How to Use Pre Wrap As a Headband Without Tying a Knot

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: September 27, 2022

Ever wonder how female soccer players keep a thin headband in their hair? They use pre-wrap (also called prewrap, underwrap, M-Wrap, or pre-taping foam). Pre-wrap was designed to be used underneath athletic tape, so that the tape doesn't stick to your skin, or to the hair on your legs or arms. Eventually, someone figured out that it also makes an awesome headband! Many soccer regulations allow it, but some insist that it be used without a knot. It is also one of the few headbands allowed in track, basketball, cross country, and volleyball.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Using Your Pre-Wrap as a Headband

1
Wrap the pre-wrap around your thigh twice. Then, simply rip it off of the roll (it should come off easily). After you’ve practiced this entire process enough times, you may want to adjust the length of the pre-wrap based on what you find works best for you.
2
Roll the pre-wrap down your leg. Do this in the same way that you’d roll a bandana up. Slip it right off when it reaches your foot.

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3
Put your new headband on. It might be helpful for you to practice this at home a few times before you wear it to a game. That way, you'll know if the fit needs any adjusting.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Wearing Your Pre-Wrap Headband

1
Try your headband out with different hairstyles. You'll probably want to wear it with a ponytail during games, but there's no need to stop there. Here are some ideas:
- If you have short hair, you can still rock a pre-wrap headband. Just brush your hair like you normally would and place the headband so it sits at the top of your head. ^{[1]
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- You can also use your headband to embellish different kinds of up-dos. Try a low ponytail or bun. Once you've put your hair up and styled it, put the headband on and secure it with some bobby pins. ^{[2]
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- If you want to keep your hair down, you can still use the pre-wrap headband to push your bangs back. Simply pull the headband up over your face, then use it to push your hair back until the headband is a few centimeters past your hairline.
2
Mix up your colors. Since pre-wrap is fairly cheap and it comes in an entire rainbow of hues, you can easily collect your favorites (some pre-wrap is even sold in packs of several colors). Try wearing two different pre-wrap headbands at once in shades that you think look good together – or your team's colors!
3
Coordinate colors with your teammates. Get your team together and think of ways that you can use your pre-wrap headbands to stand out from the crowd. Pick a day when you'll all wear the same color; you could choose one color for home games and another for away games. Or, if you have two team colors, half of you could wear one and the other half the other.