If your waves or curls have gone limp, dropped, or look frizzy, don’t worry—you don’t need to start over! I’ll show you how to refresh them and bring back definition without rewashing.

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Many of my group coaching clients have wavy hair and struggle with refreshing because wavy hair and loose curls are prone to getting stretched out, and that’s completely normal.

This post is part of a new series focusing on the unique needs and challenges of wavy hair that you can find here. I will also provide you with some sleep protection options towards the end of this post to better preserve your curls.

Why Do Waves & Curls Go Limp?

The first thing we have to understand is WHY waves and looser curl patterns go limp. Some of the most common reasons are:

• Gravity
• Lack of hold from the original styling routine
• Over-moisturizing without enough structure/hold
• Oils from the scalp weighing hair down
• Humidity causing the hair to expand and lose definition
• Sleeping on waves/curls without proper protection
• Buildup from products or hard water
• Damage, split ends, overdue for a trim

Assess what your hair needs before refreshing

The next step in a successful refresh is assessing what your hair needs on that day. Determining this will help you determine what your next steps will be.

When assessing what your hair needs, keep in mind not all sections/layers of our hair will need the same thing. It’s not uncommon for top layers to have tighter or looser curl patterns than bottom layers, for example.

• Loosened? Add water, style, diffuse.
• Dry, brittle, stiff? Add leave-in.
• Overly soft, frizzy? Add more styler.
• Oily scalp? Add dry shampoo
• Dirty scalp? Time to wash!

What I used on wash day and my assessment

On wash day, I tested a new styling product that did not give me enough hold. I wore my hair up in a bun and used some stretching styling techniques when I refreshed on day 3 to loosen up my curls to be able to demonstrate to you here.

I used the new Cake The Curl Friend Curl Shape & Stay Gel to Foam (which I don’t recommend).

• Benefits: Moisturizing & clumping
• Texture/grit: None
• Hold: Light/no hold
• Weight: Mediumweight foam
• Protein: None
• Hair Types: All, may be too many oils for fine, low-porosity hair

While this product claims to give the “hold of gel,” I found it to be more like the results from using just a curl cream. Because I didn’t have enough hold, my curls became very frizzy.

I still had nice curl clumps and curl shape, but this is because I have more of a curly pattern to my hair that retains its shape longer regardless of the products I used on wash day.

Here’s how my hair looked on wash day versus day 2 & 3 with this product.

If you have wavy hair or loose curls, your curls would definitely not retain their shape with something this light of hold. The foam texture is lightweight, but it does contain coconut oil and shea butter, so I think this could weigh down very soft, silky waves and curls. You could try it with a gel or hairspray on top for extra hold, but I personally like to limit the number of products that I use. Instead, I would opt for a stronger hold, lightweight gel or mousse like the ones I recommended in my previous video in this wavy series.

If you missed the first video in this series, click ​here.

How to Refresh Limp, Undefined Waves & Curls

If when you assessed your hair, you determined the bottom layer was good, but the top needed some attention (or vice versa), it’s ok to section your hair while refreshing. We don’t want to be manipulating and adding more water or products to our hair unless it’s actually needed. And because the top layer of our hair is exposed to more elements like the sun and humidity, it is generally higher porosity. This can lead to the styling products you use on wash day evaporating quicker which means you are more likely to need to add product on refresh days.

Even if you want to address all your hair the same way, you might consider sectioning during a refresh to make sure you’re getting water and any additional product applied evenly.

1. Add dry shampoo to your roots if they are oily (Optional. If your scalp is dirty, wash instead.)
2. Mist hair with water, wet hands or use steam. Generally, you’ll want to minimize the amount of water you’re using so it doesn’t cause too much manipulation and take too long to dry. However the more water you add, the more definition you will bring back to your waves.
3. Add gel (or styler you need) to your palms and dilute it with some water.
4. Glaze over the hair, smooth down frizz, praying hands to clump (optional).
5. Finger coil specific waves or curls to enhance them if needed.
6. Scrunch (optional).
7. Diffuse to set the curl/wave shape back into place. Diffusing does add a few minutes to your refresh routine, but it’s really the best way to bring back your waves/curls. You don’t have to diffuse to completely dry, even diffusing for a couple of minutes will help enhance the wave/curl pattern.
8. Hairspray for extra hold (optional)

