The hair routine for men with long, curly hair. It's simple, it's effective and it's as quick as making a cup of coffee. The WAVVES method fights the two biggest concerns of men with long hair: tangling and frizz. If you want to ditch the man bun and embrace your natural curls, this is the method for you. Don't like reading? Watch this 36 second video instead.
THE ESSENTIALS
- Detangling comb: It should have wide, long teeth for the quickest, most painless detangling.
- (Optional) Sulphate-free shampoo: Some people don't need to shampoo. If you like to use shampoo, stay away from the ones with sulphates. They strip the natural oils from your hair and make it frizz.
- Silicone-free conditioner: Silicones coat and weigh down your hair. Opt for a conditioner with natural oils in it instead and avoid ingredients ending in "-cone" – it's almost certainly a silicone.
- Hair oil: Avoid anything with silicones or mineral oils. You're after a high quality, natural oil.
- Bamboo or cotton hair towel or t-shirt: Trust us on this. Rubbing your hair dry with a regular towel is the quickest way to tangle and damage it.
THE PRINCIPLES (TL;DR)
- Detangle hair with a wide-toothed comb when it’s soaking wet.
- Only shampoo hair if it’s visibly or smellably dirty.
- Don't use your bath towel to dry your hair; use a bamboo or cotton hair towel (or t-shirt!) Scrunch it dry instead of rubbing.
- Condition and apply oil often. If your hair is still frizzy, add more oil.
THE METHOD
DETANGLE WITH A COMB
WHY: Detangling combs have longer teeth than regular combs and brushes, which makes them ideal for thick, curly hair. The flexible, wide-set teeth cause less breakage (and pain!) than traditional combs and brushes.
HOW OFTEN: As soon as it becomes difficult to run your fingers through your hair, it's time to detangle.
HOW TO: Only detangle curly hair when wet, and optionally covered in conditioner. I repeat, ONLY detangle curly hair when wet. Work knots out from the ends of hair, slowly moving up. Detangling shouldn't hurt or rip out your hair. If it's hurting, detangle more often and make sure to start with the ends and work your way up through the knots.
SHAMPOO
WHY: Shampoo is a gentler version of soap: it cleans excess oil, sweat and dirt from your hair and scalp. Some people need it and some don’t. If you have fine, dry hair you may not need to use shampoo at all, but for men who work up a sweat often, shampoo is a must.
HOW OFTEN: Shampoo only when your hair looks or smells oily/dirty. For some people this is every couple of days and for others this is once a week.
HOW TO: Think of shampooing as cleaning your scalp rather than your hair. Use your fingers to massage the shampoo all over your scalp. Always wash it out thoroughly.
CONDITIONER
WHY: Short hair is naturally moisturised by the oils from your scalp. The longer and curlier your hair is, the less oils make it down to the ends. This leaves hair dry, frizzy and more prone to tangling and breakage. Conditioner moisturises hair with natural oils and coats the strands, leaving them shinier, smoother and less prone to tangling.
HOW OFTEN: If your hair is getting too frizzy, dry or you can’t run your fingers through it, it’s time to condition. For some people, this is every shower and for others it’s once a week.
HOW TO: Use after shampoo (if you use shampoo)! Wet your hair thoroughly then turn the shower off. Apply a generous amount of conditioner all over your hair, focussing on the ends, and comb through with your detangling comb. If your hair is knotted, work knots out starting at the ends and slowly moving up until your hair is fully detangled. Wash out thoroughly.
Tip: A good quality conditioner can double as a leave-in conditioner. Comb a 20c coin size dollop of conditioner through wet hair and don't wash it out.
HAIR OIL
WHY: For long, porous or curly hair, conditioner just isn’t enough. Oil is like a super concentrated conditioner for your hair; it strengthens, moistures, reduces frizz and adds shine.
HOW OFTEN: Every time you condition and anytime you want a little less frizz and a little more shine.
HOW TO: There are lots of ways to use your oil. Try these methods to start:
- Mix a few drops into your conditioner before applying it
- Scrunch a few drops into the ends of wet hair
- Lightly coat hands in a few drops of oil and scrunch into the ends of dry hair for instant de-frizzing
- Apply a generous amount of oil and let it soak in for half an hour before showering
Tip: you can use our hair oil on your beard too!
BAMBOO TOWEL OR COTTON T-SHIRT
WHY: Your regular bath towel damages your hair, especially if you rub it. Bamboo is super absorbent (three times more than cotton!) and much softer than a regular towel. The smooth material is kinder to your curls than terry towelling and won’t cause them to frizz or break. Stay away from microfibre towels - they're made from synthetic materials that release micro plastics into the water every time they're washed.
Wrapping your dry hair in a bamboo towel when you go to sleep will stop it from frizzing up overnight.
HOW OFTEN: Keep regular towels away from your curls! Air dry or use a bamboo towel or cotton t-shirt.
HOW TO: Squeeze excess water out of your hair before getting out of the shower. Lean over, flip your hair upside down and scrunch hair with the bamboo towel. Do not rub! Continue until your hair is drip-free.
Tip: When going to sleep with dry hair, wrap it up in the towel to preserve your curls overnight.
THE CONCLUSION
It all boils down to this: a little more detangling, a little more oil and a little less rubbing your hair with a towel will do wonders for your curls.
