Wondering how to manage your wavy hair? Well, you are not alone. Though wavy hair looks beautiful, a lot of people struggle to maintain and manage it. With a texture that’s somewhere between curly and straight hair, wavy hair requires a lot of care and attention.
Not every hair care product is suitable for wavy hair. Therefore, knowing what to use for your beachy waves is essential. Today, we will guide you through the process of taking care of your wavy locks.
Highlights:
What Are The Characteristics Of Wavy Hair?
1. Wavy hair is neither fully curly nor completely straight. The hair on the scalp lies flat like straight hair but the rest of the hair length has waves.
2. Unlike curly hair, wavy hair does not follow any particular pattern. The waves in your hair are inconsistent.
3. Wavy hair patterns change very frequently. It is an extremely versatile hair type that changes throughout your life. Sometimes the waves are heavy, while at other times they are loose. Also, your hairstyle influences the pattern of your waves to a large extent.
4. Wavy hair may often feel heavy or overweight. But it solely depends on your curl type. Naturally wavy hair tends to weigh down even without any product.
5. Another characteristic of wavy hair is frizz. Your wavy locks are frizzier than other hair types. The frizz may make your hair look undone.
What Causes Natural Wavy Hair?
Your hair comes out from the skin pores of your scalp. These skin pores are known as hair follicles, and their shape determines whether your hair would be curly, wavy or completely straight. The shape of your hair follicles in turn, is determined by various factors, of which the most impactful is your genetics.
So, if your DNA forms perfectly round-shaped hair follicles, your hair type will be straight. The DNA may cause oval-shaped hair follicles which lead to curly hair. But sometimes DNA creates hair follicles that are neither round nor oval-shaped. The shapes of these hair follicles are somewhere in between, therefore leading to a wavy hair type. [1]
What Are The Types Of Wavy Hair?
Wavy hair can be classified into three different types as given under.
1. Wavy Type 2A
Wavy type 2A is pretty similar to straight hair. But if you take a closer look, you will notice light S-shaped waves. But the waves are a little subtle and light in volume.
2. Wavy Type 2B
The waves of type 2B are more profound than type 2A. But the roots of the hair are flat.
3. Type 2C
Type 2C has thicker strands and tight waves. It has the best volume among all the types of wavy hair.
How To Take Care Of Your Wavy Hair?
1. Hydrate Your Hair
Wavy hair tends to be frizzy. That’s why keeping your hair hydrated and frizz-free must be your goal. To keep your hair hydrated, experts recommend using a cleansing and hydrating shampoo. Try to avoid shampoos that contain sulfates, as it strips off the sebum oil from your scalp and makes your hair dry.
2. Deep Conditioning
Wavy hair is a lighter form of curls. Reports suggest that curls are prone to breakage due to frizziness. Hence, wavy hair needs extra care. Adding deep conditioning to your hair care routine is a must for treating frizziness. Besides, deep conditioning will repair hair damages like split-ends and roughness. It will also add some shine to your beachy waves.
3. Avoid Hair Dryers
A hair dryer is a heating tool and it can damage the cuticles of your hair. Therefore, avoiding a hair dryer and opting for air drying your hair is the best option. Air drying will add bounce to your natural waves. It will reduce the frizziness and give you a smoother texture.
4. Apply Leave-in Serum
Since wavy hair mostly suffers from dehydration and lack of moisture, leave-in hair serums can help control the wavy locks. Look for a serum that has keratin support. It will make your hair strands stronger and frizz-free.
How To Protect Wavy Hair In Between Washes?
1. It is not possible to wash your hair every day. That’s why rituals in-between hair washes are important. To begin with, you can damp your hair using a water spray, so that previously used products will be activated again.
2. Often in between hair washes, your waves may look flatter than usual. Apply mousse to add some volume to your hair locks. Volumizing will give your hair a fresh look.
3. Before styling your hair or using any heating tool, apply protective serum to your hair.
4. You can practice the pre-bed hair moisturization procedure. For dry hair, you can use a hair mask and leave it overnight to get freshly hydrated hair strands in the morning.
5. Massaging hair oil a night before you wash your hair is a great idea. Take a carrier oil such as olive oil, coconut oil or almond oil and mix it with essential oils like tea tree oil, rosemary oil or lavender oil.
6. Use satin bonnets and pillow covers to prevent your hair from drying out.
Tips For Styling Wavy Hair
1. If you have fine wavy hair, try to add volume to your roots to give a fuller look. Clipping your hair can help.
2. Over styling your wavy hair is a bad idea. If you want your hair locks to have a wavy look all day long, it is better to keep it natural.
3. Run fingers through your hair to define your curls even better.
4. In case you are using heating tools to style your hair, keep the heat level to a minimum.
5. Tie your hair using clips, to give your wavy locks a nice shape.
Wavy Hair Vs Curly Hair
There isn’t much difference between curly hair and wavy fair. In fact, both are similar in the sense that both equally suffer from frizziness. Both are breakage-prone and also difficult to manage. However, a few key differences can be noted below,
- While wavy hair consists of S-shaped hair locks, curly hair strands take circular spins.
- Wavy hair is technically more-loose than curly hair.
- Wavy hair tends to lose definition easily whereas curly hair's curls are prominent.
- Curly hair doesn't need too much styling to hold the curls. But wavy hair may need heating tools to define the curls.
- Also, curly hair is usually drier than wavy hair.
Wrapping Up
Wavy hair looks alluring but maintaining perfectly balanced wavy locks can be tough. The most common issue with wavy hair is frizziness and that happens due to dehydration. Maintaining a hair care regimen that hydrates your hair strands to the core can help. Be mindful while using styling products and heating tools as those can damage your hair cuticles.
Also, avoid using products that will potentially strip off the natural oil from your scalp and make your hair dry. Take care of your tresses with oil massage, leave-in serum and hair mask.
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