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Wavy Hair: How to Maintain & Style this Hair Type

There’s so much to love about wavy hair. It lasts for days when you get a blowout or straighten it. It also welcomes curly hair products to give your hair more defined waves, volume, and bounce. If this is your hair type, you’re one of the lucky few.

a Caucasian lady rocking wavy hair

But do you know how to look after it properly? Not to worry; you’ll find all the knowledge you need to properly care for and get the most out of your wavy tresses. You’ll also learn more about your wave pattern and get inspos into hairstyles that suit your hair type.

What Defines Wavy Hair?

a black lady rocking wavy hair

Otherwise known as type 2 hair, wavy hair is a hair type that is neither straight nor curly but in between. It features loose loops and forms an ‘S’ shape along the lengths or at the ends with a slight loose curl pattern. It has into three subdivisions namely: 2A, 2B, and 2C.

Types of Wavy Hair

pretty girl rocking wavy hair

2A 

This wavy hair looks looser and more tousled. It works best with lightweight styling products that provide good hold so your hairstyle lasts longer. Also, avoid layering styling products as they can weigh your waves down.

2B

These waves have a tighter S shape. The wave patterns are more defined than 2A. Though they may appear loose, they’re more prominent along the length and ends of your hair. Furthermore, 2B hair type reacts well to styling creams.

2C 

This hair type looks almost like curly hair because of its extremely tight S shape.  For this reason, most curly hair products can work well for this hair type due to its coarse texture. Some of its strands can become loose corkscrews when styled. But out of all wavy hair types, 2C is the most prone to frizz.

Signs You May Have Wavy Hair

a lady smiling with her wavy hair

If you’ve been wondering whether your hair is naturally wavy or not but can’t seem to confirm, these signs will give you some clues:

  • When it’s wet, it looks straight but shrinks in length when it’s dry.
  • It easily gets frizzy.
  • It tangles easily.
  • You find it difficult to straighten some parts of your hair.

Is Wavy Hair Curly?

a blond lady showing off her hair

Wavy hair is not curly but in the middle of straight and curly hair. While this hair type is less prone to oil buildup than straight hair, curly hair is more susceptible to frizz.

Furthermore, unlike curly hair which you should rock unbrushed most of the time, you can always brush your type 2 hair anytime you like with less chance of breakage because this hair is slightly softer and thinner than curly hair.

Can Wavy Hair Look Curly?

A pretty lady rocking brunette wavy hair that looks curly

Since this hair type sits in between curly and straight, it can easily be made curly or straight depending on the look you want to achieve.

How to Care for Wavy Hair

a white lady wearing bob wavy hair

To ensure your type 2 hair looks pretty always, adapt these tips into your hair care regimen:

Wash Often

This hair type is the least dry among all curl types. As such, it tends to accumulate more oil on the scalp. The best way to salvage this is to wash often.

Avoid Using Too Many Products

Using many products can cause buildup and residue on your scalp and weigh down your waves. Instead, use one styler in your routine. And if you’re using a leave-in conditioner, ensure it’s lightweight. Furthermore, try to apply your products on soaking wet hair as it helps to disperse the products and make them lighter so they don’t weigh down your waves.

Moisturize Your Hair

Don’t forget to moisturize your hair to give it more life and sheen. For this use a sulfate-free moisturizer to restore moisture to your tresses.

Heat-Style with a Heat Protectant

If you’re always tempted to use a flat iron, blow dryer, or curling wand on your hair, ensure you use a heat protectant or keep the tool at low heat.

Experiment Different Styles

As you’ll soon see, different coiffures work for wavy hair. From bob to pixie cuts, shag, and what have you, never hesitate to switch up styles whenever you want.

Suitable Hairstyles for Wavy Hair

Here they are:

Shag Haircut

a girl in a car wearing a shag haircut

This style is perfect for you if you love to wear your hair in layers. The uneven length adds more definitions to your waves. 

Bob

pretty black girl wearing wavy bob

Your waves can stay just below your neck if you want it that way. That’s why bob hairstyles exist to give you that convenience.

Type 2 Hair with Bangs

pretty lady rocking wavy hair with bangs

Feel like hiding your forehead or want more accents around there? Not a problem. Just create a fringe. It’ll give you that chic look.

Long Wavy Hair

lady wearing long blonde type 2 hair

Need to keep the attention around your back? A long hairstyle will do, They’re sleek and powerful statement makers.

Lob

lady wearing Lob type 2 hair

How about you go for a bob style that gets to your shoulders? You can have it by leaving more lengths before trimming.

Messy Wavy Hair

lady showing off messy wavy hair

If you love the tousled look that comes with beach waves, give this style a shot. The deliberate messy look gives you a chic look you don’t wanna miss out on.

Bold-Colored Wavy Hair

lady wearing pink colored wavy hair with bangs

How about you rock your waves in a color other than black or brunette? You can go for blonde, red, green, blue, or any bold color that suits you.

Wavy Hair with Highlights

lady wearing blonde wavy hair with highlights

You can also add highlights to your hair. From blonde highlights to red highlights, anyone works.

And that’s a wrap on type 2 hair. If you need more hairstyles for this hair type, feast your eyes below:

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Victoria B. Willie

Writing has always been a part of me. From writing stories as a young child to studying Communication Arts in the university, it has always been more than a medium of expression to me.

And then one day, I found myself toeing the path of an entrepreneur and becoming a fashion enthusiast. This made me develop an interest in content marketing and copywriting which I've been chasing alongside my fashion career.

That aside, when I'm not sharing style articles, selling with stories, or creating fashion-forward pieces for Ria Kosher, you'll find me telling wild stories that always come with a twist.

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