you release the plaits, you'll have a softer wavy look rather than tight curls. Shorter hair may have to be French braided or in a corn-row style. Start this type plait with a small section and pick up more hair each time you pull a section of hair across, keeping this plait very close to the scalp.

3. Remoisten each section of hair before you start your braid. A great styling tip is to use a spray gel at this point in the braiding process. Spray it on and comb through before braiding or plaiting.

4. Braid each section, tightly and smoothly. Each time you cross over an outside section of hair, comb through the remaining hair to smooth and pull tightly. Continue with the cross-overs from each side until the entire section of hair is plaited.

5. Secure the ends of the braid with a hair tie or a rubber band for hair.

6. Let your hair dry thoroughly. If you do this in the morning, this will take several hours or all day, depending upon the thickness of your hair and the individual braids. Do your braiding or plaiting at night and just sleep on them until morning. To sleep on the braids, cover the entire head in a hair scarf that covers the head tightly.

7. Take the plaits out gently and carefully one at a time. Do not comb or brush through your hair. Use your fingers or a hair pick to loosen the waves to the desired look.

Get Funky Hair Waves With Plaits

8. Create the funky hair look that you want before you style it. If your hair is very long, you will have more options.

9. Start your hair plaiting or braids several inches down from the crown of the head, so this section of hair is really straight. Comb through this area with hair gel so the straight section "sets" as well as the waved section. When you take this style of plait out, the top of your head, or the crown, will be straight and flat with the waves exploding from this bottom portion of the style.

10. Color your hair with a wild spray on hair coloring as you plait each section. You can make it one or ten different colors by planning your "craziness" while you plait. Have your fun evening and wash the color out along with the waves.

11. Leave several of the long thin sections of plaited hair in while releasing the others. Take several braids from the top section of your head or around the face and pull out of the way, while you unbraid and pick out the rest of the hair to style. Let the thin plaits of hair fall down over the loose waves. Have fun, as you've got yourself another new look.

Tips & Warnings

• Your new waves won't last too long. They'll disappear as soon as they are washed.
• Avoid brushing your new waves. Brushing will cause the waves to get fuzzy rather than wavy.

[InspyreD]

on 12/3/2008 Very helpful. This takes patience!