Having coarse, thick waves can feel like an endless battle to find the right products and maintain soft, touchable locks. As someone who has struggled for years to manage my 2c-3a hair, I want to share all the tips and tricks I’ve learned for taking care of coarse wavy tresses. Whether you’re just starting your hair care journey or have tried countless products with no luck, read on for my guidance!
My Long Struggle With Coarse Wavy Hair
I didn’t fully understand or properly care for my hair type until my mid-30s. As social media hair tutorials boomed over the last decade, I realised my thick strands alternate between 2c waves and 3a ringlets depending on the weather and products used.
This means my spirals sit right between the wavy and curly range. I have what you might call “in-between” hair. And let me tell you...that’s a tricky spot to be for both styling and buying suitable products!
Over years of trial-and-error, I spent ridiculous amounts of money testing drugstore shampoos, designer deep conditioners, cult favorite curl creams, obscure niche stylers — you name it! I tried every formula and brand under the sun in varying amounts.
It felt overwhelming. I got countless bad hair days and wasted so much money on products that ultimately failed me and my coarse waves.
But eventually all that experimenting paid off! I realized it wasn’t necessarily about the brand or even price point of my products...it came down to the ingredients, the quantity I used, and perfecting my wash day methods.
Now that I’ve cracked the code for my tricky 2c-3a ringlets, I want to pass along everything I’ve learned! Whether you have course 3a spirals or a looser 2b wave, these tips can set you up with softer, more defined strands.
Let’s dive into all my secrets for healthy coarse wavy tresses.
Cleansing Coarse Wavy Hair Properly
The foundation of bounce, movement, and texture for coarse waves starts with an effective cleansing routine. Always reach for hydrating formulas!
1. Pick Moisturising Shampoo + Conditioner
Using a nourishing, cream-based shampoo and conditioner provides vital moisture to coarse strands. Always check the ingredients before buying products — your shampoo shouldn’t contain any sulfates or drying alcohols. And ensure you pick an equally hydrating conditioner to pair with it!
My holy grail drugstore combo for coarse waves is the L’Oréal Paris Extraordinary oil Deep Nourish collection. The entire line seriously quenches parched strands!
2. Double Shampoo For a Deep Clean
I religiously double shampoo when I wash my hair. Taking the time to lather—rinse—repeat ensures I remove all oil, dirt, product buildup from my thick waves. Getting them ultra clean allows my conditioner and stylers to better soak in afterward.
3. Weekly Hot Oil Soak
Once a week I saturate my dry hair with a nourishing hot oil like coconut, olive, argan, avocado, sweet almond and let it soak in for at least 2 hours before washing out. Going under my hooded dryer amplifies the results even more! This treatment leaves my coarse spirals feeling buttery soft and incredibly easy to detangle.
4. Monthly Clarifying Treatment
Using a deep cleansing shampoo is crucial for getting rid of product residue, hard water minerals, pollution gunk — all the stuff that gradually builds up on strands. About every 4 weeks I use something super detoxifying like Cantu Cleansing Shampoo or Herbal Essences Natural Detox. My curls bounce back beautifully afterwards!
5. Finding The Right Products
Discovering my true 2c-3a curl type absolutely helped me find inspiring social media accounts and YouTube tutorials to follow for tips. But...at the end of the day, finding products that actually work is 100% an individual journey!
What becomes my coarse wavy holy grail styler that transforms my spirals into perfect juicy clumps...could fail miserably on your 2b hair and leave it greasy and limp! Everyone’s porosity, strand thickness, density is so wildly different. That means buildup, hydration needs, and styling suitability varies too.
I cannot stress this enough: Do not blindly use a coarse wavy influencers’ product recs without catering selections to YOUR unique needs! Sample, experiment, tweak techniques until you find what clicks. Learning about my own hair’s properties took time. Yours will too. That’s okay! Finding your personal staples feels SO rewarding.
Some universal guiding product principles for coarse wavy girls though...
Tips For Styling Coarse Wavy Hair
1. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate!
Dry, coarse spirals lead to damage and frizz. It's crucial to maintain thorough hydration. Always opt for moisturising ingredients over anything potentially drying. Ingredients like shea butter, coconut oil, and aloe vera juice make excellent hydrating additions. However, denatured alcohols and astringents like witch hazel can be very drying for coarse waves. Seek out products packed with hydrators and avoid formulas with many drying agents. Proper hydration makes all the difference in managing unruly texture!
2. Always Style Soaking Wet Hair
Letting thick waves air dry first while scrunching/squishing in product helps lock in all that moisture and encourages springy texture vs blow drying. Less manipulation when wet prevents disruption of delicate curl clumps too.
Be patient waiting for sopping strands to fully air dry before touching up frizz or fluffing!
3. Use Heavy Creams, Custards & Butters
Coarse waves require WEIGHT. I mostly steer clear of light leave-ins because my thirsty curls soak them up instantly. Instead I reach for super creamy butters and custards when styling to keep strands defined, elongated and slick.
My longtime holy grail for coarse wavy styling remains Cantu Avocado Hydrating Curling Cream & Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie — that thick custard texture truly melts into every thick strand!
I hope all these tips help you embrace your beautiful coarse waves! Let your texture shine bright, frizz-free and hydrated. 😊 Now go get that dream wash day!
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