Wavy hair
Loose S-shaped waves. 12 hairstyles on EveryHairstyle so far.
Wavy hair falls in loose S-shaped bends, flatter at the root and more defined towards the ends. Typing charts call it type 2 and split it from 2A, soft and easily brushed out, to 2C, strong waves with some ringlets. Wavy hair can be worn smooth with a blow-dry or encouraged into waves with scrunching and air drying, and it gives movement to layered cuts.
Cuts for waves
Layers help wavy hair, because removing weight lets the waves spring up instead of being pulled flat. The shag, with its many choppy layers, the lob and curtain fringes all suit waves. Feathered hair of the 1970s and the surfer hair of beach culture were built on natural or encouraged waves. A blunt, one-length cut on wavy hair can look triangular, wider at the bottom, unless it is shaped.
Caring for waves
Wavy hair can frizz in damp air and lose its pattern if it is brushed dry. Many people with waves wash, apply a light cream or gel, scrunch the hair upwards and let it dry, or use a diffuser on low heat, then scrunch out the stiffness. Waves can also be made in straight hair with tongs, braids or a body wave perm, and the beach wave became one of the most asked-for looks of the 2010s.
Famous wavy hair hairstyles
Further reading
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Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- The Rachel: ABC Television, Public domain, source
- Lob: Eva Rinaldi, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Curtained hair: Jacques-Émile Blanche, Public domain, source
- Finger wave: Unknown author Unknown author (Either deceased family member or work f, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Shag: ABC Television Network ., Public domain, source
- Surfer hair: Rachel Amarette, CC BY 2.0, source