360 Waves
Brushed pattern · deep
360 waves are not a haircut so much as a trained pattern: coily hair is cut short with the grain, usually a #1 to #2, then brushed flat in the direction of growth until the curls lie down in rings around the head. A durag at night keeps the pattern from lifting.
Who it suits
You need a genuinely coily texture; straight or loosely wavy hair will not form the pattern no matter how much you brush. The short cut suits most face shapes, and a crisp lineup does a lot of the framing. Be honest about the commitment, because waves reward daily consistency.
Daily brushing sessions, a durag at night, and a lineup every one to two weeks. Skipping days shows in the pattern by the weekend.
360 Waves — common questions
How long does it take to get 360 waves?
Most guys see a faint pattern in three to six weeks of daily brushing and have real waves in two to three months. Coarser, coilier textures usually connect faster. Wolfing, which means letting the hair grow for several weeks between cuts, is what deepens the pattern.
Do you need curly hair for 360 waves?
Yes. The waves are your natural curl trained to lie flat in one direction, so there has to be a curl to train. Coily and kinky textures wave up best. If your hair is straight, no brush or pomade will produce the pattern.
What does wolfing mean?
Letting your hair grow out for two to six weeks without a cut while continuing to brush daily. The extra length lets the curl compress into deeper, more connected waves. You take it down with a with-the-grain cut once the pattern sets.
