Explaining Waves; How to Manage Waves and Dried Up Curls

Some people have healthy, wavy hair and other’s waves are secretly dried up curls. How do you tell which one is you? If your waves are soft, silky, not frizzy, and managed, your hair is wavy (2a-2c waves.) If your waves are dry, frizzy, and big, you have dried up curls. A perfect way to test this out is brush it dry, add oil, and then see what your hair does. If it looks normal, you have wavy hair. If you look like Mufasa or Medusa, you have curls. Don't worry, I can help with that<3

Before we get into how to manage waves, let's break down why your hair waves in the first place. When your hair grows through any follicle, it gets coated by a protein called keratin. Hair that grows through oval follicles tends to have more keratin on one side than the other, causing the hair to curl, or in this case, wave! Look at us being little scientists:)

Alright, now let's talk about to treat wavy hair. Light products and creams will help define your waves the most. I recommend SheaMoisture leave ins, especially ones that are light and made with organic and natural ingrediants!! Use creams, not gels, and apply by running the cream through your hair then scrunching with a cotton t-shirt or microfiber towel. Dont touch your hair AT ALL until its dry, I'm watching you... Only wash your hair about twice a week depending on the activities you do, or genuinely how long your waves can last. Lastly, oils will help you get through those couple of days, adding shine and moisture, the best duo for hair!

Now for my girls who have dry waves, the first thing you need to know is that developing healthy hair takes time. Mine took a little over a year to get to where I am today. Don't expect results with one wash. Patience is key!! Moving forward, your curls are dry, and thats why your hair is forming frizzy waves. A trick to stop this is to stop putting shampoo all over your head, scalp ONLY. Never condition your roots either. Apply generous (that secretly means a lot) amounts of conditioner to middle and end sections, and let it sit for five to ten minutes every time you wash. When it comes to “after shower products,” I recommend a thick, but not heavy leave in. I know what youre thinking, “Rachel literally what does that mean?” It means find a product that isn’t runny but wont weigh your hair down. Remember… your curls need moisture, not weight. For creams and gels, i recommend creams all the way. I use to be a gel person but it resulted in crunchy curls and weird sections forming at different parts of my head. Plus, creams are moisturizing and hold curls, which is PERFECT for what our curls need.

Curls take time and arent easy, Im so proud of you for starting to priortize hair health. You’ll thank yourself in months and years from now, trust me on that. Your hair will only get better from here. My insta DM’s and website messages are ALWAYS open if you need quick, personal hair help or anything of that sort <33

IG: @girlswithcurls.biz