Tips for Wavy Hair

I wasn't sure whether to do this post as everyone's hair is different (watch out, Einstein over here) and so hair posts usually don't apply to the majority of people, however, I thought I'd throw this out there as there are bound to be people who have similar hair to mine. My hair is fairly thin but wavy, it used to be really curly when I was younger but now it's straightened out quite a bit so it's not so crazy. If I were to straighten it and went out in the wind/heat/cold it would go back to its waves but, when I wear it up for the day and take it down, the shape of the waves are ruined and I have to wet my hair for them to come back so it's a bit hit and miss.

I have had many horrific hair experiences, the worst one which was thanks to a hairdresser, whose profession I question, who thinned my hair out so much and cut it to such an awkward above-the-shoulder length that I wore my hair up for about 6 months teamed with billions of hair grips. At the minute my hair is cut in a way that's really easy to style, it's just past my shoulders and has a longish layer in it that I've left to grow out. I also have a short fringe that I blow dry and straighten and leave the rest of my hair to dry naturally after having washed it.

I'm going to point out that I'm not a hairdresser and struggle to draw a straight line with a ruler let alone hack at someone's hair (I attempted cutting my own fringe recently, it was hideous) but here are some things I've realised about my hair that might work for you as well:

1. Using a heavy conditioner weighs hair down.

I know it's really bad not to condition your hair when you wash it but I've found that when I condition my hair it leaves it really flyaway and won't hold any sort of wave meaning my hair looks awful until I wash it again. If I do want to use some sort of conditioner I've recently been using NSPA's Hair and Scalp Miracle Mask (I bought mine from Asda but can't find it on the website), I wet my hair and apply this then leave it to sit for a while then shampoo my hair last so that way my hair is left feeling soft but not weighed down.

2. Detangler is your best friend.

After I've got out of the shower my hair is really knotty and difficult to comb so I spray loads of detangler in my hair and then comb it. I used to use John Frieda's Frizz-Ease Daily Miracle Treatment but it's pretty expensive for what it is and so now use Shampooheads Awesome Annie Detangler which is £2.99, does an amazing job and smells so nice.

3. Curling mousse is a must.

Honestly, without curling mousse I hate to think what my hair would look like, for reference I'm imagining a frizzy, limp mess. It gives my hair so much shape and just apply it throughout wet hair, scrunch and lift it in random sections for about 30 seconds and then leave my hair alone until it's dry. I recommend John Frieda's Frizz-Ease Curl Reviver Mousse which is one you shake so it comes out as foam or The Body Shop's Cottonseed Curl Boost which is a creamy product that softens your hair as well, I had a look online and saw that it said this product is no longer available but it's worth checking in a local Body Shop store as I could have sworn I only saw it recently.

4. Sea salt spray gives grip.

On days where my hair won't behave or if I want my hair to look more voluminous or wavy I'll use a tiny bit of sea salt spray and put it wherever I feel I need it. I say a tiny bit as the one I use, Lee Stafford's Beach Babe Sea Salt Spray, can give a horrible sticky feeling if too much is used but is great when used sparingly.

5. Getting it cut can help bring back waves.

Around a month ago I got my hair cut to what it is now (around shoulder length) from it being quite far down my back but it just didn't do anything for my hair. I wore it up in bun on my head constantly because it looked frizzy and the waves would only hold for the first day of washing it so it was pointless in it being that long. Now it's shorter it looks a lot thicker and I don't want it long again as straggly isn't the best look in the world.

6. Dampening it revives waves.

Sometimes when I wake up in the morning (kind of feel a tad like P Diddy) my hair doesn't look as wavy as I'd like and so when I'm getting bathed I just dampen my hair, not soak it, and  leave it to dry while getting ready so then by the time I've left the house it's curly again.

That's everything I know that I feel is worth mentioning about wavy hair and it's taken me a while to find a routine that works well for my hair. Do you have any tips for wavy hair or do you do any of these things yourself?