No-heat hair hacks for natural wavy hair

Growing up with natural wavy hair or curly hair can be a challenge. Unlike your straight-hair friends who can simply wash-and-wear their hair, wavy hair takes a bit more time and care. They’re harder to style, requires more product and blow-dry time (especially when you want to wear your hair straight), and curly or wavy hair tends to look more frizzy when it’s feeling dry and damaged.

But we’ve got your back, wavy-hair girls! Put down your blow dryer, flat iron, and curling iron. These five tips and tricks will make sure your natural curls and waves always look amazing — without heating tools!

Hair tips for natural wavy hair

1. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate

Your hair will feel and look better when it’s hydrated. So aim to get your hair as healthy as possible by creating a hair care routine that focuses on nourishing and conditioning your hair — such as the Dove Intense Repair Shampoo & Dove Intense Repair Conditioner range. It helps to repair signs of surface damage and makes your hair look and feel smoother and stronger against breakage.

2. The hairbrush is your enemy

Brushing your hair separates the strands. When your hair is wavy or curly, this can only lead to one thing: frizz! To avoid this, brush your hair before or during your shower as running water through your hair can bind the strands back together (thus reducing the frizz caused by friction from your hair brush).

But if you feel like you need to detangle your locks after showering, use a wide-tooth comb instead or a leave-on cream like Cream Silk Standout Straight Leave-On Cream. It’s a non-sticky and ultra-light formula that helps to deeply nourish hair to make it soft and smooth.

3. Don’t rub

Another surefire way to get frizzy hair is by rubbing it with a towel after drying. A better alternative is to gently squeeze excess water out of your hair. This helps preserve the natural waves of your hair, leading to effortless beachy waves.

4. Hands off!

While your hair is drying, resist the urge to touch it or run your fingers through it. The natural oils from your fingers might end up transferring onto your locks, weighing down your waves and leading to flat hair. Trust us, it will be worth it when it dries in all of its untouched glory.

5. Trust in your updo

When all else fails, have a reliable hairstyle as Plan B—and no, it doesn’t require using a hot tool. Put your natural wavy hair up in a messy bun, or do a side braid, or do a half-up-half down french braid.

Editor’s Tip: braid your hair while it’s still a bit moist and let it dry in the braid through the day. When it’s time to meet your best friends after work (or school!), release the braid and run your fingers through your hair. Instant waves that last all day!