Do you have wavy hair? Don’t know quite what to do with it sometimes because it’s neither curly nor straight? Then this one is for you. I received an email recently from a reader, let’s call her “A”, asking for advice, and I wish to turn the question to you, my lovely readers. Below are my reply and suggestions, but as this site is a forum for discussion, both Lipstick Masala and “A” would love to learn from all of you. What are the products you love and swear by? Do you just flat iron because nothing else works? Share what products have worked for you so we can all prevent the dreaded “frizz ball” look!
“A”’s Dilemma:
With wavy, sometimes frizzy hair that is both thin and silky, “A” has struggled with what to do with her tresses after a shower at the gym. Blow-drying her hair is not always convenient, so she pulls it into a wet ponytail, a look she isn’t too keen on, especially when she goes out with friends after her exercise session. She asked what product she can use in a pinch that will allow her to simply “wash and go.”
Lipstick Masala’s Response:
Dearest A,
I completely understand your pain – I always longed for the tresses of my sisters, that required no product, no blow dry, just a simple wash and go. But, I was blessed with the wavy gene – neither here nor there – and I spent a significant part of my time at college tying my hair up because I was too lazy to deal with the hassle. It was only a few years ago that I finally found the right products that would allow my hair to look great without any effort – but be warned, my path includes embracing the wave, which some desi girls are reluctant to do.
First and foremost, get your hands on a great mousse. Yes, I said mousse. I know the word sounds scary, but don’t worry, the mousse of today is not the same as the product your mother used back in the 80s when it was first invented. Today, you can find any formulation to suit your hair type – extra body, volume, firm, curling, root lifting – the list is endless. If you have wavy hair, look out for one that is curl defining. You won’t end up looking like Goldilocks, but it will hold onto the body you have in your hair and give it frizz-free definition.
The problem with many mousses is that they can become crunchy, and that is not sexy in the least. After many failed experiments, I’ve come across a mousse I love and swear by – Finesse curl defining ($3.79, drugstore.com). Why is it my favorite? The Finesse product is a silk and soy protein formula to make hair soft, plus fights frizz, combats humidity, and never goes sticky or stiff. If you can’t get your hands on finesse, then experiment with different mousses, there are plenty enough out there that at least one will work for you. I would, however, recommend staying away from the Garnier Fructis version – I looked like I had wet hair all night and when I touched it, my strands were stiff, not Finesse-like soft.
Here’s how to use it: Towel dry your wet hair and after shaking the mousse can, spray about a palm sized amount in your hand. Quickly finger comb it through the bottom half of your hair (remember, very few hair products should go above your ears, especially if you are oily). Now, open your palm at the ends of your hair and squeeze upwards towards your scalp (known as scrunching). And then, simply air dry. The warm summer air will leave your hair looking beach wavy without frizz. If you are still worried about frizz, spritz a little of this on for extra shine.
The Finesse should work for both thick and thinner hair, and is actually great for all hair types (included curly and even 
straighter hair) but if you feel you need a little extra for your fine tresses, pick up a bottle of the Tigi Curls Rock Curls Amplifier. A friend of mine with silky, wavy hair swears by this product. Simply work through your wet hair and go.
Finally, did you know that you don’t have to completely wash your conditioner out? This is a tip I got from my stylist: if you need some product but don’t have any at hand, leave a dollop of conditioner in your hair (the regular conditioner you use after washing, not spray-in). The conditioner will help to fight frizz while giving a little control to your wavy hair. It’s great for humid weather!
These products work wonders in the summer time, but when the weather starts getting cooler, try not to go out in the cold with wet hair or you’ll risk a cold ,or worse, crunchy hair. If you still want to go wavy, just use a diffuser attachment like THIS one on your hairdryer (works the same as scrunching but with heat).
Hopefully one of these will be the answer for your post-gym shower. If not, I’m sure one of our other readers will have a solution! Just remember – there is always a product out there that will work for your hair, it’s just a matter of fine tuning, don’t settle for less than the best!
