This is a subject I have been wanting to talk about for a while.  It is one that many men never really learn the truth on and as a result ruin their skin for life.  Black men, here is how to get rid of razor bumps.

If you are African American or Afro Anything, chances are your hair probably grows coarse and curly.  Commonly, we call that nappy hair.  When your hair grows from the pore it curls in a S or C pattern instead of laying flat.  Due to the unique characteristics of black hair, black men have to shave totally different.

How I Used to Shave (How Not to Shave)

When I first started growing hair on my face, I’d just let my barber clip it off during my haircut with clippers.  Easy enough right?  That was all fine and dandy until I started getting haircuts less frequently and my facial hair grew faster.

I decided to try different products on the market for shaving.  The first thing I did was try something my barber told me about called Magic Shave.

Magic Shave is what’s called a topical solution.  It is a chemical you put on your face for a few seconds and supposedly, it magically exfoliates the hair from your skin.   Well it didn’t work like that for me.  When I used magic shave, first of all it smelled HORRIBLE.  Magic Shave smells like the inside of a trash can.  I kid you not.  And you have to put it on your face.  Secondly magic shave BURNED MY FACE.

Yup, that’s right.  I have pretty sensitive skin and probably had no business putting those chemicals on it.  For a good 2  years after that episode I had dark brown burn marks on my face where the magic shave did it’s damage.  I would never suggest anyone use it, unless they knew what the risks were upfront.  Even then there are better ways.

Then I tried using a Gillette straight razor. 

It sounded like a good idea at the time and it is what all my friends were using.   I went to Walmart grabbed that Proline Fusion, the good shaving cream, and got to work.  Small problem though… I wasnt supposed to be shaving with a straight razor either.

The next day my neck looked like a Nestle Crunch! Bar, full of razor bumps.

How to Get Rid of The Bumps

Due to the coarseness of the hair combined with the angle of your neck, black men should not be using straight razors.  Especially not on the neck.  I didn’t know this and had to suffer with razor bumps for weeks.  That isn’t good, not at all.

I went online looking for a solution and found this stuff called PFB Pro Vanish and Bump Stopper.  PFB comes in a “roll on” tube like women’s deodorant and the Bump Stopper comes in a bottle.  I am not trying to sell you anything, I am just telling you the truth- it was the only thing that worked.  All you have to do is apply the Bump Stopper to each bump with a cotton swab.  Within 48 hours my neck was smooth again and I could throw my Gillette Razor in the trash forever!

That isn’t to say I never shaved with a straight razor again, I just stopped using it on my neck and only shaved my face.  I would still bump up from time to time on my face though, even after applying the PFB Vanish solution after the fresh shave.

How I Stopped Getting Razor Bumps Forever

After getting fed up with the “Will I get bumps this shave or not?” game I decided to go back to the drawing board.  It was clear I was not supposed to use a razor.  Ask any white person you know- you are NOT supposed to get Razor Bumps! They never do!

So I said screw living with this and searched for a solution.

I found some razor called the Bump Fighter.  It is sold in Dollar General and sometimes Family Dollar.  My father told me about them, but I decided not to get them.  I dont know why, but the idea of using a razor when razors always give me bumps seems kinda dumb to me.  It seems like a marketing trick to get you to purchase some low quality blades.  Maybe they don’t bump.  But if they don’t are they going to give you a smooth shave? I think not.

I thought back to my barbers and realized they NEVER used razors and always had smooth shaves.  What were they doing?  Of course, they were using clippers.  There was the answer to my problems right there staring me in the face every hair cut and I never thought about it.

When barbers shave you with razors you never bump. When they are done, they don’t need to hit you with any special solution (though to this day I still use PFB).

There are two types of clippers that barbers use.  The Andis T Outliners work really well and you can get them from Walmart.  Some people have their blades sharpened to get a closer shave.  I own these personally and they are what I shave with.

You can also go with a foil trimmer if you are fortunate enough to get your hands on one.  Most barbers have these but the good ones are hard to find.  Remington made a foil shaver for black men a few years ago but it is off the market now.  I have heard nothing but good things about it.

All in all if you want to get rid of razor bumps you have to use the correct product for you and your grade of hair.  I have really nappy hair and the clippers are what work for me.  Some black men have less coarse hair than me and can use straight razors, safety razors, disposable razors, clippers, magic shave, anything their heart’s desire.   However if you are like me and still walking around with Crunch and Munch on your face stop what you are doing! Re-evaluate how you are shaving and I am sure you will find a method here that will help you.

