How to Doobie Wrap Black Hair

Achieve smooth, straight hair with a doobie wrap.

Many African American women relax or straighten their hair. A doobie wrap is a hairstyle designed to help keep relaxed or straightened hair straight without the extra and unnecessary heat damage caused by using tools such as blow-dryers and flat irons. By roller-setting the hair and "wrapping" it around the head, a doobie wrap prevents some stress on the hair and gives the hair a soft, smooth and voluminous look.

Things You'll Need

• Deep conditioner
• Wide tooth comb
• Rat tail comb
• Large hair rollers
• Hooded dryer
• Wrapping lotion or foam
• Paddle brush
• 4--6 large hair clips or bobby pins

Instructions

1. Shampoo and condition your hair. After shampooing and conditioning, apply a deep conditioning product from the roots to the ends of your hair. Use a wide tooth comb to comb the product throughout and detangle your hair.

2. Roller-set your hair. Starting from the front of your head, use the end of the rat tail comb to part a section of hair as wide as the rollers you will be using. Completely comb through the section of hair for finer detangling. Gently stretch your hair out and put a roller on the ends, wrapping your hair over it. Roll the hair all the way up to your scalp, keeping the hair stretched the whole time so it goes onto the roller smoothly and the hair dries straight. Secure the roller with a roller clip. Repeat this process until all of your hair is rolled.

3. Dry your hair. Sit under a hooded dryer set to medium-high for 45 to 60 minutes, depending on your hair's length. Before removing all of the rollers, test to see if the hair is dry by removing a roller from one of the longest sections of your hair and feeling to see if the ends are dry. If your hair is still damp, sit under the dryer until it's fully dry. Carefully remove the rollers.

4. Apply the wrapping lotion or foam to your hair and distribute it throughout using the wide tooth comb. Now, make a part in your hair, either from crown to nape, or in four sections from forehead to nape and ear to ear. Use the paddle brush to begin smoothing your hair down to your head in a clockwise direction. Smooth the hair down and around your entire head keeping it as smooth as possible, which will ensure straightness when you unwrap the hair.

5. Once all of your hair is wrapped smoothly around your head in what looks like a beehive, use four to six large hair clips or bobby pins to hold the wrap in place. If your hair is shorter, you may need more pins to secure your wrap.

Tips & Warnings

• The bigger the rollers you use to roller-set your hair, the faster it will dry and the more voluminous your hair will be.

• You can add the hair clips or pins as you wrap the hair instead of when you are finished wrapping.

• As an alternative to hair clips or pins, you can use a wrap net or wrap strips to secure your wrap.

References

• Black Woman Beauty Central: How to Wrap Black Hair
• Black Woman Beauty Central: How to Roller Set Hair
• Dominican Blow Out: How to Do a Doobie
• Black Hair Care Tips: Doobie vs. Saran Wrap for Healthy Hair