Soft Brush vs Hard Brush: Which One Is Best for 360 Waves?

Q: Can beginners use a hard brush for waves?

Beginners should avoid hard brushes on very low cuts. It is best to start with a soft or medium brush and introduce a hard brush once the hair has grown long enough.

Q: Is a hard brush bad for a fresh haircut?

Yes. Using a hard brush on a fresh cut can irritate the scalp, cause frizz, and slow wave progress. Soft brushes are recommended after a haircut.

Q: How long should I brush with a soft vs hard brush?

Most wavers start with a hard brush for training, then move to a medium brush, and finish with a soft brush to lay the hair down before wearing a durag.

Q: Does hair length matter when choosing a brush?

Yes. Hair length matters more than hair texture. Soft brushes are best for low hair, while hard brushes are only effective once the hair has grown longer.

Q: Do I need both a soft and hard brush for waves?

Yes. Hard brushes train the wave pattern, while soft brushes lay the hair down and finish brushing sessions. Using both produces better wave results.

If you’ve been brushing consistently but your 360 waves still aren’t hitting the way you want, there’s a good chance the issue isn’t effort — it’s brush choice.

One of the most common mistakes I see wavers make is using the wrong brush for their hair length. They’ll either use a hard brush when their hair is too low, or a soft brush when they should be training their pattern.

In this post, I’m breaking down soft brush vs hard brush, when to use each one, and how to actually use both to level up your waves.

Quick Answer

Soft brushes are best for low cuts and finishing, while hard brushes are used during wolfing to train deeper waves.

If you want elite results, you shouldn’t choose one — you should learn when to use each.

What Does a Soft Brush Do for Waves?

A soft brush is designed to lay the hair down, not pull it. The natural boar bristles of a soft brush will lightly glaze over your 360 waves, adding a sheen look to your hair. The soft brush bristles dont poke through your hair to your scalp or have as much pull as a medium/hard brush, making this a great brush that develops the top layer of your 360 waves.

You should use a soft brush when:

Your hair is at a low length. A soft brush works best when you have a fresh haircut. your hair is at the shortest length possible, so you dont need a brush that penetrates through your hair into your scalp.
You’re finishing a brushing session. After using a hard brush, switch over to a medium, and once your finished brushing with the medium, transition to the soft brush to finish up. This will lay down all the frizzy hair, and settle the volume that was created with the harder brushes.
You want to smooth frizz and lay everything down. Your harder brushes will create frizz. A soft brush will lay down all frizzy hair while adding a nice shine to your waves.

Soft brushes help your waves look clean and polished, but they won’t build depth on their own.

What Does a Hard Brush Do for Waves?

A hard brush is used to pull and train your curl pattern.

You should use a hard brush when:

You’re wolfing. Wolfing is when you train your 360 waves while it grows. If you get a haircut Jan 1, and your next haircut is Jan 30, you wolfed for 30 days. Wolfing is the most important step in achieving 360 waves.
Your hair has grown past your normal cut length. Your hair will thicken as it grows, making a soft brush harder to use. A harder brush will penetrate your hair, and reach your scalp while pulling your 360 waves.
You want to improve depth and connections. The deeper the brush penetrates your hair, the deeper you waves will become. A hard brush allows you to wolf your 360 waves longer, giving you time to develop deep waves and improve connections.
Your hair texture is coarse or dense. A soft brush doesnt have the bristle strength to manipulate more dense hair textures. This is where a hard brush shines. The harder bristles provide enough force to train and pull thicker hair textures.

Hard brushes do the heavy lifting — but using them too early can actually damage progress.

Soft Brush vs Hard Brush: The Real Difference

Here’s the simplest way to look at it:

Soft Brush

Use most on low hair length
Finishing sessions to lay down your waves
Not for deep training. Best for adding shine

Hard Brush

Penetrates your hair during wolfing stages
Trains wave pattern by pulling hair from the root
Builds depth by extending your wolf sessions
Not for fresh cuts. Hard bristles will irritate the scalp.

They do two completely different jobs. Utilizing both will take your 360 waves to the next level.

How I Personally Use Soft and Hard Brushes

If you've ever watched my videos, im always advocating for hard brushes. I usually wolf for weeks on end, so I need a hard brush to pull my 360 waves. Recently, I started incorporating medium and soft brushes.