This is a question that many people have so I will take the time to try to instruct the best I can.  These days the weekly haircut is getting mighty expensive huh?  That $12-20 per week is starting to hit a few dudes in the pocket and I cannot even blame them or you for wanting to learn how to give yourself a haircut.

I’ve been doing this for about a year now and it is actually pretty easy.  The thing you have to keep in mind that when you cut your own hair is to be steady and slow.  You should be spending more time cutting your own head than your barber as a rule of thumb.  No one knows your head like you.

Getting Started

The first thing you need to do is wash your hair!  Just like if you were going to get cut by a barber, you need a clean head of hair.  Trying to cut your hair when it has dirt in it is no good.  Wash your hair and then let it dry.

Don’t grab your clippers yet!

Now if this is the first time cutting your own head the thing to do is learn your head.  You will want to take your fingertips and massage your head.  Yes this sounds weird but just do it.  Learn where all the little dips and nooks are on your scalp.  This is what I mean when I say you should cut your hair better than your barber.  He certainly is not going to massage your head.  Unless, umm… you have a special relationship…

So now your head is washed, your scalp is clean and you massaged your scalp. On to step two.

What Clippers Can You Use?

A lot of people will go back and forth on this topic.  Some will say you need the super expensive barber grade clippers with the vacuum.  Some will say you can get the job done with $20 K-Mart Clippers, and guess what they are both right?

The main difference will be how well the clippers cut out the box and how well they hold up over time.  It is obvious you are not going to get the same cut a year into ownership with K Mart clippers as you will the $500 expensive ones.  They just aren’t built the same.

The Clippers I Use to Cut My Own Hair

I use some simple Wahl trimmers.  Wahl Professional’s to be exact.  There is nothing special about them.  I got them for $49.99 at…. K Mart. Yes, you can get the cheap brand there too but I opted for the Wahls because that’s a brand I always see professional barbers with.

The Wahl’s also come with a small edger that I have never used because they are not meant for coarse (I.E. Nappy) hair.  For that I grabbed a pair of Andis T-Outliners from Walmart.

I also have the Andis Professional Outliners but never use them.  The only reason I got them was because I read some hype on them.  I think I’ve taken them out the box maybe 5 times.  The T Outliners give you all you need to trim your mustache and do your lineup.

How to Cut Your Own Hair

It’s time.  You have your clippers, you are confident and you don’t mind rocking a hat if you mess up.  Let’s do this!

Remember when I told you to massage your head?  You are going to cut your hair in the way it grows.  Some people will tell you to cut against the grain but I find that a trickier cut to do so I am going to suggest for your first cut to go with the grain.

Start with the guards you prefer (#1 or #2) and set the clippers to their widest setting.  That means the little arm is all the way down and the two blades and the furthest apart they can go.

Start just before the crown of your head, somewhere near the middle and cut down towards your hairline.  Do this for one side of your head.  Then, on the same side of your head cut just below the crown going down towards your neck.  Then slowly cut the gap left in your crown accordingly either towards the neck, or towards the hairline depending on how your hair grows.

Repeat for the other side of your head.  Brush the loose, cut hair from your new haircut and you are almost done!

Now for the hardest part….

How to Lineup Your Own Hair

Grab your liners (I use the Andis T Outliners) and get ready to cut your hairline.  This is the hardest part because it makes or breaks your haircut.

The trick I use is to use a credit card.  I use the credit card to guide my clippers and stop me from cutting anywhere I don’t want to cut.  Cut in short, quick strokes only cutting the hair that grows outside your hairline.  Don’t cut or re-create your hairline or you’ll push your hairline back.

For the back just use a mirror and cut alongside your neck then the base of the neck. 

Viola! Magic! You have a fresh cut and it cost you nothing!

Once again, here is a common issue people seem to have when getting into the wave game.  They have been waving it up for a few weeks or months and people are starting to notice.  The ladies start to smile more.  They get compliments at work.  But something is still not right when they look in the mirror.

That damned right side won’t come in.