​Jessicurl, Spiralicious Gel, Strong Hold Styling Gel​ ​Buy from Jessicurl with code GENAMARIE​ ​Buy from Amazon​

Benefits: Anti-humidity, fragrance-free, glycerin free* Key Ingredients: Polyquaternium-69, Polyquaternium-11 Texture/grit: None Hold: Strong Weight: Lightweight gel Protein: None Hair Types: All

​Curlsmith Flawless Finish Hairspray – Flexible Hold​ ​Buy from Curlsmith​ ​Buy from Retailer​ ​Buy from Amazon​

Benefits: Volumizing, lightweight, long-lasting hold, alcohol-free Key Ingredients: Dimethyl Ether, Polyurethane-14, Acrylates Copolymer, Amp-Acrylates Copolymer Texture/grit: High Hold: Medium-Strong Weight: Lightweight Proteins: None Hair types: All

​Bouclème Flairosol Mist Spray Bottle​ ​Buy from Boucleme with code GENA15​

​Bouclème Foaming Dry Shampoo​ ​Buy from Boucleme with code GENA15​

​Curlsmith Defrizzion Hair Dryer & XXL Diffuser​ ​Buy from Curlsmith​ ​Buy from Amazon​ ​Buy from Retailer​

Final Results

Sleep Protection for Wavy and Loose Curls

As we discussed, your waves and loose curls will inevitably fall after wash day. Not protecting your hair at night will only make this worse. So, you want to be sure to choose the right type of sleep protection method for your particular hair. You also want to be sure you are placing your waves into that sleep protection thoughtfully, so you minimize they’re likelihood of becoming bent, misshapen, or loosened.

Options:

• Silk/satin pillowcase: No stretched or misshaped waves
• Loose scrunchie (pineapple): Likely will stretch waves, won’t misshape
  • Try multiple scrunchies or clipping your roots forward
  • Refreshing will be needed to revive stretched roots
• Buff/scarf: Less stretched or misshaped waves
• Bonnet: No stretched waves, but may misshape

​Curlsmith Satin Pillowcase​
​Buy from Curlsmith​

​Curlfriend Collective Medium Brunette / Deep Brunette – Hair Match Silk Scrunchies​
​10% off Curlfriend Collective​
​Buy from Amazon​

​Curlfriend Collective Cerulean Blooms Silk Scarf for Curly Hair​
​10% off Curlfriend Collective​

​Satin bonnet with adjustable band​
​Buy from Amazon​

Pay close attention to how the hair is placed inside of bonnets or any sleep coverings to prevent misshapen waves. If you want to see how I wear my bonnet, click here.

Just like with styling products, there is some trial-and-error necessary when it comes to sleep protection. I’ve learned from some of my curl coaching clients who have finer hair or looser curls that a bonnet just doesn’t work for them. Many have had greater success with buffs, scarves, or pineapples. So, don’t be afraid to try something different if you don’t like the results you’re getting from the sleep protection you’re currently using.

Let me know in the comments, what other videos do you want to see in the wavy series? Watch the playlist here.

Deadline to Save $100 on My Coaching Membership is March 24

If you’re interested in receiving personalized assistance with your curls or waves, join my new group coaching membership to connect with other members, receive personalized help, and more.

✨ What’s Included?

✅ Weekly Live Coaching Calls – Get personalized advice & troubleshooting on our group calls.
✅ Guided Styling Sessions – Style, refresh, and diffuse alongside me in real-time for real-time feedback.
✅ Call Replays – Watch anytime if you can’t join live.
✅ Exclusive Member Community – Connect, ask questions & share progress.
✅ DM Coaching with regular check-ins.
✅ Exclusive Discounts – Special pricing on private coaching & more.

It’s like having me in your back pocket at all times. You’ll have continuous support to keep making progress!

Seats are limited so I can keep the group small. Doors close on March 31 and will not re-open until June for the Summer program.