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You’d be forgiven for thinking that wavy hair only looks good during the summer months. After all, it has that “just came from the beach” kind of vibe.
That said, you couldn’t be more wrong.
Not only is wavy hair super low maintenance, taking just two minutes to complete after you’ve done all the hard work the night before, but it also looks effortlessly chic all year round.
Whatever the season, read on to find out how to perfect wavy hair so that it stays in place for a long day of work, socialising or running errands.
1. Wash and Condition Your Hair as Normal
How to perfect wavy hair 101: shampoo your hair the night before as you usually would. (And this includes applying conditioner!)
However, if you have thin hair, we recommend applying a volume-enhancing shampoo and conditioner combo that caters primarily for this.
The general rule of thumb is the more body you have to work with, the more luscious and wavier your hair will be the next day.
2. Use a Nourishing Repairing Oil
Step two of how to perfect wavy hair: once you get out of the shower and you’ve brushed and towel-dried your hair, apply a repairing oil.
The aim is to rehydrate your hair and enhance its natural shine to create luscious, gleaming waves.
Personally, we can’t survive without the Moroccanoil Oil Treatment (*) and use a small five pence piece on our hair post-towel dry. It keeps our tresses nice and soft, as well as in the healthiest condition.
3. Let Your Hair Half-Dry Naturally
Next up, we usually leave our hair to half-dry naturally. Alternatively, if it’s winter and it’s freezing cold outside, we’ll half-dry it with a hairdryer.
Either way, just make sure that your hair is only damp before the next step, and not sopping wet.
This really helps kick-start the drying and styling process and locks those waves in place.
4. Put Your Hair in Plaits
An important step when it comes to how to perfect wavy hair is to plait your hair according to your preferred end result.
We’re talking about creating French plaits if you want tighter, curlier waves, or normal pigtail plaits if you want more carefree, loose-looking waves.
And, if you need a helping hand, simply call upon your roommate, Mum, neighbour, or whoever is close by!
5. Leave Your Plaits to Dry Overnight
After plaiting my hair, we usually leave it to dry overnight.
Our top tip here is not to unleash your shiny, new, mesmerising wavy mane until it’s completely dry.
Sometimes we even leave our plaits in for over two nights to achieve a more defined wave, but it’s completely up to you depending on the aesthetic you’re trying to achieve.
6. Release Your Hair and Apply a Smoothing Cream
Once you’ve taken out your plaits, merely run your fingers through your hair to separate the waves.
Then take a smoothing cream – we swear by VO5 Smoothly Does It Frizz Free Cream (*) and apply it through your tresses and across the top of your roots.
Smoothing cream is a significant step in terms of how to perfect wavy hair as it will eliminate any flyaways, as well as encourage curl prominence.
7. Finish with Hairspray
The final step is to set your look with hairspray – and then you should be good to go!
Oh, and if your hair isn’t looking as wavy as you hoped, don’t worry. You can backcomb it at the roots using a tail comb for added texture and oomph.
How to Perfect Wavy Hair with Little Effort
Wavy hair is easy to achieve once you know the method and have the relevant tools.
Sure, it might be difficult to work out what works for you initially in terms of your ideal level of curl definition and overall aesthetic.
However, all you need to do is experiment and persevere until you find your preferred wavy hair look you can wear all year round.
Have you figured out how to perfect wavy hair?
Katie Davies is the Yorkshire-based freelance writer who founded Trendy Tourist. Since 2017, she has written for over 100 companies on a range of subjects, from fashion to marketing. When she’s not producing content, you can find her shopping, exploring a new place or sitting somewhere having a cup of builder’s tea.
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