Naturally wavy hair

Former Member

OK, I've done a couple of searches but not found what I'm looking for so thought I'd ask. I've got naturally thick, wavy (almost curly) hair which at the moment is fairly long, with shorter layers :banghead: - I asked the hairdresser specifically not to give me layers as they just make my hair harder to straighten but he didn't listen. Anyway...

..I've recently been trying to give my hair a break from constant straightening, I've seen loads of girls lately with kind of natural, beachy/surfy waves and want to create something similar. I figured this would be easy enough considering my hair's wavy anyway. But it's not! I thought if I washed it, then put some curl product in while it was drying to keep the frizz at bay and twisted sections of it that I'd get the effect I wanted, but it just goes fluffy and bouffs out and looks like spaniel ears (if you get my drift). Can anyone recommend a product I can use that will stop this happening? The one I tried last night also made my hair feel really nasty, it was a gel-type product and when it dried my hair felt rank :yuck: and lost its shine completely. I realise I may be asking the earth here but surely it shouldn't be that hard when my hair's already wavy?!

I will resort to trying to create waves with my straighteners if I have to but that kinda defeats the object...

Former Member

When I want it wavy the next day I just wash it in the evening and let it dry naturally over night. Would that work or does it go fluffy? You could try those bendy things!

Former Member

I'm not sure, I haven't done that in a long time...I could try it, but have a feeling I might end up with a scarecrow head! May give it a go though. What bendy things, how do they work?

Former Member

StupidGirl wrote: »

I'm not sure, I haven't done that in a long time...I could try it, but have a feeling I might end up with a scarecrow head! May give it a go though. What bendy things, how do they work?

Yeh, but then you can just wash it again the next morning :yes:.

Former Member

You can get them in chemists. They are like bendy tube shapes. Not sure how they work sorry but think people use them to achieve a more natural wave

Former Member

Cool, cheers for those suggestions. I'll give 'em a go. But in terms of the evening, say if I wash my hair after work and want to go out with it wavy that night (like last night) - is there a product I can put in my hair while it's drying that'll stop it going fluffy but not make it feel minging? I'm guessing gels aren't the way forward, maybe a gum or something??

Former Member

Easy way to do it is to soak your hair in salt water after washing it and then working some serum through to maintain the shine. It's called beach hair for a reason !!

If that doesn't work then Frizz Ease do a product called Dream Curls which is a spray and doesn't leave any residue on your hair. If it STILL goes frizzy then use it alongside a frizz-reducing serum or mousse.

Former Member

Thanks, I'll check out that Dream Curls stuff, though I like the idea of DIY sea-rinse! I do use a Frizz-Ease serum already every time I wash it, but it's the fluffiness that's a problem rather than frizz.

Former Member

I'm not sure I understand the difference - is it because your hair's so thick? It might just be that because you're so used to having it straight the waves accentuate the thickness past the point you'd like. If that's the case it might be worth going to the hairdressers and asking them to thin it out a little.

Former Member

Yours sounds just like mine! I have quite fine hair, just a whole buttload of it, and it's naturally wavy/curly so has the tendency to become very fluffy and lion-like. Not great.

At the moment I'm using a curl cream by Aussie that seems to work pretty well. I wash it at night, put the cream in while it's still wet, and leave it to do it's thang overnight. In the morning all that's normally needed is a bit of rearranging and maybe a spot of gel at the roots (fluffs there a lot). To stop the crunchy feeling, I put the gel on my hands first (don't use much, just a teeny blob), wring my hands so there's like a fine layer all over and then gently rake them over the fluffiest bits.

Former Member

Butterflykisses - I think you're right about the cut. I think it's because of the layers that it stands out way more than I want it to. I'm going to the hairdressers soon so will ask them about thinning it - I do know it's just a waiting game to get rid of the layers though.