Love,
Lipstick Masala
http://www.pozasalon.com/index.php/site/features/your_hair/
http://www.finessehaircare.com/sa_curldefining_mousse.html
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art4077.asp
http://www.drugstore.com/qxp83565_333181_sespider/tigi_catwalk/curls_rock.htm
http://www.ry.com.au/ontrend/895/
Quick trick : hair spray on wet hair.
Don’t brush your hair when it’s wet, just comb through with your fingers or a wide-toothed comb.
Then flip your hair around a little and ruffle it up so it doesn’t stick to your scalp.
Spray in a generous amount of hair spray from a distance — whatever kind works for you, I like Herbal Essences or Garnier — and make sure you scrunch and ruffle up your hair to however it looks good in the mirror. It’ll dry up almost exaclty like that, but with a little more volume, which is always good
Hairspray on wet hair prevents it from getting too crunchy.
Most important of all — embrace your waves. Don’t touch your hair too much, you’ll flatten it. As long as you hold your head up with the right attitude, it’ll work out
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I have wavy hair and I *never* use a blow dryer nor store-bought products. I try to use natural products as much as possible as they are better for your hair and for the environment! This is what I recommend:
Frizz’s worst enemy is gel – go to a health store and get pure aloe vera gel (I use aubrey organics; you can get this online). Also, get some almond oil if you haven’t got any at home.
After washing and towel drying your hair, put 1-2 drops of almond oil on your palm. Add 5-6 drops of aloe vera gel and mix. Turn your head upside down and gently scrunch the gel/oil into your hair. Instead of squeezing your hair, which can cause breakage, push your hair from ends to roots. This will help define your waves, and the gel will battle with your frizz!
I don’t know why, but the almond oil makes the gel work much better. After your hair has dried, if it is still frizzy, add more gel (a little at a time). Make sure not to add more oil when your hair is dry or it may look greasy.
This is my routine and it works very well for me! It’s also very quick once you get the hang of it. I often leave the house with wet hair (forgot to mention: n e v e r brush or comb your hair while it’s wet – it causes damage and upsets the wave pattern) without any problems. Only brush your hair with a wide-toothed comb (maybe A can carry it in her bag and comb her hair when it is dry?)
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the tigi curls rock product is fab fab fab. i used it frequently when i had long hair, and it worked like a dream. frizz free curls that don’t look greasy and over product-ed. the problem with curly hair is that you can’t brush it once it’s dry, cause you end up with a head of fluff. so day 2 is not pretty. but your hair will look great the day you wash it.
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Hi Leia!
Thanks for this tip, I have never ever tried this! It sounds really great, especially since it’s all natural. On to the health store to buy some AV gel!!!
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Hi there Jabs
I completely agree – it’s so important to not brush your hair if you are going wavy/curly. I’ve actually never tried this hairspray trick, will try it out after washing my hair today – thanks!
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I have wavy/curly hair and have been fighting this battle all my life! i like my hair texture for fall/winter because i can straighten it and have thick voluminous hair and in the summer just put mousse in it and let it air dry. I use Suave volumizing mousse (under $3 at drugstores) and it works better than any of the high end products I’ve tried! i also use the suave volumizing shampoo and conditioner (also under $3 each!) and do a deep conditioning treatmeant once a week. Its easy on the wallet and works great!
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Hahaha I completely agree – the day after my hair is definitely unsightly! Have you tried a curling spray? I used to use one by Pantene that was pretty decent. I spritzed all over and then scrunched and my hair would look somewhat decent without having to rewash. I tried the Garnier version but it was too sticky and my hair ended up feeling waxy.
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I know exactly what you mean – as much as I used to hate my hair I realized I have the best of both worlds – I can go both straight and curly without much hassle!
I’d love to know which deep conditioning treatment you use – am looking around for one.
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I have really thick, coarse, tight curly hair. It’s not the pretty kind of curly hair where you can just run some mousse through and it looks perfect. Its just big and looks like a blob of cotton candy on my head, No matter what I tried for the longest time, as soon as my hair dried, it would continue to get bigger and bigger on top of my head, so I’ve always resorted to blow drying and straightening. I thought I would never be able to wear my hair naturally curly until a few years ago I tried something different someone suggested.