This is a common issue.  So don’t freak out and think it is just something you are going through.  Many many people have had problems getting waves on the right side and there is a reason why.  You see, when you brush you are using the muscles in your forearm, and if you are right handed you are naturally going to get tired faster when brushing the right side of your head than the rest of your head. Your right arm is not used to doing that motion for such a long period of time and you will end up spending less time on that side than the rest of your head.

So to combat this, you need to brush the right side of your head MORE.  I suggest you get a palm brush.  They don’t tire out your arm as much as the handle brushes will.  If you can find a palm brush definitely get it because one day you will need it, especially if that right side won’t come in!

I don’t know why, but many guys are obsessed with this topic.  You would not believe how often I am asked how to get shiny waves.  I usually wouldn’t post this, but there is a trick to it that you may have never heard about.

See, most people don’t get shiny waves because they don’t experiment with the pomades and greases they use enough.  If you keep on using the same old stuff, you keep on getting the same old results. Right? Of course it’s right!  So if you are not getting shiny waves using “spinning waves” hair grease why would you continue to use it? You have to try something different from time to time to get where you want to be.

With all that said here is the trick I would use to make my 360 waves look shiny.

Yes, that is Let’s Jam! Hair gel.  That is all I use.  I would brush my hair like normal, use a little pomade, then top it off with Let’s Jam! I used the brand that came in the container with the teal top.

The thing about Lets Jam! is that it is commonly used for young girls to make their hair look healthy and shiny.  And you know they want their hair to look good.  So it was a no brainer for me to try using it and it worked.  I don’t suggest you use it all the time, as it isn’t really for short hair and may be hair to wash out, but for special occasions it is fine.  It gives you that extra shine to your waves and it holds pretty nice as well.

Ok, let me explain this.  A lot of people are confused to exactly what ‘wolfin’ is.  Wolfing is when you grow your hair out to get waves.  Why do you have to grow your hair out to get waves? Because your hair is a coil and if the coil is not long enough there wont be enough ‘S’ shapes in the coil to create the wave effect when you brush your hair down.

So how is wolfing done?

You simply get shape-ups instead of a full haircut for about a month.  I would suggest 8 weeks if you can make it.  That will make your waves REALLY deep and defined when you finally get it cut.  While you wolf make sure you are stil brushing your hair down and wearing your wave cap so it doesn’t turn into a mini afro.

And a word on hair cuts.  When you get your hair cut, let your barber know you want it DARK.  At least a #2.  Some people can go down to a 1 and 1/2 guard, but I highly suggest you tell him use the #2 guard then judge if you want to go down a little more.  Remember: you can’t put the hair back once it’s cut!

So you are on your wave journey and you need to decide what is the best pomade to really get you spinning.  Well the thing is, you are in luck.  There are a lot of different choices to choose from and they all are pretty good!  Remember the bulk of the reason why you get waves is going to be because of how well you brush.  Pomades are just a bonus to the work you already put in, and keep you hair healthy.

So what pomade should you use for 360 waves? Like I said there are a lot. Let’s jump right in.

I always recommend beginners to start with pink lotion? Why? Because it is cheap.  You can get it at dollar general or any dollar store near you for $0.99.  You usually get a nice size bottle too, so always have some of this in reserve in case you go traveling you can afford to lose it.  It is nice and light and you can gob it on your head while you brush with no problems.

The next pomade you should invest in is carrot creme. It is a little bit more expensive than pink lotion at about $3-$5 a jar, and it is getting harder and harder to find across the country.  I once paid $7 for a container of it, and the store only had 2 left!  I’ve also seen other stores cut back on carrying carrot creme and increase their prices as well. Why? I do not know but it is some good stuff.  It smells funny but it goes in well and leave your hair nice and healthy looking!

The next pomades you are going to find are the olive oils.  I certainly do not recommend these, because carrot creme is so much better but it sadly is all most stores are carrying these days.  Olive oil smells better than carrot creme but to me it is a lot greasier.  It is also more expensive.

This is a common question that a lot of people ask when they begin to start waving their hair up. “What is the best grease for 360 waves?”  Well to give you the short version, there is no ‘best’ wave grease.  There are some that a lot of people like and some that a lot of people don’t like.  But all in all they are all kind of similar.

The kind you will most likely see if you have been to the store lately is Murray’s Hair Grease.  It comes in an orange can usually.  It is a thick wax that you have to knead with your hands before you can apply it to your hair.  Then you brush your hair into place and viola, it holds.  It is a very good grease although it is very thick.  Some people have a problem washing Murrays out thier hair.  At least I know I do.

