You're perhaps the envy of everyone in your vicinity if you're blessed with naturally wavy hair. Other hair types yearn for the gorgeous volume and texture that naturally wavy hair already has. But whether you choose a sleek, straight look or embrace your beachy waves, you probably struggle with frizz like your sisters with curly hair. 

Wavy hair is neither as thin and oily as straight hair nor as rough and dry as natural curls. Despite the appearance of being low maintenance, maintaining a gorgeous mane of waves requires a lot of work. Like all types of hair, wavy hair requires special maintenance.

In this article, we'll first understand what makes your wavy hair special. Then, we'll look at what to avoid to not damage your waves and finally, how to care for wavy hair, so your waves stay healthy.

Table of Contents:

• What Exactly Is Wavy Hair?
• What to Avoid When You Have Wavy Hair
• How to Care for Wavy Hair Every Day
• Use the right shampoo
• Use a lot of conditioner
• Detangle it the right way
• Use deep-hydration hair masks
• Dry, style, and protect it properly

What Exactly Is Wavy Hair?

On the surface, your wavy hair may appear to be a slightly curled version of straight hair. However, wavy hair actually belongs to the curly hair family. And as anybody with curly hair will tell you, maintaining it is a task!

Let's talk about the problems that wavy hair textures, whether they are fine, medium, or coarse, may encounter. 

You might be worried about weighed-down waves if your hair tends to have looser, softer curves. 

The dryness and frizz typical for curly hair may be present in a wave type with a curly lean. 

Finer waves are more likely to accumulate grease and oil, and loose S-curves let the grease reach your hair's ends. 

Additionally, any friend with curly hair who goes out for a night of fun can attest to the styling struggle of feeling like every product they use just makes their style look flat.

So, let's begin with what you must avoid when you have wavy hair so you can care for it properly without feeling overwhelmed!

What to Avoid When You Have Wavy Hair

There are a few absolute 'must-not-dos' that you need to keep in mind when you have wavy hair:

• Don't use heat! Styling with hot tools like straighteners or curlers will only leave your hair dehydrated and frizzier than before.
  
  
• Say goodbye to towels! Use a cotton cloth or a cotton T-shirt to dry your hair instead. The cotton material will help define your waves without stripping your hair of moisture.
• Keep extra-thick conditioners away! Use a lightweight to medium conditioner to hydrate your waves. The extra-thick ones will only leave it looking flat and greasy.

How to Care for Wavy Hair Every Day

Now, let's look at what you should do every day to keep your waves looking and being healthy!

• Use the right shampoo

Like every hair-care routine, caring for wavy hair begins with choosing the right shampoo. Not all curly-hair shampoos are going to benefit your waves. 

Choose a hydrating shampoo that will allow your texture to remain the way it is instead of forcing it to become straighter or curlier.

• Use a lot of conditioner

While using extra-thick conditioners will flatten your waves and make them look greasy, it's still important to use a lot of conditioner often. 

Remember that you're going to detangle your hair in the shower, so you need a lot of low-density conditioner to make the knots easy to remove. And since wavy hair should be washed as less frequently as once a week, you can wash it with conditioner in between two shampoo days.

• Detangle it the right way

Do not attempt to detangle your waves when the hair is dry. Only detangle it in the shower with a lot of conditioner slathered on. The conditioner makes it easy to loosen the knots and detangle your hair without damaging it too much. 

Remember to use your fingers or a wide-tooth comb only. Don't use a hairbrush on wavy hair (in the shower or otherwise).

• Use deep-hydration hair masks

Even if you wash your hair with conditioner every day in between two shampoo days, it's still important to use a deeply hydrating hair mask that will deep-condition your waves. This will not only keep it look healthy but will also make your hair stronger.

However, avoid hair masks (and any other hair products) with a lot of chemicals, sulfates, parabens, and silicones in them. They destroy the natural texture of your hair and will only make them frizzier and more damaged.

• Dry, style, and protect it properly

The best way to dry your waves is to wrap them in a cotton T-shirt after washing. The cotton T-shirt will absorb all the excess water without dehydrating the hair and will also help define the waves. Avoid blow drying it at all costs.

Similarly, it's best to style your hair without any heated tools. You can leave them loose to flaunt their natural texture or use pins and hair wraps to secure your waves.

How to care for wavy hair is a big question that almost everyone with this hair type has because the hair is neither completely straight nor curly. Follow the tips given above to maintain healthy, happy waves and flaunt the natural texture of your hair!