I towel dry my hair and then comb it through with at wide-tooth comb. I then section my hair off in big chunks, like as if I was blow drying it, and run a little bit of mouse through each section. I really like John Frieda’s Frizz Ease Corrective Mousse ($6). It the only thing so far that can tame my frizz. I then take little sections of my hair and twist small ringlets throughout the section until I go through all the sections I separated out. I don’t unwind the ringlets and simply let my hair dry as is. It looks really good when dry and thankfully stays that way until the next day. It’s still a bit of a process, but handy if I’m at the beach or if its raining outside.
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I am in the wavy boat as well! I used to have super thick and strong wavy hair that I flat-ironed and blow-dried the HECK out of for the past 5-6 years. Of course I lost a lot of my thickness in the process and my hair became very damaged, so about 6 months ago I put away my CHI for good and decided to follow the natural, wash-n-go path. I have been experimenting with a lot of different techniques and products as well to see what works best (and does the least amount of damage to my hair!). My hair is now at a normal thickness and a few inches past my shoulders.
I run a few drops of an anti-frizz serum on wet hair–the John Frieda Frizz-Ease serum is great and currently I am using Special Effects Silk Drops. I got it from CVS and it is serious stuff. It glosses, de-frizzes, and smooths my hair, but you have to be careful with how much you use. Anything more than two or three drops will make my scalp look greasy, so be warned. I then like to rub a small dollop of a curl defining creme on the bottom half of my hair. My usual go-to product is Fredric Fekkai’s Luscious Curls cream and recently my stylist introduced me to a new product by a company called Davines. The product is called the Moisturizing Curl Enhancing Serum. Both products are pricier ($20-$25), but are amazing. They give my normally limp waves amazing definition and softness. They do not dry “crunchy” at all, though they do have a gentle amount of hold. Usually once my hair is dry, I will finger comb out the waves and shake my hair around to break it up a little. The hold lasts me a day or two after the day I shampoo. Another basic trick that I love to use is twisting my wet hair up into a bun with a normal elastic ponytail holder (after applying the above products) and leaving it up for 30 minutes to an hour while I am getting ready for the day. It makes my waves even bigger and gives them lots of volume. I love big hair
Lipstick Masala, I am really excited to try the Finesse mousse! I have never used a mousse before.
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I have never used the Finesse Mousse before. However, I frequently use TIGI Curls Rock. I just have a word of precaution…do not use too much. It can get very sticky. I recommended the product to a friend, and she couldn’t stand the stickiness.
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Hi Anisa, thank you so much for your tip! I’ve always found that when I section my hair and twist it, it takes forever to air dry, and when I let it down hours later it is still damp. Does that happen to you? Is there any way to get around it?
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Hi there Parul! I love love love Frederic Fekkai’s products! Have you tried their glossing cream? It makes my hair incredibly smooth. Also, is the Davines available in Salons only?
I am so excited for you to try the mousse! Just one thing – I had to play around with the mousse to see how much I need and also when it works best for me (wet hair or damp to dry) just play around and see, it really does make a difference when you apply it! Let me know how it goes!
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Hi Robs
You are completely right about the stickiness – sometimes I find if I use products when my hair is more wet than damp it resolves the issue. Is that the case with the Curls Rock?
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I have not tried the Glossing Cream, though I have picked it up and put it back a few times lol. Next time maybe I will actually try it! I got Davines from the salon, but I was looking for some of their other products online and apparently it is on drugstore.com! Seems to be a little cheaper there than the salon price, so score.
Thanks for the tip with the mousse…I will definitely let you know. Every time I find a new product for my wavy hair, it makes me so excited hehe.
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Sephora sells smaller, trial-sizes of Fekkai’s products, so you can check one of those out first and see how it works for you
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= ( What about the people who have super fine, straight and silky hair which have committed suicide in this Pakistani summer and refuse to part ways with my skull. I HATE THEM. Help? Please?! I love my hair in the winter. But summer? It seems like a waste of time, energy and money to even wash them. They look the same with in 20 minutes of drying them. HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP! Somebody suggested a ’serum’? Explain, please.
