About three months ago, I offered to help my best friend do something fun with her hair. As she pulled her super-thick waves out from their daily bun, she proceeded to brush her dry waves. Yes, BRUSH them! As she did this, she told me one reason she hated her hair so much: it poofs every time she brushes it. I think the look of shock on my face must have been obvious because she started giggling with a tinge of embarrassment. Of course, I wasn’t shocked that her waves poof when she brushes them. I was shocked that she was somehow amazed and distraught at this fact. I probably sputtered out something along the lines of, “Well of course it poofs — you’re brushing it! Dry, no less!”
“Well…you have to get through your hair!” she replied.
“Not like that, you don’t! You detangle it, yes…but you should’ve done that when you finished washing it and maybe with some conditioner still on it.”
“No one’s ever told me that before. I’ve just always hated my hair.”
“You mean…no one’s ever told you not to brush through your waves or anything about detangling it, deep conditioning it and so on?”
“Nope.”
“Oh, honey….”
Some of you are amazed she’d gone all this time without knowing how to deal with her waves, while others of you can totally relate to her responses. Did you know that curls and coils aren’t the only hair types you need to handle with care? No matter what your hair type is, you need to be careful with it! So, what’s a wavy gal to do?
1. Cleansing
Whether you’re doing without shampoo or using one on a regular basis, you need to cleanse your waves regularly. Use a lightweight, gentle shampoo that is strong enough to get rid of any product build-up but that won’t weigh down or stretch your waves. Have a look through our top 10 shampoos and choose one that gets great reviews from fellow wavies!
2. Drying
As with any type of curly hair, wavy hair is prone to frizz and damage when wet. To take some of the water off your hair, use a microfiber towel or hair glove rather than a terrycloth towel, which can be rough on your hair. For some suggestions, check out what Alyssa thought of some different brands!
Another option is to upcycle your old t-shirts and use them to dry your waves!
3. Brush vs. Comb
Not all brush types are disastrous for wavy hair, but you do have to be careful. Avoid paddle brushes as well as any with stiff bristles. Vented brushes are usually fine for waves, as long as you’re gentle and only using it when your hair is wet.
Alternatively, you can avoid brushes altogether and stick with a wide-toothed comb. These will work nicely when your hair is damp, but you may even be able to get away with delicately using it on dry hair as well without causing it to poof. In my experience, this depends on how wavy the hair is. I’ve seen and have combed wavy hair ranging from barely-there waves (2a”> to practically a curly (2c”> with wide-toothed combs on dry hair. Combing through seemed to have the least impact on the 2a and 2b hair types that weren’t overly thick, while the thick 2c, borderline 3a wavy hair I’ve dealt with didn’t handle it too well.
If you’re hearing any of these tips for the first time, please take them to heart and put them into practice. Your wavy hair will stop being a source of frustration and become a source of swavy, curvy hair pride!
Have you been able to share some valuable textured hair care knowledge with a friend? How have you benefited from a friend sharing their knowledge with you?
