How to Cornrow Natural Hair for Under a Wig

Last Updated: May 24, 2021

There are a variety of different wigs available to help you create the hair-do you're looking for. If you want to keep your own natural hair neat and tidy underneath, cornrowing your hair is helpful.

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Washing and Detangling Hair

1
Wash your hair. Ensuring you have clean hair is a must since their hair about to be braided is going to be close to your scalp and may be braided for days, if not one to two weeks.
- Thoroughly clean the hair using a shampoo and conditioner of your choice.
2
Detangle. Once your hair has been washed and conditioned thoroughly, use a wide tooth comb to begin detangling your hair.
- Section your hair off into sections that will make it easier for you to detangle your hair.
- Grab one of your sections and begin combing through the hair with the wide tooth comb from ends to root.
- Use the comb and your fingertips to avoid knots and get out extra tangles, where need be.
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3
Dry your hair. Once your hair is washed and detangled, take a cotton t-shirt to dry your hair. Never use a towel because they dry your hair out and cause excessive breakage.

Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Blowdrying and Oiling Hair

1
Dry your hair. Making sure your hair is fully blow dried and oiled will ensure a better braiding pattern when it comes time to braid your hair.
- Use heat protectant of your choice to avoid heat damage.
- Never use oil or grease before using heat on your hair.
2
Make sections. Section hair into four, or more, sections and begin blow drying your hair.
- Blow dry hair from ends to root to ensure no damage occurs to your hair.
3
Moisturize. Once your hair is fully blow dried and no longer wet, apply moisturizer and oil of your choice to make sure your hair stays healthy and protected after using the heat on your head.
- Since you're going to braid your hair up, apply extra moisturizer or oil to keep your hair healthy under your wig.
- Oil your scalp as well.

Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Braiding Your Hair

1
Figure out your braiding pattern. Your braiding pattern is crucial when it comes to wearing wigs. If your braids are too large, they can cause your wig to become bulky and look less natural. On the other hand, if your braids are too small, there won't be any hair for your wig to grip on to and can cause your wig to slide back on your head.
2
Start with a basic pattern. Your braiding pattern will be different for any type of wig you wear, but this braiding pattern works perfectly for lace frontal wigs.
- Grab about a section of your hair that is about an inch wide. This section should begin at the top of your hair and end at your ear. The sections should be horizontal to your hair.
- Neatly and tightly cornrow your hair going down.
- Make sure the two braids in the front, also known as your anchor braids, aren't too small or messy. These braids closest to your hair line will ensure your wig doesn't slip off.
3
Repeat this process until your entire hair is cornrowed.
- Take the ends of your hair and braid them together and tuck them neatly into your cornrows.
- Make sure tucked hair isn't visible or doesn't leave a noticeable bulge in the back of your head.

Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Wearing Your Wig

1
Wear a wig cap. To make sure your hair doesn't incur any damage while you're wearing your wig, place a wig cap on your head to protect your real hair.
2
Clean around hairline with alcohol or water to get excess oils off of your forehead.
- The glue or gel you use to secure your wig will not dry or stay in place with oil on your forehead.
3
Apply glue (Ghost Bond, Bold Hold, etc) or gel (Got 2 Be Glue, etc.) on your hairline. Allow to dry, but not completely. Once glue or gel is tacky, apply the wig to your head and allow it to dry completely.