How to take care of wavy hair is often differentiated from curly hair due to its subtle curl pattern, and it is treated as straight, unruly hair that needs to be straightened into submission with a flat iron. However, wavy hair is a type of curly hair, and as such, it needs a fair chance to shine like a beautiful hair type. As a type of curly hair pattern, wavy hair thrives with the Curly Girl/Guy (or CG) method, just like curlier hair patterns!
You’ve come to the right place to learn how to take care of wavy hair and keep it happy and healthy. We’ve put together some guidelines to help you create a daily routine for your wavy hair based on the CG method. However. Before you read on, remember that many factors affect how your hair naturally behaves and how it will react to specific products and techniques. This includes your hair’s porosity, fineness, and even the weather on any day. Please think of this as a wavy hair starter routine and use it as a starting point to create your hair care routine that’s right for your hair.
**Assuming you’ve been using standard hair care products that are unsuitable for wavy hair, start with a reset wash with your regular shampoo before starting your new wavy hair routine.**
Washing Your Hair
One of the tenets of the CG method is that textured hair requires more moisture than utterly straight hair. Unfortunately, the shampoos we’ve all gotten used to using every time we wash our hair strip away the natural moisture, leaving it looking dull and dry. Start your wavy hair care journey by eliminating shampoo from your routine—at least for now. Instead of shampoo, use a CG-friendly (silicone-free) conditioner to cleanse your hair. If you notice your hair feeling too oily after a month or so of this routine, try switching to a low-oil regimen with a sulfate-free shampoo.
Detangling Your Hair
Detangling wavy hair is an entirely different task than straight hair. First rule: don’t use brushes. Second rule: only detangle in the shower, using a generous amount of conditioner. Use your fingers or a wide-tooth comb to slowly work out any knots and tangles with your hair wet and evenly coated in conditioner. Be gentle with your hair; don’t use force, as this can cause breakage.
Conditioning Your Hair
Just because you use a CG-compatible conditioner to wash and condition your hair doesn’t mean your hair is getting the most out of the conditioner. To get the most out of your conditioner, use CG’s tried-and-true conditioning method, squish to condish. Simply put, this hair conditioning method allows the conditioner to arrive deep into the hair shaft and send off your waves, which are beautifully bouncy and hydrated.
Moisturizing Your Hair
Conditioning is only half the battle: you’ll need even more moisture for truly healthy hair. If your hair is frizzy or dull, incorporate a hydrating hair mask (without silicone!) into your routine. Starting once a week and increasing or decreasing the frequency as needed. If your hair is damaged or has very high porosity. Consider supplementing these nourishing hair masks with protein-rich products, which will help your hair retain moisture better.
Styling Your Hair
Since we’ve eliminated shampoos and sulfates from our routines, silicones are no longer an option when styling products. This is because silicone can only be removed from your hair with sulfates. Without them, silicone in styling products will build up on your hair over time. You’d be surprised how many products contain different types of silicones when you start looking for them! To ensure your product is CG-approved, list it on this website. Don’t worry, though: CGs can use all sorts of styling products; they must be CG-compatible. However, wavy hair generally responds well to lightweight products with moderate strongholds, like lightweight mousses or gels. No matter what product you choose. You’ll get the best results if you apply it to wet hair and dry with the product already applied.
Drying Your Hair
Freshly washed and product-treated hair can be dried in two ways: air-dry or with a diffuser. Opt for the former if you have time and don’t want extra volume. For faster drying and more volume, opt for the latter. However, no matter how you choose to dry your hair, be sure to start with a plop. The plop is a hair-drying method exclusive to CG and is meant to give your hair a gentle start as it begins to dry. No more frizz and tangles caused by fluffy towels: for a plop. You’ll use a microfiber towel or a simple cotton t-shirt.
Protecting Your Hair
Finally, your wavy hair must be treated with care and endangered from anything that can cause frizz. Tangles, and other damage. Avoid frizz altogether by using a silk pillowcase or cap to protect your hair while you sleep. If you want to straighten or curl your hair. Be extra careful about heat damage and use a CG-compatible heat protectant. Heat damage is serious business. This is a surefire way to flatten your waves for good (or at least until you grow new ones).