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I usually only leave it curly in the summer when its hot outside so I dont tend to have that problem. What I usually do anyways is let my hair air dry while I do makeup first, and then twist the ringlets. If its still super wet, I blow dry a little with a diffuser.
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[...] Wavy Hair: Wash and Go Frizz-free « Lipstick Masala [...]
Just want to thank you LM and all the ladies here who spilled various solutions for my biggest dilemma. Thanks a lot!!
I’ll try every suggestion one by one and will report back what worked the best for me
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I am a guy who is in the same dilemma. I hate my hair. It waves and curls up into the ugliest locks and looks like crap. The more I screw with it, the worse it gets. The problem has improved since I no longer use shampoo, but is far from solved. I see a lot of suggestions for wavy haired people in which the person is advised not to play with their hair too much because it will go flat and look like crap. To me that is unacceptable. I live in the real world where sometimes I walk down a windy street or ride with the windows down in the car, or someone runs their hand through my hair, etc. I’d like hair that can deal with this sort of thing without getting totally screwed up. What can I do to make this happen? Thanks.
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Hi Bree!
A hair serum is a thick liquid that makes the hair shiny and tangle free. It also protects the hair from heat from your flat iron or hair dryer. It is usually made of silicon and works to coat the hair strands and form a protective layer so your hair doesn’t get frizzy or super dry.
Many girls seem to like John Frieda’s Frizz Ease serum, but I find it to be too sticky. I prefer Paul Mitchell’s Super Skinny Serum or Bumble & Bumble Defrizz.
After washing your hair, apply about 4 drops (give or take a few depending on thickness of your hair) on damp hair, remember not to go above the tops of your ears or your roots will look oily. Run your fingers through your hair and then style them as normal. Once your hair is dry you can run another drop or two through your dried hair to give extra shine and silkiness.
I always finish off with a hair wax on the ends of my layers to make my hair look piecey and bouncy. I love Garnier’s Surf hair – but make sure not to use too much because it’s super sticky!
Hope that helps!
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You are most welcome Ayesha! Let us know how it goes
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Hi Nate, welcome to the site
I’m sorry to hear of your trouble, I completely understand how you must be feeling. I have a couple of tips, I hope one of them works for you!
First, whatever product you use should be applied when the hair is wet. Once the hair has dried and is curled out, there is not much you can do about it. Use a defrizzing product – either a serum or balm – generously on your hair. Some people with coarse hair may need to use two products together. A friend of mine with coarser hair loves “The Conditioner” by Paul Mitchell. He massages it through his head before applying any product – it makes his hair smooth and manageable (and it’s incredibly soft to the touch).
Once your hair dries, you can use a little wax if you have thick hair, but if you have fine hair then let it be.
For products, check out joegrooming.com and redken.com – they both have great lines for men.
The tip most stylists give men battling wavy/curly hair – go short. You may not like shorter hair, but it is easier to style and control. If you want to keep some length, a good stylist should be able to remove some of the weight without cutting it all off.
Finally, don’t worry about having someone run their fingers through your hair and finding product. We all use something or the other, and the right person will get over it and tousle on
P.S. I know you are cutting back on shampooing, but check out the L’Oreal Pro Vive line for women – many male friends of mine love their shampoos for wavy hair.
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[...] Wavy Hair: Wash and Go Frizz-free « Lipstick Masala [...]
After reading this VERY helpful post and follow-up comments, I tried John Frieda’s Frizz Ease Corrective Styling Mousse. It is GREAT! My hair was still a bit frizzy (need to get the frizz-ease serum) but overall I was very very happy!
Thanks all!
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Hi Aleea!
I had never tried the hair spray on wet hair that Jabs mentioned above, but when I did it actually worked! I first used mousse and then sprayed on top of it while my hair was still damp. My hair was still soft even though I had used hairspray (I guess using it on wet hair really made a difference) and the spray/mousse combo controlled the frizzies!
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Thankyou for this very helpful tip! I am a teenager struggling with wavy, frizzy hair. I was just wondering, do you think that if I took a shower at night, put in the mousse, let my hair dry, and then went to bed that it would still look the same? Or would it be all messed up again? Could I put the mousse in when my hair is dry, and have it have the same effect?
