How to Make an Afro Look Full & Voluminous - Perfect Afro Tutorial

Tools and materials:

• Comb
• Hair ties
• Hair moisturizer
• Sealing oil
• Silk bonnet
• Afro comb
• Moisturizing spray

I'll be recreating Yaya DaCosta's afro from The Butler, in which she played the fictional Black Panther character Carol Hammie. Her afro is so powerful, and her overall look just commands attention.

1. Tie and stretch

I start by stretching my hair, and I just do that by putting my hair into two cornrows, one down each side. I find that this really helps in stretching the hair. 

2. Detangle

Then I'm just going to take the cornrows out, and I'm going to section my hair off and begin to detangle by combing it through.

3. Moisturize

Next, I'm going to add some hair moisturizer to moisturize my hair because it will obviously be out on display in the afro. Make sure that when working in your moisturizer, you pay special attention to the ends because the ends are the most vulnerable to getting dry.

4. Twist

Once done, I'm going to twist my hair and seal the ends with sealing oil. I find that doing twists really gives my hair volume; it's just the best thing to get the most volume in a short space of time.

5. Wait

Next, I'm going to put on my silk bonnet and just leave it on for a little while. In terms of how long you wear the bonnet, the longer, the better, but if you're pushed for time, don't worry because even wearing it just for an hour will still be effective.

This step of wearing the bonnet will help keep the moisture in my hair and make it nice, smooth, and soft.

6. Comb

I'm going to take my twists out, then use my afro comb to comb the roots. Do not comb out the ends, just everything else. Once combed, I’ll fluff my afro and shape it how I want.

7. Spray

Lastly, an afro can get very dry, so it's best to carry some moisturizing spray with you that you can apply throughout the day to keep your afro looking moisturized.

How to style an afro tutorial

I’m really happy with the end result. My hair feels nourished and full of moisture, and it looks full and voluminous. Let me know what you think of this tutorial on how to style an afro and leave your own afro styling hair tips in the comments below.