A curly hair tutorial on how I get these super voluminous waves (with minimal heat).
I’ve nailed achieving curls with mega-volume. I always knew my hair was wavy, but I didn’t realize I had this much defined curl. I mentioned I had been playing around with different styling techniques after stumbling across India Batson’s YouTube channel and realizing our hair was very similar.
How do I get these waves? Step-by-step below.
I’m walking you through exactly how I get these voluminous, touchable waves (with very minimal heat styling). Let’s start in the shower with shampoo and conditioner.
I’ve been trying Prose out for the past month or so; Prose is a hair care company offering completely customized products for your hair type. And not just your general hair type– your exact hair type, based on a quiz you take before ordering. They ask about thickness (me = really thick), porosity (me = very porous), how dry your hair is (mine = really dry), where you live (so they can factor in UV and air pollution based on your zip code), and what you want to achieve (me = color protection, hydration, and curl definition).
The products I ended up getting: a pre-shampoo scalp mask (because my scalp can get dry, itchy, and flaky), the shampoo and conditioner, the leave-in conditioner, and the curl cream. (More on these products and the other products I use below.)
I use the mask every week or so, but have been using the other products every time I wash + style for the past 4-5 weeks.
So after washing and conditioning in the shower, I wrap my hair in a microfiber hair towel. These are super lightweight and absorbent; a two-pack was just $12 on Amazon. I leave my hair in the towel for a few minutes, then scrunch it with the towel to start defining the waves.
Note: I do not comb/brush my hair post-shower. I will detangle (sometimes using a wet brush) in the shower, but I don’t comb it through after. It’s important to let the curls naturally clump together at this point.
Product lineup! This is the order I use ’em, too, from left to right. I start with the Bumble&Bumble Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil primer; it protects hair from heat and UV light (aka the sun isn’t just bad for your skin, kids, it’s also bad for your hair!), conditions, and fights frizz. I spray a generous amount over my whole head, then follow with a few spritzes of the Prose leave-in conditioner. My specific Prose formula boosts shine and protects my color.
Next up: curl cream. I really work this into the hair by scrunching it. That ensures the product gets into the hair shaft so it conditions and shapes the curl. I love the Prose formula; mine aims at touchable waves and weightless definition. I find that I can use several pumps of this product all over and it doesn’t weigh my hair down. (Important to note: I have a lot of hair, and that hair is super porous, which means it sucks product up. I can put a silver dollar-sized dollop of oil on my hair and it won’t get greasy. My hair is essentially a sponge in lion’s mane form.)
Last product before drying: a defining gel. I know what you’re thinking, “Ashley, a gel?! Aren’t you going to end up with super crunchy curls?” The key here is to lightly pat it on your hair (vs. working it in via scrunching). Think of it like this: you want the curl cream to penetrate and really get up in there, while you want the gel to sit on the outside of the hair shaft and lock in that moisture.
It’s also a good idea to get a gel that works against that crunch factor; I like this DevaCurl version and have used it for years.
Here’s what my hair looks like post-product. Sometimes I stop here and don’t diffuse. I’ll still get defined, voluminous curls. How? I don’t let the hair settle into a part and I’m constantly flipping it back and forth from one side to the other to aid in volume-building.
The diffuser step, however, really amps everything up while (obviously) shortening dry time.
I have a super expensive, ionic technology-based hair dryer for when I blow out my hair. (Which is rare, especially in quarantine.) But for this job? I use the trusty ol’ Conair Cordkeeper (the cord is retractable!) because it comes with a diffuser. It’s $15, y’all. (My other dryer doesn’t offer the ability to slip on a diffuser attachment.)
Left: at the start of drying. Right: about 5 minutes in.
The process is really easy: I keep the heat on warm (vs. hot) and the airflow on high as I gently dry my hair. I’ll push the diffuser up into the curls from the bottom for a few seconds here and there. Lots of hair-flipping. I don’t allow my hair to settle into a natural part when it’s drying, which boosts volume on the top.
I’ll occasionally switch to the cool temperature setting, mainly to keep me from getting hot. Cool shots do add shine and help you tell where your hair is still damp.
This massive head of hair only takes about 15 minutes or so before it’s 95% dry with the diffuser– which is so impressive since I’m usually under the dryer for at least 30-45 minutes when I’m giving myself a proper blowout. And because the heat is kept low, I don’t get nearly as hot as I usually do when drying.
Final step: I define and tame some of the curls with Aussie’s curl-defining oil. I use a full pump on my whole head (except the roots), but a little of this goes a long way. I’m super impressed with this formula– the jojoba oil is really moisturizing and it does add some beautiful definition. This is also my go-to product for reviving second- and third-day hair.
And here we have it: the finished look! I’m so here for the super huge, very 90s beach waves.
