How to Accentuate Wavy Hair

Step 1

1

Wash your hair with a gentle shampoo. Wavy hair tends to get frizzy and dry. Using a harsh shampoo can make these problems worse. Stick with a sulfate free shampoo or one with moisturizers. Sulfates are detergents that can strip natural oils from hair and cause frizz.

Step 2

2

Condition your hair.

Keep in mind that conditioner should not be overly heavy, because too much oil can weigh wavy hair down. Look for a conditioner that is a medium consistency, not too thin or thick. Some conditioners are designed for wavy hair and will have ingredients that fight frizz and help waves curl up.

Step 3

3

Towel dry by patting your hair. When towel drying hair, soak up excess water by patting and scrunching your hair. Don’t be tempted to rub hair with the towel, because this will make your hair frizzy.

You can also wrap your hair on top of your head with a dry towel for a few minutes to remove excess water. Hair should still be damp, but not soaking wet, after towel drying.

Using a soft T-shirt or microfiber towel to dry your hair is a gentler way to remove excess moisture.

Step 4

4

Do not brush your hair. If you need to get rid of knots, brush your hair thoroughly before you wash it. Do not brush hair after you shampoo and condition, if you want to wear it wavy, because it will pull waves out you’re trying to enhance. If you absolutely need to detangle, after you towel dry and apply product, use a wide tooth comb to lightly remove tangles.

Step 5

5

Spray damp hair with a leave-in conditioner. Depending on the condition of your hair, you may want to use a leave-in conditioner. This is a good option, if your hair is dry and needs more hydration than what your rinse-out conditioner can give. It’s also good to use in place of rinse-out conditioner, if you have fine hair, because they’re generally lighter.

The best leave-in conditioner for wavy hair should be a lightweight formula that creates shine, detangles and smooths cuticles.

Leave-in conditioners normally protect hair from heat, as well.

Step 6

6

Use one to two pumps of hair serum. Rub your hands together to evenly distribute through your hands. Apply to ends first and work the product throughout the rest of your hair shaft. Use a hair serum that is designed to stop frizz and provide hair with extra moisture.

Argan oil works great as a hair serum, because it smooths fly-aways, but isn’t too heavy.

Do not overuse hair serum. A pea-sized amount is suitable for most hair.

Step 7

7

Scrunch your hair with mousse.

Mousse has come a long way, since the 1980’s. Instead of creating stiff, crunchy hold, they now give soft, touchable control to hair.

Look for a mousse that contains flexible polymers to give curl memory and definition to your wavy look.

Step 8

8

Use dry shampoo. Dry shampoo is not just for days you don’t wash your hair. It will give you long lasting volume, whenever you use it. This is great, since one of the biggest problems of wavy hair is its tendency to fall flat. Spray or sprinkle dry shampoo on your roots to fluff up hair. It will also absorb any excess oil off your scalp from hair serums or conditioning products.