How To Get Wavy Hair Without Damaging It
Dreaming of a sunshine-filled tropical vacation amongst the surf and sun but stuck indoors or at the office? Your hair can still exude a summer vibe with beachy waves!
Wavy hair looks good on many hair types and textures—silver strands, straight hair, hair with natural curls—and aging hair can achieve an especially elevated look with wavy hairstyles. If your hair is thinning due to age or has a fine texture, giving it a bit of oomph in the form of bouncy waves is a great way to show off some volume.
Whether you are considering getting your hands on wavy hair by using styling products, a curling iron, a blow dryer, or hair styling hacks and hair tutorials, one thing is certain: you want to be kind to your hair!
Certain heat tools, hairsprays, and hair styling techniques can sometimes do more harm than good. If you have aging hair that may be frizzy and prone to breakage, being proactive about achieving hairstyles like wavy hair is your best bet.
Minimizing damage should always be at the forefront when it comes to hair care. But is it possible to get bouncy waves without damaging your hair? It’s not quite a spoiler to tell you that the answer is “yes.”
Here is how to keep your hair looking and feeling beautiful with tousled, natural-looking waves.
How Do I Get Wavy Hair Without Heat?
Wavy hair is a timeless desired look and for very good reason. Almost everyone has sported waves or curly hair at some point because this hairstyle is always on trend.
It makes sense that most styles are achieved using hot tools. Heating the hair breaks the hydrogen bonds that make up our hair’s composition, changing its style. Many different heat tools on the market are designed to give you wavy hair. But the truth is a heat styling tool isn't a requirement for achieving wavy hair.
Depending on whether you have long or short hair, there are different approaches to getting wavy hair without damaging it. Many of these wavy hair hacks are best achieved when you’re just out of the shower, as water breaks down the bonds that make our hair keep its shape. When our hair dries, those bonds solidify again into our natural hair shape—unless you go for styling your hair into full, loose waves.
Picking the right shampoo for your natural hair is a great place to start, as it ensures your hair is healthy and strong. For those with aging hair, strength is paramount for hair care, as it needs more moisturizing and gentle aid. Whatever your needs for shampoo and conditioner are, Better Not Younger can help get your wavy hair started.
After you shampoo your hair, it’s time to look at hair tutorials to get those wavy tresses. To begin, you should have damp hair. Blotting your hair dry is best, as you still need the moisture, and wringing out your hair can cause damage.
The braid method of getting wavy hair involves sectioning off your hair as desired and braiding it. The best results can be seen overnight when you let your hair air dry naturally with braids secured by hair bands.
The bun method for beachy waves is similar to braiding. First, divide your hair into sections. Then, take each section and split it in half. Wrap those two new sections around each other to create a bun, and use bobby pins to pin the bun to the side of your head, similar to pin curls.
How To Achieve Beachy Waves With a Flat Iron
You know all the different styling tools available—curlers, diffusers, and blow dryers. With so many options, there can sometimes be confusion: What type of curling wand, straightener, or crimper can achieve the most natural-looking waves without much damage?
Beachy, effortless hair is the perfect summer hairstyle and is very easy to do. When using heat tools, it is very important to use a heat protectant, especially if you have aging hair that is prone to drying out, damaged, or breaks easily.
Our No Remorse Heat Protection & Taming Spray will help protect your hair up to 450 degrees and condition it with a special blend of moisturizing nutrients.
With clean, dry hair, collect as much of your hair as you can and pull it back behind your head using a clip or hair tool of your choice.
To begin, pull out a section of hair and start from near your scalp to the end of your hair strands. You’ll apply the flat iron where the heat plates are parallel to the ground. Move down the shaft of your hair just a bit to begin on an untouched section, and turn the flat iron in the opposite direction at 180º so that the other side of the flat iron is parallel with the floor.
Repeat those steps until you reach the end of your hair strands. At this point, you can proceed to the next section.
Once you have the loose curls you’ve gained from your flat iron (with minimal damage, thanks to a spritz or two of heat protectant spray), run your fingers through your hair for naturally breezy waves.
Tips on Enhancing Your Natural Waves
If you have naturally occurring waves, you can easily care for them and enhance them with a few swaps or additions to your daily routine. Shampooing and conditioning your hair as needed set the stage for healthy hair.
Your hair does not need to be washed every day; it’s actually better not to. When you wash your hair, you strip it of its natural oils, which help keep it moisturized.
Because hair tends to dry out as we age, it’s even more important to keep it hydrated to combat frizz. Shampooing your hair about three times a week is a good standard to try, and it will help prevent your hair from drying out.
To protect and define your natural waves, you can use our Bounce Back Super Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner for Curly Hair.
Another way to emphasize your natural waves and curls is by minimizing how much you brush your hair out after you wash it. Sure, you want to detangle your hair, but combing out wavy or curly hair types can damage the cuticle and cause frizz. Brushing out your wavy or curl-prone hair can disrupt your curl pattern and lead to a loss of definition, which is the exact opposite of what we want in enhancing our natural hair and getting the most out of our waves!
Instead of using a brush, try a wide-tooth comb. This will minimize tangles while helping your hair retain its shape more easily! Once your wet hair is damp, specific hair products like mousse or sea salt spray can elevate a textured, beach-wave look.
Speaking of the best hair products to get wavy hair, here are some products worth arming yourself with when your tresses crave a wavy hairstyle without damage.
What Are the Best Styling Products for Wavy Hairstyles?
The best results are achieved with the right tools for wavy hairstyles. Those tools are tried and tested hair styling products designed with aging hair in mind.
For the best results on hair types that lean toward curly or wavy, you can use our Wake Up Call Style Memory Mousse on your damp hair before styling. Scrunch your hair from the bottom to get the most life out of your curls and waves.
If you want something generally helpful once you own some beachy waves, you may want to give our Wake Up Call Thickening Hairspray a shot. Whether you have achieved wavy hair through braids or a hair straightener, you don’t want to lose out on your hard work!
Our hairspray provides a perfect hold while never feeling lost in a cloud of too-stiff hairspray that can dry out your hair. Functionality and hydration are key for wavy hair products—and for aging better!
Wavy hair is a fun hairstyle that can be worn any time of year! Obtaining this trendy look can be easy and without damage to your hair. Protective and curl-boosting products are on our Curls and Bounce product page.
If you are unsure what Better Not Younger products can help you get wavy hair based on your specific needs, our Better Hair Quiz will shed some light so that you can make well-informed decisions regarding your hair care.
Sources:
A Comment on the Science of Hair Aging | PMC
Hair Shaft Damage from Heat and Drying Time of Hair Dryer | PMC
Getting under the skin of hair aging: the impact of the hair follicle environment - Williams - 2020 - Experimental Dermatology | Wiley Online Library