Your waves fall flat by noon, then frizz the second the air turns damp, and the advice for straight or curly hair never quite fits. Waves sit in the middle, so they need a lighter touch. These 12 wavy hair care tips help your waves keep their shape without the fluff, so start at number one tonight.
1. Notice where your waves form and where they fall
After a wash, leave your hair untouched and see where the bends start. Many women have a loose wave around the ends and a flatter top, or the reverse. Check the front, the sides and the back, because they can all behave differently. Take a photo once it dries. This tells you where to add lift and where to calm things down. It also shows you your natural pattern, so you stop fighting it with a hot iron. Waves are shy and need to be seen before they can be helped. Give yourself ten minutes of watching, and your whole routine gets easier.
2. Choose lightweight over rich
Pick light sprays, mousses and thin gels instead of heavy creams and butters. Waves are fine boned, and a thick product pulls them straight, leaving the roots flat and greasy. Look for words like weightless, airy or lightweight on the front. Rub a bit between your fingers, and if it feels like a thick cream, save it for your ends only. A light product gives you hold without the heaviness. If your waves go limp an hour after styling, you probably used something too rich. Try one product at a time and watch how your waves behave through the day.
3. Learn your ideal wash rhythm
Try washing every two to three days, then adjust by how your roots feel. Waves get oily faster than curls, because the oil slides down the strand more easily than it does over tight bends. Wash too rarely and your roots look greasy, wash too often and your lengths turn dry and frizzy. Notice how your hair feels on day two and day three. If the roots are flat by day two, wash sooner. If your ends are rough, stretch the gap. Write the pattern down for a month and you will find your own rhythm without a guide.
4. Shampoo the scalp and rinse well
Massage shampoo into your roots for one minute and then rinse for twice as long. Waves hold onto residue, and leftover shampoo makes them look dull and flat. Let the foam run down the lengths and skip scrubbing the ends. Use lukewarm water so your scalp is not stripped. If you tend to have an oily scalp, a clear, light shampoo works well. If it feels tight afterward, the formula is too strong. Run your fingers through the roots at the end of the rinse, and if you feel any slick spots, rinse a little longer. Squeaky and light is the feeling you want.
5. Condition from the mid lengths to the ends
Start the conditioner at ear level and keep it away from the roots. Your ends are the driest part and need the cream. Your roots make plenty of oil on their own. Use a coin sized amount for short hair and a larger one for long hair, and leave it on for two to three minutes. A light conditioner works well, and a rich one weighs waves down. Rinse until your hair feels smooth but not slimy. If your waves look stringy after, you used too much. Going lighter one wash at a time will find the right amount.
6. Detangle gently while conditioned
Use a wide tooth comb or your fingers while the conditioner is still in your hair. Start at the ends and work upward, holding the hair above each knot. Waves tangle less than curls but they still snap if you rush. A quick yank when hair is wet can break the strand and flatten the pattern. Take your time, and use a bit more conditioner on stubborn knots. Finish with a final rinse, then lift the roots with your fingers as you go. The detangle is a small step, but it protects your waves from the damage that lies underneath the frizz.
7. Apply mousse or gel to very wet hair
Put a golf ball sized puff of mousse or a coin of gel on your hair while it is still dripping. Wet hair holds the product evenly and clumps the waves into shape. Scrunch upward in sections so the product spreads without breaking the bend. Fine waves like mousse, thicker waves like gel. If your waves feel crunchy once dry, that crunch is normal and will soften when you scrunch it out. Do not add more once your hair has started to dry, because it will flake. Stop when the waves look like glossy ribbons and your palms feel only slightly slippery.
8. Scrunch with a soft towel and do not rub
Squeeze your waves upward with a soft t shirt or a microfiber towel. Rubbing with a rough towel breaks the wave and raises the frizz. Press and hold for a few seconds, then move along. You want the hair damp, not wet and dripping. Keep your head tipped forward so the waves fall in their natural bend. Do not twist the towel around your head tightly. A turban for ten minutes is fine, but loosen it before the roots go flat. This step takes about three minutes and it is the quiet secret of frizz free waves. Do it right after you style, while the product is still wet. Frizz that keeps creeping back is a good reason to read frizzy wavy hair next.
9. Diffuse gently or air dry
Use a diffuser on low heat, or let the air do the work and do not touch. Cup the waves from beneath and hold the dryer still for a minute at a time. Move around your head in sections. Hot, fast air blows the waves apart and builds frizz. Air drying takes longer but gives soft, natural bends. Keep your hands out of your hair until it is dry, because touching breaks up the clumps. If you are short on time, diffuse until it is about eighty percent dry and let the rest finish on its own while you get ready. Curlier waves might want more from curly hair care, and it is worth seeing how your bends handle the diffuser.
10. Lift the roots for volume
Once your hair is dry, tip your head upside down and rough up the roots with your fingertips. Waves tend to go flat at the crown, because the weight of the lengths pulls them down. A quick lift at the top fixes it. You can also clip the roots up with a duckbill clip while your hair dries. Take the clip out when your hair is fully dry. Part your hair on the other side for an instant boost. Avoid piling product at the roots, since that weighs them down again. Two fingers of lift at the part line is enough. A little lift in the right place makes all your waves look fuller.
11. Refresh with water and a light spritz
On day two, mist your waves with water and scrunch in a tiny bit of mousse. Focus on the flat sections at the front and the crown. Keep the mist light, since soaking your hair means you will be back at the wash. Scrunch and let it dry. Do not brush through the waves, because brushing turns them into a fluffy cloud. Use your fingers to separate any clumps that have merged. A refresh takes two minutes and is often all your waves need before day three. This is how you stretch your wash day without a full wash.
12. Protect your waves overnight
Gather your hair into a loose pineapple on top of your head, with a soft scrunchie, and sleep on satin. This keeps the waves from being squashed or rubbed all night. Cotton pulls the moisture out of your strands, so satin is gentler, and your waves wake up softer. A loose braid works too, and gives you softer, stretched waves in the morning. Never tie it tight, since tension marks the hair and the hairline. When you wake, shake it out and use your fingers to loosen the waves. Wavy hair care is mostly about being gentle, and the night is a long time to be gentle.
Complete the Routine: Wavy Hair Care That Keeps Waves Happy
Start with number 2 and number 7 on your next wash day. Scroll to the guides below for more ways to keep waves defined between washes, and see which one fits your hair best.
