Curly hair coach helping you better understand your naturally curly hair through easy-to-follow tutorials, science-based haircare tips, and problem-solving.
Wavy Hair vs. Curly Hair Styling - Testing the Differences on My Curls!
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What happens when I style my curly hair using a routine meant for wavy hair? In this portion of a two part series, I highlight differences between what wavy hair needs vs what curly hair needs, including styling techniques and the best products for each. Many of my group coaching clients have wavy hair and struggle with hold, clumping, wonky-shaped waves, and longevity. Through helping them, I’ve learned more about how to get waves to their full potential. Check out some examples of my wavy curly clients’ gorgeous hair below!
Coming soon will be part 2 of this wavy series, where I’ll be sharing some key differences when washing. Water Content When StylingKey Difference: Wavy hair clumps better when styled soaking wet, while curly hair may benefit from damp styling for better product absorption.
Bouclème Flairosol Mist Spray Bottle
Hair RePear Ultimate Hair Towel ⚠️ Water content is going to depend more on desired volume/fullness. For volume, use less water. For clumping, use more water. ProductsKey Difference: Less is more when it comes to maximizing hold. Wavy hair is easily weighed down, so it benefits from lightweight products with grit (depending on texture). Strong hold products prevent waves from falling out. ⚠️ Product weight and grit content is ultimately going to depend more on hair texture. Take my free quiz to find out what your hair’s texture is.
Not Your Mother’s Curl Talk Leave-In Conditioner
Umberto Giannini Curl Whip Curl Activating Mousse
Umberto Giannini Curl Jelly Scrunching Jelly Styling Technique
Key Difference: Wavy hair benefits from minimal manipulation, while curly hair may need more structured styling techniques. For this routine, I styled upright. To prevent water from soaking my shirt, I wrap my hair towel around my shoulders. Upright versus upside down styling is going to depend on things outside of your curl pattern, such as your density and your desired look. Low-density or thin hair may benefit from upright styling so you have more control over scalp covering and styling the back. Sectioning is important for high-density hair, whereas lower density may not need to section. It’s up to you whether if you apply your stylers before styling or after styling. Try either way and see which you like better.
Tangle Teezer Naturally Curly Detangling Brush
Bounce Curl Volume Root Clips Drying & DiffusingKey Difference: Wavy hair needs special attention to hair placement in the diffuser to prevent misshapen curls, while curly hair may not struggle with this as much.
Curlsmith Defrizzion Hair Dryer & XXL Diffuser Scrunch Out The CrunchKey Difference: Wavy hair may benefit from leaving the cast in longer before scrunching it out and using a hairspray to retain structure, whereas curly may be able to scrunch it out right away and use an oil.
Curlsmith Flawless Finish Hairspray – Flexible Hold Need more help with longevity? Watch this video for styling overly soft hair that won’t hold.Results Compared
My results look very similar, but I was not necessarily trying to “make” my hair look wavy. Instead, I used styling techniques that would benefit wavy hair and skipped a lot of “spiraling” techniques that I typically do to enhance my curls. If you have wavy hair, you could certainly still do coiling techniques but if you don’t have a natural spiral to your curls, they may not be worth your time. Instead, I wanted to focus on techniques that can really enhance S and zig-zag shaped wave patterns. I can definitely tell my curls are less coily and are more of a zig-zag shape. For my hair pattern, this would be considered “wonky” but for someone with waves, it would be nice and defined! It’s also a but more elongated compared to my curly routines which have more shrinkage. I still like how it turned out and it’s a fun way to switch up my look. Best Styling Products for Wavy Hair
Connect with other Wavy & Curly Curlfriends MembershipJoin my new group coaching membership to connect with other wavy hair members, receive personalized help, and more. ✨ What’s Included?✅ Weekly Live Coaching Calls – Get personalized advice & troubleshooting on our group calls. It’s like having me in your back pocket at all times. You’ll have continuous support to keep making progress! Enrollment is open now through end of March. Spring program begins in April.
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Gena Marie
Curly hair coach helping you better understand your naturally curly hair through easy-to-follow tutorials, science-based haircare tips, and problem-solving.
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In today’s live video, I showed what its like to get real-time coaching by styling my hair in real time. This routine focused on getting volume, combatting overly soft hair, and wavy techniques. I answered some common questions on how to combat frizz, sleep protection that doesn’t fall off, low-density volume tips, and more. Livestream Replay Watch the livestream recording below: Topics Covered & Video Timestamps: 0:00 Intro + what coaching with me is like2:08 Products I’m using6:30 How to...