How to Boil a Weave

Follow these basic steps to breathe new life into your weave

Co-authored by Tiffany Pate

Last Updated: November 21, 2022 References

Boiling your weave is a quick and easy way to revitalize it. Boil the weave in a saucepan with some olive oil and leave-in conditioner, and allow it to dry. Apply extra conditioner while the weave is drying to give the weave extra shine and moisture.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Boiling the Weave

1
Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Place a large saucepan on the cooktop and half fill it with water. Turn the cooktop element on high and wait for the pot to boil. Once the water is boiling, turn the element down to a medium heat so that the water simmers rather than bubbling vigorously.
- Put a lid over the saucepan to speed up the boiling process.
- Make sure that the pot is clean before pouring in the water.
2
Mix 1 tsp (5 mL) of olive oil or coconut oil into the water. Gently pour 1 tsp (5 mL) of extra-virgin olive oil into the saucepan. If you decide to use coconut oil, you will need to scoop out 1 tsp (5 g) using a spoon. The oil will sit on top of the water so you will need to use a spoon to mix the oil into the water. Stir the mixture using circular motions. Continue mixing until the large oil bubbles on the surface of the water have broken up.^{[1]
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- Avoid substituting olive oil for a processed vegetable cooking oil. Natural and unprocessed oils penetrate the hair cuticles, deeply moisturizing the hair. Natural oils will work well on all weave types (natural and synthetic)^{[2]
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  Research source} If your weave is synthetic, however, it won't benefit from boiling, and the heat could harm it. If it's very dirty or damaged, you may need to replace the synthetic weave.
- Stir the water and oil gently so you don’t get burnt by any splashes.
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3
Stir in 2 tbsp (30 grams) of a creamy leave-in conditioner. Measure 2 tbsp (30 grams) of your favorite leave-in conditioner into the pot. A creamy conditioner will give the best results as it is more concentrated than liquid conditioners. Stir the leave-in conditioner into the water and oil using gentle circular motions. Keep stirring until the leave-in conditioner has dissolved into the mixture.
- If you are using a small pot with less water, use a smaller amount of leave-in conditioner.^{[3]
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4
Place the weave into the water. Gently drop your weave into the boiling water. Do this carefully so that the boiling water doesn’t splash and burn you. If you have multiple weaves that haven't been dyed or are the same color, place them in the same saucepan.
- If the weave doesn’t submerge by itself, use a spoon to push it down into the water.^{[4]
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- If you are boiling weaves that have been dyed, it is best to boil them one at a time to avoid the dye leaking onto the other weaves. As an alternative, you could place each weave in it's own pot on a separate burner. This would allow you to boil them all at the same time.
- If your weave has been dyed and you want it to retain its color, you may want to reconsider boiling it, as this process will likely remove the color.
5
Leave the hair to boil for 10 minutes. Make sure that the water is lightly boiling. If the water has stopped boiling, turn the heat up. Let the hair boil for 10 minutes before turning off the heat.
- The high temperature of the water will soften your weave, making it softer to touch and silkier.
6
Remove the weave from the water using tongs. Carefully grip the weave with tongs and pull it out from the water. Be careful not to splash yourself as the water will burn you. Place the weave onto a clean, dry towel.^{[5]
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- If you have placed multiple weaves into the saucepan, remove them one at a time.
- Don't use a light colored towel if you have boiled a dyed weave, as the color may drip onto your towel and stain it.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Drying the Weave

1
Blot your weave with a towel to remove excess water. Gently press the towel against the weave, but don't rub the towel against it. Choose a microfiber towel to minimize damage and frizz.
- You can also use a clean T-shirt in place of a towel. T-shirts are softer than towels, so they don't cause damage to hair.
- Don't use a hair dryer on sopping wet hair.
2
Dry the weave using a blow-dryer for 3 minutes. Lay the hair out straight on the towel. Turn the blow-dryer onto a medium heat and direct the heat over the weave. Hold the blow-dryer about 30 centimetres (12 in) away from the weave. Move the hair dryer up and down the hair. This will help to prevent heat damage from occurring. Dry the hair for about 3 minutes, it should still be slightly damp when you finish.^{[6]
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- If you have boiled multiple weaves, dry them individually.
3
Comb 1 tsp (5 grams) of leave-in conditioner through the hair. Measure approximately 1 tsp (5 grams) of your favorite leave-in conditioner into the palm of your hands. Rub your hands together and then smooth the condition over the whole weave so that it is evenly distributed. Comb the weave from the ends up to the roots, detangling as you work your way up the shaft. Comb as gently as possible to avoid damaging the weave.
- A wide-tooth comb is a good option if your weave is tangled.^{[7]
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4
Hang the weave up to dry. Hang the weave over a drying rack. Avoid using pegs, as these can create kinks in the weave. The drying time will vary depending on how thick your weave is. It will generally take at least 1 day. Leave the weave to dry completely before attaching it to the hair.^{[8]
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- A clothes rack or clean dish rack works well for drying weaves.
- You will notice the weave feeling much softer and less tangled.
5
Apply a hair serum if the weave is dry or frizzy. Use a serum to add shine to your weave. Squeeze a few drops of your favorite serum into your hand. Rub your hands together and glide them over the surface of the weave.^{[9]
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- Use a natural hair serum to avoid residues building up in your weave.
6
Curl your weave if it has lost its curl. It is likely that the hair will lose its curl when you boil and dry it. This is an easy fix, simply curl your weave as you normally would in order to restore the curls.^{[10]
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- Make sure the hair is completely dry before you use any heat styling tools. Styling your weave while it is wet will damage the strands of hair.

Community Q&A

Question

How do I boil the weave if it is in my hair?

Community Answer

All you have to do is boil some water on high/medium. Then when the weave is in your hair, carefully tip your head and boil the ends on your weave.
Question

How long do you boil weave?

Drew Hawkins1

Community Answer

It only takes about 10 minutes to properly boil a weave, but it's important that you add a few items to help moisturize and maintain the weave. Once the water starts boiling, add a teaspoon of a natural oil like olive or coconut oil to the water. Then, stir in about 2 tablespoons of a leave-in conditioner. You can then add your weave to the bubbling water and let it boil for 10 minutes.
Question

How do I soften my weave?

Drew Hawkins1

Community Answer

Boiling your weave is an easy way to soften and revitalize it. Start by bringing a large pot of water to a boil and then add a teaspoon of olive or coconut oil to help moisturize your weave. Then, add about 2 tablespoons of leave-in conditioner to soften the weave. Let it boil for about 10 minutes, then use a pair of tongs to pull your weave out of the water to let it dry.