Olive - yep that does sound a lot like mine. The Aussie stuff sounds worth a try, although I've just been out on my lunch break and bought the Dream Curls!! I'm wondering if perhaps it's worth investing in the Aussie stuff as well, and using that when I've got time to leave it overnight, and the Dream Curls for when I'm doing it after work for an evening out? :chin:

Former Member

I get the same problem but mine's quite fine and flyaway but still ends up looking odd when i try to leave it to dry naturally. I've found a couple of solutions. One is those little plastic hairbands you can get (naff i know but works). My side bits that hang round my face are the culprits so i find if i push my hair back wet with the hairband and then put curl product on the rest and leave it to dry it goes curly and there's no wayward fluff to deal with. Second thing i've started doing is when it's wet twisting it up and clipping it up and letting it dry like that. Once i take it down it's more surfer/wavy style and not fuzzy. Or plaits make it wave although some people don't like this style. I'm lazy so i like them as they're easy solutions

Former Member

my hair is wavy and i use gel & a little hairspray & scrunch it, use the blowdryer with low heat

Former Member

StupidGirl wrote: »

OK, I've done a couple of searches but not found what I'm looking for so thought I'd ask. I've got naturally thick, wavy (almost curly) hair which at the moment is fairly long, with shorter layers :banghead: - I asked the hairdresser specifically not to give me layers as they just make my hair harder to straighten but he didn't listen. Anyway...

..I've recently been trying to give my hair a break from constant straightening, I've seen loads of girls lately with kind of natural, beachy/surfy waves and want to create something similar. I figured this would be easy enough considering my hair's wavy anyway. But it's not! I thought if I washed it, then put some curl product in while it was drying to keep the frizz at bay and twisted sections of it that I'd get the effect I wanted, but it just goes fluffy and bouffs out and looks like spaniel ears (if you get my drift). Can anyone recommend a product I can use that will stop this happening? The one I tried last night also made my hair feel really nasty, it was a gel-type product and when it dried my hair felt rank :yuck: and lost its shine completely. I realise I may be asking the earth here but surely it shouldn't be that hard when my hair's already wavy?!

I will resort to trying to create waves with my straighteners if I have to but that kinda defeats the object...

I've got hair quite similar to yours, wavey/curley and thick. I use Loreal studio line (I think it's ment for boys but it's really good and smells nice) when I want to have my hair more natural. It's not like gel it's weird but it doesn't dry my hair out it makes it nice.

Try washing your hair like over the bath (for some reason when I do this it gives it more umph) brush through afterwards then scrunch first with a towel until it's damp-bordering-dry then get some product and use it to scrunch with. Then it should naturally dry into a nice style. If that doesn't work try the method I've just mentioned but without product.

Former Member

My hair is pretty similar to this, but probably not as thick as yours. Mine pretty much goes the way you want it if I let it dry natrually, but if it's a bit flat and lank i just scrunch it with a little bit of mousse and that tends to work

Former Member

Cheers guys. I used the Dream Curls stuff the other night after I'd washed/towel dried my hair, then slept with it damp and in the morning looked like I'd stuck my finger in an electric socket but I did notice that once I'd sprayed it on, it looked like it was going the way I wanted it...so this weekend I'm going to try it in the daytime, leave it to dry naturally and see what happens. If that still doesn't work I'll try the Studioline stuff, cheers JustThinking. Wavey hair shall be mine, oh yes!

Former Member

my hair is quite similar to how youve described. to manage mine, i just roughly blow drying leaving it damp to dry by itself. and i rely on a product by tigi bed head and its named 'cocky'

its not the cheapest stuff at £13 a bottle. but it lasts me about 3 months and i use it every day. just a pea sized amount rubbed into my hands and i flip my head upside down and rub it into the ends.

i get that surfy beachy wavy look, but also fuller, rather than looking like rats tails n sticking out all over the place.

hope i can help!

Former Member

Thank you - I might check that product out, sounds perfect The Dream Curls stuff is giving me more or less the look I'm after for the moment, it's just the layers in my hair that are a problem - I think once those grow out it'll be much easier to achieve. Cheers though :thumb:

Former Member

i think i have pretty similar hair to you, 'cept mine is a blonde colour.
When I have mine wavey/curly, I find the best thing to do to try it using the diffuser on the hair dryer until its 80% dry, then leave the rest to dry naturally (if u have the time of course)
then use some frizz ease style serum spray esp on the ends
Then I try to use my straightners to create manageable curls, that curl backwards (im not sure if im being clear here: i mean as in so the curl is anticlockwise so it is facing the direction of the back of the head)
This is so my hair doesnt seem too big over my face
i hope u understand this!
also, if its still quite big, try and clip front bits back to create a less frizzy look

hope this helps and i havent been too confusing!