I've noticed that the hard brush gets down to my scalp, but I develop a lot of lift and frizz. After my hard brush session, I switch over to a medium brush, and my waves began to lay down a bit. To finish my session, I started using a 100% soft boar bristle, and my waves laid down completely, and there was a shine added to my 360 waves. It looked like I just added a product in.

This is my exact approach:

When I’m wolfing, I always start with a hard brush to pull my pattern and get down to the root of my hair.
Once my hair is brushed, I move down to a medium brush to incorporate a bit more lay, while focusing on the middle texture of my waves.
I finish my brush session with a soft brush. This lays down the top layer of my hair, and adds tremendous shine.

That final soft brush session is what makes everything look clean before I throw on a durag. Skipping that step is why a lot of wavers stay frizzy even after brushing.

Common Mistakes Wavers Make

These mistakes slow down progress fast:

Using a hard brush on a fresh cut. This is unnecessary. It will hurt your scalp, and won't pull your waves as efficiently. Remember, we want to brush our waves, not our scalp.
Only owning one brush. I used to only use hard brushes. I've noticed development in my brush session after incorporating soft and medium brushes.
Brushing dry hair. I also used to do this quite a bit. Moisturizing my hair makes it easier to manage, especially when I finish my brush session with a soft brush. It spreads the product through my 360 waves.
Never switching brushes as hair grows. As your hair gets longer, you need a firmer brush to penetrate your hair shaft. A soft brush wont be effective as your only brush.
Over-brushing one side of the head. This is where forks form. Focus on every angle of your head, and if you notice a weak spot forming, specifically focus on that for better 360 wave development.

If you’re doing any of these, fixing them alone can improve your waves within weeks.

Who Should Use Each Brush?

Beginners: Start with soft and medium brushes. They work best to build and develop your starter base wave pattern.
Wolfing wavers: Hard + medium + soft rotation. Once your pattern is set, a combination of all 3 brushes will each play a pivotal role in getting deeper 360 waves.
Coarse hair: Hard brushes are essential (at the right time) Thicker hair texture needs a brush with harder bristles to pull and develop your 360 waves.
Low cut: Stick to soft brushes. Nothing beats a soft brush gliding over a fresh haircut.

Your hair length matters more than anything. Continue to study your hair texture, and youll have a better understanding of what brush you need to use.

Frequently Asked Questions: Soft Brush vs Hard Brush

When should I use a hard brush for 360 waves?

You should use a hard brush when your hair is longer, typically during wolfing stages. Hard brushes help pull and train your curl pattern, building deeper and more defined waves.

Can beginners use a hard brush for waves?

Beginners should avoid hard brushes on very low cuts. Starting with a soft or medium brush is safer, then introducing a hard brush once the hair has grown enough to handle stronger bristles.

Is a hard brush bad for a fresh haircut?

Yes. Using a hard brush on a fresh cut can irritate your scalp, cause frizz, and slow wave progress. Soft brushes are best immediately after a haircut.

How long should I brush with a soft vs hard brush?

Most wavers start with a hard brush for training (5–15 minutes), then move to a medium brush, and finish with a soft brush to lay the hair down before putting on a durag.

Does hair length matter when choosing a brush?

Yes. Hair length is more important than hair texture when choosing a brush. Soft brushes are best for low hair, while hard brushes are only effective once your hair has grown longer.

Do I need both a soft and hard brush for waves?

Yes. Serious wavers use multiple brushes. Hard brushes train the pattern, while soft brushes lay the hair down and finish the session. Using only one brush limits progress.

Final Thoughts

The goal isn’t choosing a soft brush or a hard brush — it’s knowing when to use each one.

Once you match your brush to your hair length, your waves will respond faster and connect better.

If you’re brushing correctly and still not seeing results, your brush lineup is probably the issue.

I always wolf for long periods of time, so a hard brush is usually my go-to. I've neglected soft brushes for years, but ever since I incorporated a soft brush into my routine, I've noticed significant benefits.

Remember, 360 waves is about brushing our hair, not our scalp. Find which brush works best for your hair length and texture, and you'll notice faster 360 wave development.

Products To Use

If you want to take the guesswork out of your wave routine, check out our Wave Brush Bundles — built for every stage, from fresh cuts to heavy wolfing.