Understanding The Wave Pattern Of Your Hair & How To Care For It

Learning about your hair’s wave pattern is essential for understanding how to properly care for your hair, find the right style, and selecting the right hair products that will work for you. So in this post, we’ll describe the three wave patterns of hair, how to care for them, what styles will work best, as well as the best hair products to use for each.

It’s also important to note that you may have a combination of wave patterns on your head. It’s not uncommon to have relatively straight hair in the front and on top, with wavy hair underneath. This is actually how my hair is! It’s usually caused by genetics and/or hormones, but can also happen from pulling your hair back often which relaxes the wave pattern up front over time.

What Wave Pattern Is My Hair?

The wave pattern of your hair is the shape that the strand forms in its natural state. It can be straight, wavy, or curly. Curly hair can come in a variety of different shapes and sizes as well.

Each category of wave pattern can have any combination of texture or density. And as I briefly mentioned earler, you can have a combination of multiple wave patterns on your head.

It’s also important to note that when curly hair gets damaged, it loses its curl. So that means that if your ends have gone straight but it’s still curly or wavy at the base, you likely have some damage.

***Since I’m sharing the products that I love to use with you guys, this page includes affiliate links to these products. If you take action and purchase a product through clicking one of my links, I’ll make some commission money from it at no extra cost to you. This enables me to be able to continue giving you awesome hair tips, so thanks! ***

Straight hair

Depending on the texture, straight hair can often be difficult to curl or to hold onto a curl. A slightly higher temperature can be used when curling, and if the hair is coarse, you may need to use slower movements with your iron. You can also use products to aid you which usually do the trick, but we’ll talk about that in just a moment.

How to care for straight hair

• You’ll need a little more hold if you want your curls to stick, so I recommend a firm hold thermal spray before you iron as well as a strong hold hairspray for after. To take it a step further, apply a strong hold gel before you blow dry your hair, then follow with the strong hold thermal spray. This is what I always do on special event styling hair to get it to hold the curls all day long.
• Straight fine hair has a tendency to get tangled easier, so always be careful when brushing. Check my guide on brushes and brushing here for extra tips.
• Sometimes straight hair lacks volume, so use a root lifter and I recommend round brush blow-drying the hair out to give it some movement.

Best hairstyles for straight hair

The longer straight hair is, the straighter it will be. If you want to achieve volume and body, I recommend adding some layers and not letting the length get too long. And contrary to length, very short straight hair can sometimes be a challenge. If the hair is cut too short, it may stick straight out.

So you’ll need to find your happy medium where you can get some movement without the hair becoming stubborn. Depending on your cowlicks and hair texture the length that works for you may vary, but a mid-length cut is generally the best option.

Perms are also an option if you are struggling to find a style that gives you body. However, I recommend doing either a perm OR color, not both. Perms can be harsh on the hair, and when you mix that with color, (especially bleach or highlights), you’re likely to suffer from some damage.

Best products for straight hair

The best products for straight hair will be anything that promotes body and hold. Below I’ve listed a few of my favorites.

• Kenra Firm Hold Gel – I recommend applying this firm hold gel to your hair prior to blow drying it to prep the hair for curls. This acts as a setting lotion and will amplify the amount of hold you get from ironing.
• Kenra Hot Spray – If your straight hair struggles to hold onto a curl, this product will become your best friend. This is a strong hold thermal hair spray that protects your hair from heat while adding hold to your style. You’ll spray it on piece by piece before curling.
• Pureology Pure Volume Shampoo and Pure Volume Conditioner  – Volumizing shampoo and conditioner that won’t weigh hair down or fade color.
• Aquage Uplifting Foam 8 oz  – This is my all time favorite mousse/root-lifter. Use half a golf-ball sized fluff, apply to your root area and style. If you apply too much or all throughout your hair, you can actually weigh it down!
• Aquage Sea Salt Texturizing Spray – Creates that “beachy” soft-textured look. Spray to damp hair and dry with fingers or diffuser. Or you can spray it into dry hair and scrunch to give it some “ummph”.
• Amika Un.Done Texture Spray – This is my favorite texture spray. As Amika says, it’s “sexy-in-a-bottle” and they aren’t lying. It adds volume and texture to give you the ultimate “un-done” look.
• Aquage Freezing spray– This is a stronger hold hairspray that provides maximum humidity resistance. Spray 8-10 inches away.

Wavy hair

Wavy hair is typically the most desired of the three wave patterns. It can be easily straightened and also holds onto a curl pretty well. You can air-dry it, round-brush it smooth, or scrunch it to be diffused.

How to care for wavy hair

• Wavy hair can have a tendency to get frizzy, so make sure it stays well moisturized.
• If you want to rock your natural wave pattern, avoid brushing it out when dry. Brush it out wet, apply product, air dry or diffuse, and leave it alone! Brushing it out will make you look like you stuck your finger in a light socket. Try a wide-tooth comb or your fingers instead of a brush.
• Braiding the hair can help to shape the wave pattern. I like to braid my hair when it’s 90-100% dry and let it sit overnight.

Best hairstyles for wavy hair

This wave pattern has the best of both worlds when it comes to styling. Wavy hair is very versatile, and can be worn several different ways. It doesn’t have a problem achieving volume, but it’s still manageable in its natural state.

Keep in mind that the longer this hair is, the more it will usually straighten out. The weight of the hair will pull down on the wave pattern loosening it up. This also means that the shorter it is, the wavier it will become.

Layers will usually increase the body, while non-layers will decrease it. Depending on your preference, you can go either way.

