So often it feels like we want the opposite of what we get! Girls with looser waves often want tighter ones, and those with tighter waves often want loser ones.
If you’re someone who often gets tighter waves or spirals but prefers that looser, beachy waves look – this post is for you!
Can You Change Your Natural Curl Pattern?
I have a blog post on wavy hair curl patterns. In that post I talk about how my hair can have pieces that range from 1C-2C in different sections and/or on different days. It’s very common for people to have a range of curl patterns naturally.
It’s also common for hair to have a range of possibilities depending on how it’s styled. I have a blog post where I attempted to show proof of how wavy hair technique matters more than products. Technique can make a big difference in outcome. That’s what much of this blog post is about, is sharing techniques that can give you results in the looser end of your curl pattern.
Can you truly change your natural curl pattern? No, not naturally, anyway. There are chemical relaxing treatments you can have done if that interests you. Or, it’s possible that as you age your body will make natural changes that will change your hair. Many people see their hair get curlier or straighter after hormone changes such as puberty, pregnancy, childbirth or menopause.
My hair without product, and brushed out. This isn’t a look that I like on myself. However, I don’t have much natural definition. Others with naturally wavy hair can get some really voluminous, soft waves if they brush their waves out.
Ways To Make Natural Wavy Hair Looser
1. Air dry instead of diffuse. Most people will find that diffusing makes their curl pattern tighter. Air drying can do the reverse. See my post on air drying vs diffusing to see the difference it makes on me.
2. Brush them out a little. Or a lot, depending on how loose you want them! If you only want to break them up a little, you could use your fingers to fluff your roots, or a pick your roots until they’re as loose as you want them.
If you want to really loosen them a lot, you could comb more of your hair length. Generally, wavy and curly hair groups recommend not brushing wavy hair at all except in the shower. This is for two reasons. In part, it can damage wavy hair to brush it dry especially if you are rough. The other reason is styling based though. Brushing can break up wavy curl definition and loosen the pattern. However, if you like those big, beachy waves, brushing is a great way to loosen your pattern.
3. Try a cream or texturizing spray rather than gel or mousse. Gel or mousse can provide great hold which helps support your patter. If you skip these products, your hair may relax more on its own.
If you do use gel or mousse, you can try using just a little, to avoid getting a gel cast. Or try a softer hold gel or mousse. Check out my gel comparison post and mousse comparison post to find ones that are lower hold.
4. Get your hair razor cut. If you don’t want your curls to clump together as well, getting your hair thinned or razor cut can disrupt their ability to clump together, and lessen your curl definition.
5. Don’t scrunch your hair.
6. Don’t plop your hair.
7. Don’t microplop your hair.
8. Skip over protein. Using protein in hair products lends strength to your hair, which helps it maintain its curl. Many people with wavy hair will find that their hair will go straighter if they don’t have as much protein in their hair routine. If you want looser waves, intentionally skipping protein may help.
9. Don’t refresh between wash days. Most people find that their waves loosen after wash day. It’s common for people to refresh their wavy hair on day 2 to help hold more of their texture. If you skip refreshing, it will allow your hair to loosen as days go on.
10. Curl elongating products. These are typically made more for really tight curls, but you can try experimenting with curl elongating products to see if they give you the look you prefer.
How To Get Beachy Waves With Naturally Wavy Hair
Beachy waves usually refer to really thick, loose waves. Most people who have 2A waves will naturally form clumps that are maybe anywhere from as thick as a pencil, to as thick as a fat sharpie marker in size. Beachy waves are much wider clumps.
When we talk about ‘defining our waves’ this means making each curl clump very separate or independent. Beach waves are basically the opposite of that, they’re big puffs of waves rather than a lot of individual, well-defined waves. So to get beachy waves, you want to avoid defining your waves.
Some people have hair that is naturally well-defined. Meaning even if they just shampoo and conditioner their hair, they’ll still have a lot of visible curl clumps. If this is the case for you, brushing your waves will help puff them up and make them more beach-like.
If you have hair that isn’t well-defined naturally, you may be able to just skip using stylers to get beachy waves! The photo below is my hair without any stylers, it’s sort of beachy looking as I don’t have a lot of natural definition without products. Excuse the wonky bangs/fringe, please.
If your hair is too straight for beachy waves without products, you can use products and then brush them out. Using products like gel or mousse will help define your waves at first. Then after they’re totally dry, you can brush them out to break them up and make them bigger, beachier waves.
If you like to loosen your natural curl pattern, feel free to share your tips and tricks in the comments for others to learn from.
[…] Brushing or not. Those of us with naturally wavy hair who are trying to embrace our waves, typically don’t brush our hair except in the shower. We generally don’t brush our hair after washing it or after it has dried, because that pulls our waves straighter, and can also break up our curl clumps (though some people do brush a tiny bit if they are trying to achieve beachy waves). […]