4 Easy Steps to Flawless Waves That'll Save Your Hair From Heat Damage

The year is 2014, I lived a half hour away from my high school. Coming back from practices or rehearsals, I didn't mind the extra drive, but in the mornings, I struggled to wake up for my 5:45 AM alarm. My snooze button may or may not have been abused (especially on Monday mornings). My penchant for a few extra minutes of ZZZs and desire for cute hair were often at odds, so I decided to find a solution. I experimented with all kinds of sleep styling—I slept in wet messy, buns, ponytails, and braids. After a few tries, I realized braids worked the most consistently and made that a staple style.

Freeze frame, record scratch, flash forward to 2020, this little trick has reestablished itself in my beauty rituals. I may not be waking up to get to class on time, but I am definitely testing my snooze button dangerously close to 9 AM. These days, I can't always muster up the energy to spend a ton of time on my hairstyle, so many mornings I have resorted to a messy bun or last minute ponytail. After deciding that my coworkers had seen far too many of my flyaways, I decided it was time to marry the best of both worlds: a cute style with little to no effort on my part. Ta-da! The wet braids were born—er—reborn! Follow the instructions below to create your own.