The next kind of grease you will probably run into is called “Sporting Waves.”  Sporting waves is cool because it is made specifically for waves.  It comes in a black can last time I checked.  I usually don’t use grease at all, but when I do I use sporting waves.

That reminded me of the most interesting man commercial lol.  “I don’t usually use hair grease, but when I do I use sporting waves.”

The next kind that you will see is called Spinning Waves.  It is sold in Walmart.  It comes in a white plastic containter with a blue top.  This stuff is garbage in my opinion.  I once went out and bought all of “spinning waves” products and they were all very, very, very disappointing to me.  Spinning waves durags rip all the time, the grease smells funny and is too greasy and doesn’t hold well, and their pomade smells funny too. That is just MY opinion.

If I had to rank them this would be the order:

1. Spinning Waves
2. Murrays Orange Can
3. No grease at all
4. Spinning Waves

Before we get into this, let me tell you a bit about the wave game.  It has been along long before most of us have been alive.  The look of smooth, sophisticated 360 waves have been a staple of the black community for years.  Why?  Most of the time it is because waves are easy to maintain and don’t require a lot of money.  All you need is a brush, some grease and a stocking cap.  You can get fancy later but those are the bare essentials.

Often times when you look at older photos of black men they are all wearing waves.  I’m talking about after the 1960’s and the whole “black power” movement.  Back then brothers wore afros proudly.  I don’t knock afros.  It’s my second favorite look to 360s.  Im known to grow out a mean fro once or twice a year myself.  But getting back to my point.  After civil rights and everything, brothers decided that rocking afros really weren’t the style anymore and waves started to become a dominant hairstyle.  Along with the curl, fade, “mushroom”, the “gumby” and a host of other hairstyles that LOST the test of time.

So how do you get 360’s? First thing is first you need to get a low cut.  This is because you have to retrain your hair from the bottom as it grows out.  Your hair is already used to however you rock it now… you have to undo whatever you are rocking now.

If you are of African descent you know that your hair is VERY curly.  It naturally grows in a “S” pattern.  So when you grow it long each strand tends to get caught on other strands and they nap up.  Well when you wave up this problem kind of goes away.  Brushing your hair in the 360 wave pattern causes it to lay down, this laying the “S” pattern of your hair strand flat on your head.  When all of your hair lays down like this, it forms the waves.

After you get a fresh cut and brush you’ll want to add some moisturizer to your hair.  This helps your hair lay flat with your head and not nap up.  You can get a product called pink lotion or carrot crème for this.  Test both and see which one is the best for your hair.  If your hair is thick like mine you may not be able to wash out certain moisturizers so it is important to test, test, test!

Last and final step, preserve your hairstyle. But how do you do that you ask? Two ways.  First is hair grease.  This is hard, wax that you can put in your hair to hold it.  I only recommend this for parties or special occasions as it is very annoying to have to wash out sometimes.  Finally, wear a wave cap or stocking cap when you sleep do you don’t knock your new hair pattern lose while you sleep!

For those of you that are lazy:

How to get 360 waves

1. Hair cut
2. Brush
3. Moisturize
4. Wear a stocking cap when you are sleeping

I hope that helped someone and please check back regularly for more tips and posts!

Top 5 Reasons to Get 360 Waves

You may wonder exactly why you are going through this process to create the effect of waves on your hair. Is it really worth it? Or is it just a big waste of your time? Great question. What I have for you right now is the top 5 reasons you should take the time to do this:

1. Ladies love it- Ladies love a man with nice hair, period.
2. It is easy to maintain- Much easier to brush and throw a durag on than deal with twists or dredlocks
3. It is cheaper than other hairstyles- Your products will run about $100 a year, and haircuts about another $200 or less.  That is much cheaper compared to the costs of cornrows and twists.
4. You can do it yourself- it is easy to brush and wash your own hair with waves.  With dredlocks or braids you will have to get help to maintain them.
5. They will never go out of style- waves have existed since the early 1930′s and have stood the test of time.

If you have been wondering how to get those smooth slick waves look no further.  Over the next few months we will be adding more and more articles to the site to teach you how to get waves in your hair.  If you have been struggling and looking for help, we can help you! Just keep coming back and check out articles out here at howtoget360waves.com!