Often mislabelled as ‘frizzy hair’, many people who have wavy hair treat it as straight hair that’s refusing to behave. But wavy hair has its own characteristics that need to be taken into account.
Characteristics of Wavy Hair
Also known as type 2 hair, wavy hair can be split into three subtypes: 2A, 2B, and 2C. It is the hair type between straight and curly hair and its pattern ranges from loose loops to ‘S’ shaped waves.
The different wavy hair types each have their own characteristics that set them apart.
Type 2A
2A hair has a loose tousled texture. The wave is slightly accentuated and can lose its shape easily, becoming almost straight. For this type of wavy hair, it’s important to use very lightweight styling products, to ensure the style lasts longer. You may want to avoid layering styling products to make sure you are not weighing the waves down.
Type 2B
2B hair has a tighter S shape. The texture is still loose and easily weighed down, but it tends to maintain its shape better than 2A. This curl type tends to react well to styling creams, but we recommend only using one styler at a time to avoid weighing down wavy hair.
Type 2C
Type 2C hair has a tight S shape texture, and some strands may even start to become loose corkscrews when styled. Out of the wavy hair types this is the most prone to frizz, so it’s important to combine both moisture and hold when styling.
Wavy Hair and Porosity
Once you’ve identified you have wavy hair, you should also explore your hair’s porosity, which is its ability to absorb and retain water. Take care of your waves in different ways depending on its porosity. There are three porosity types:
- High Porosity: The cuticles of individual hairs are very open. This makes it extremely easy for moisture to enter the strand, but also just as easy for it to leave.
- Medium Porosity: The cuticles are slightly open, making it somewhat easy for moisture to enter the strand, but it won’t leave as quickly as in high porosity. This makes this hair type the easiest to look after.
- Low Porosity: The cuticles are very tight, making it difficult for moisture to enter the strands. But once it does it is retained very well.
All of these porosities will have different protein moisture balance levels, and the higher the porosity the more protein-rich products you should use.
How to Wash Wavy Hair?
Wavy hair is the least dry among the curl types, so it tends to develop more oil on the scalp. Therefore, we recommend washing wavy hair a bit more often, around 3-4 times a week, with a gentle shampoo.
Wavy hair can also be prone to build-up, so you should introduce a clarifying shampoo in your routine once a week, to really get rid of all product accumulation that might weigh down your waves and flatten your roots.
Moisture is very important for any curl type, including wavy hair, so make sure you use a conditioner every time you wash. When it comes to deep conditioning, we recommend using a lighter formula. For hair that isn’t as dry, every other week should be enough.
Top Tips For Styling Wavy Hair
Knowing how to style your wavy hair is essential for getting the most from your pattern.
- Don’t layer too many products. Wavy hair is easily weighed down and it can lose its shape quickly, so try to use only one styler in your routine to avoid build-up.
- Apply your styling products with your head upside down to get more volume at the roots.
- Apply your products on soaking wet hair. This will help disperse the product and make it lighter, so it won’t weigh you down.
- Scrunch, scrunch, scrunch! Scrunching encourages wavy hair to spring up, and is the best way to enhance loose textures.
- Plop your hair in a towel for some time before drying to encourage the wave formation.
- Use strong hold gels if you want to achieve more definition and long-lasting hold. They are best to define curls and hold the shape for longer. They will make your wavy hair slightly crunchy while drying, but once fully dry you only need to scrunch out the cast to achieve soft, weightless waves.
- Try light textures like foam or mousse if you want to achieve more volume, which provide definition without weighing the hair down.
- Use a diffuser to achieve more volume.
Protect Wavy Hair Between Washes
If you want to make sure your waves last until the next wash, it’s important to protect them when you sleep. Sleeping with a satin scarf or a bonnet will keep the waves “scrunched” during the night, allowing you to wake up with perfect, bouncy wavy hair!
How to Refresh Wavy Hair
Wavy hair has a looser curl pattern that tends to lose its shape quite quickly, so you may need to refresh more often to maintain the style until the next wash. Refresh a little every morning to ensure your waves stay bouncy and defined. Here are our top refreshing tips:
- Spray dry shampoo on roots that have flattened and have become a bit oily to absorb oils and create more texture.
- Refresh on dry hair using very little product. Light textures like a refreshing spray, liquid gel or a mousse work best as they avoid weighing your hair down. Spray some water in your hands and emulsify your product of choice to make it even lighter.
- Use a scrunching motion to apply your stylers, to encourage waves to spring back up.
How To Choose The Right Product For Wavy Hair
Understanding your curl type is only the first step to nailing down the perfect hair routine. You need to keep in mind other factors like porosity, hair thickness and density to be able to pick the best products for your needs. If you’re still a bit confused, head over to our curl quiz for a little help!
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