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Lipstick Masala Reply:
November 5th, 2009 at 5:30 am
Hi Brooke, welcome to the site
Unfortunately, putting mousse in dry hair results in that dreaded crunchy feeling and it also makes your hair stay “wet” looking. My hair actually looks better when I sleep on it, but instead of drying and then sleeping, I personally put in the mousse and then head to bed with damp hair and I have amazing beach waves the next morning. This method may or may not work for you so I would suggest you try this out on a weekend just in case it doesn’t work for you and you don’t have to go to school with bedhead!
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hi all,
i’ve struggled with the furball look my whole life. then i discovered the “curly girl” method. you basically wean off of sulfate and silicone products.
this means no shampoo. (yeh i know, NO SHAMPOO??????????!!!!!!!!!)
you use a light, sulfate+silicone-free conditioner to wash your scalp instead. and then a very moisturizing sulfate+silicone-free conditioner for the rest of your hair.
more info is available at http://www.wikihow.com/Follow-the-Curly-Girl-Method-for-Curly-Hair
naturallycurly.com has a great forum with wonderful ladies that can help too.
i’ve been doing this since march and i love my hair!!! the products are not hard to find and are affordable. i use suave and sally’s gvp conditioning balm.
if you dont want to take such a drastic step then consider the following:
-use a t-shirt instead of a towel to dry your hair
-comb your hair out with a wide-tooth comb in the shower..not when it is dry
-use a “low-poo” shampoo that has less harsh cleansers. Trader Joe’s has some affordable ones. Giovanni’s line is “low-poo” too. this will help keep the moisture in that our hair desperately needs!
but i URGE you guys to look into this method
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Lipstick Masala Reply:
November 5th, 2009 at 5:32 am
Hi Z!
Thank you so much for sharing this information with us. I have a friend who recently went sulfate and silicon free and his hair has been looking amazing! You have inspired a future post on the danger of sulfates
P.S. The t-shirt instead of towel method is a great one. Again, thanks for your tips!
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I did try not shampooing over the summer, but it just didn’t work out for me. One thing I’m really aggravated about my hair right now is even though I stopped using shampoo for a while and didn’t use heat tools, it still pretty much looks the same. I even switched to Hydra TLC from Sunsilk, a brand that worked when I went straight.
Now, my question is, how do you know if it is “low-poo”? Also, I shower in the evening or at night because my hair takes HOURS to dry, it’s super thick, does that affect how my hair is going to look?
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Lipstick Masala Reply:
November 5th, 2009 at 5:54 am
Hi Lisa!
Z’s answer below is absolutely correct. A low poo shampoo is one that does not contain Sodium LAURYL Sulfate or Sodium LAURETH Sulfate. People avoid these harsh chemicals as they cause people irritation and are speculated to cause longterm damage to the hair. (Just think – they use SLS and SLES in detergents too!).
Low poo shampoos are available at most organic and health food stores – check out Aubrey Organics at Whole Foods, they have a pretty good line!
As for how your hair will look if you shampoo at night: Hair tends to get matted down when you sleep on it just after washing even if it’s been dried because it’s freshly styled. If you have superthick hair that you want to tame, washing at night may be a good option for you. If you feel your hair loses it’s body, then wash after waking up – just remember to use a serum while damp if you use a hairdryer!
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did you use a clarifying shampoo before going shampoo-free in the summer? you want to get rid of the silicones from previous products. a simple shampoo like Suave’s Clarifying shampoo would work since it doesn’t have silicones. it will basically strip your hair of everything and give you a clean slate.
then you can start going shampoo-free or use a “low-poo” that is silicone-free
low poos contain mild cleansers for your hair. im not exactly sure what ingredients qualify as harsh cleansers but Sodium Laureth Sulfate is considered to be one of them..and its in almost everything! so you definitely want to avoid SLS.
i personally dont really know what specific ingredients to avoid in a shampoo/conditioner (and i can’t even remember the long chemical names) so i just go by what products are recommended on the naturallycurly boards and save myself the trouble
hope that helps
more info:
http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/curly-q-a/curlchemist-surfactants-sulfates-and-you
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