Wavy hair also blows out really nicely, getting some killer volume without needing to be ironed afterwards.

Best hair products for wavy hair

The best products for wavy hair are those that control frizz and give a medium hold. You can use straightening products if you want to wear it straight, and even dip into curly hair products to accentuate your natural wave pattern.

• Pureology Hydrate Shampoo and Hydrate Conditioner – Replenishes lost moisture and smells AMAZING. All of my clients ask me what I’m using on them when I use this. I keep it at my back bar and actually use it on 90% of my clients!
• Aquage Sea Salt Texturizing Spray – Creates that “beachy” soft-textured look. Spray to damp hair and dry with fingers or diffuser. Or you can spray it into dry hair and scrunch to give it some “ummph”.
• Aquage Silkening Oil Treatment – This product is used for blow-drying, anti-frizz, anti-humidity, heat protection, and works wonders as a smoothing serum. It even cuts your blow-dry time down! A little goes a long way though, so start small and increase as needed.
• Aquage Defining Gel – This is my absolute favorite product for natural waves and curls. Use about a quarter-sized glob on wet hair to define your curls and eliminate frizz. After application, the hair can be blow-dried with a diffuser or air-dried. I use this hand in hand with the above silkening oil treatment!
• Olaplex No. 6 – Leave-in conditioner and styling treatment. This repairing leave-in conditioner hydrates, eliminates frizz, and protects the hair from heat. Use this after you shampoo and condition, it works well with blow-drying, but can be used on air-dried hair as well!

Curly hair

Curly hair is the most difficult wave pattern to care for. This hair must be well moisturized in order to avoid appearing frizzy. However when well-maintained, it can be a gorgeous, low-effort hairstyle.

Not all curls contain the same pattern and can form small, tight ringlets and coils (4C) to larger, looser curls (3A), all on one head of hair. I have several clients whose hairline has tighter, more springy curls, and the rest of their hair is a looser wave pattern.

I’m not going to go into all of the different curl patterns here as that would be an entire blog post on its own, but leave me a comment if that’s something you’re interested in! The tips below will be beneficial no matter which curl pattern you are.

How to care for curly hair

• I highly recommend finding someone who particularly specializes in cutting curly hair. This wave pattern is easy to cut too short because it shrinks up so much when it dries.
• This hair can be custom cut to create a better shape based on how and where each natural curl falls. This looks almost like your stylist is taking random chunks out of your hair, but it’s strategic based on how your natural curls fall.
• Moisturizing is key to keeping frizz down. Since there is a lot of movement along the hair strand, the cuticle is often opened making the hair appear more frizzy than other wave patterns. It’s also easier for moisture to slip out of the hair.
• Curly hair should be washed less frequently than other wave patterns because it needs the natural oils to help smooth and condition the frizzy cuticle.
• Rinse curly hair in cool to cold water to help seal the cuticle and keep frizz down.

Best hairstyles for curly hair

Keep in mind that the shorter curly hair is, the curlier it will become. Length will help to weigh the hair down and loosen out the curl. And short curly hair can be difficult to straighten, so if you like to wear your hair straight often, keeping some length will benefit you.

While customized curly cuts will perfect your shape when worn naturally, the hair may look funky when straightened. I suggest only choosing a customized curly cut if you don’t ever wear your hair straight.

Layers will significantly affect the shape of your hair, whether customized to each curl or just traditional layers. This is why finding a curly hair specalist is so important. You need someone that can deliver the exact shape that you’re looking for.

Best hair products for curly hair

When choosing a product for curly hair, your main focus should be on keeping frizz down. If you want to rock your natural wave pattern, I recommend using products with a flexible hold so you don’t feel crunchy and can wear it for a number of days in a row.

My absolute favorite concoction for curly hair is to mix Aquage Silkening Oil Treatment with Aquage Defining Gel (listed below). Let it air dry or blow-dry with a diffuser!

• Aquage Silkening Shampoo and Conditioner – Perfect for fragile or color treated hair. These really help to smooth down the hair, reduce frizz, and protect against humidity.
• Aquage Defining Gel – This is my absolute favorite product for curls. Use about a quarter-sized glob on wet hair to define your curls and eliminate frizz. After application, the hair can be blow-dried with a diffuser or air-dried.
• Aquage Silkening Oil Treatment – This is used for blow-drying, anti-frizz, anti-humidity, heat protection, and works wonders as a smoothing serum. It even cuts your blow-dry time down!
• Olaplex No. 6 – Leave-in conditioner and styling treatment. This repairing leave-in conditioner hydrates, eliminates frizz, and protects the hair from heat. Use this after you shampoo and condition, it works well with blow-drying, but can be used on air-dried hair as well!

Conclusion

Learning about your hair’s natural wave pattern can be a game-changer for your hair care routine. With this knowledge, you’ll know how to care for your hair, what styles will work for you, as well as what products you should be using (or avoiding!)

Straight hair

• Tough to hold a curl
• Can tangle easily
• Lacks body with significant length
• Opt for layers for volume
• Use high-hold and volumizing products

Wavy hair

• Most versatile wave pattern
• Can get frizzy
• Shorter lengths will increase wave; longer lengths will straighten it out
• Use moisturizing products

Curly hair

• Gets frizzy easily
• Shrinks significantly when dry
• Needs special cutting techniques
• Use moisturizing and flexible-hold products

If you have any further questions for me on wave patterns, be sure to leave them for me in the comments. And as always, Have A Good Hair Day!