Ladies with curls are often the envy of their straight-haired counterparts. Whether it’s Marilyn Monroe or Beyonce, a lady with curls projects an image of freedom, strength, and independence. Lately, more women’s hairstyles are trending toward the style of short wavy hair. This hairstyle is very flattering to the frame of the face and can accentuate your best facial features perfectly! The range of hairstyles for short wavy hair is wide and varied. It easily allows any woman to project her individual fashion style with minimal effort.

But managing your curly or wavy hair can be a huge undertaking. We’ll dive into how you can best take care of your precious curls and the top ways to style them so you’ll be ready to show off your new look. Keep reading to learn how you can project your own image of freedom, strength, and independence.

What Is Wavy Hair?

Many women will place the blame of their wavy or curly hair on genetics but there’s more to it than just that that’s making your locks have a twist to them. Humidity and a variety of other factors are also responsible for determining if your hair will curl or remain straight. As scientists have discovered, the shape of the follicle determines the curvature of the strand and the angle in which grows. When a hair follicle that is symmetrical the strand produced by it will be round and straight. However, if the follicle is asymmetrical, then the hair strand will curl.

Curl Type

Andre Walker, hair stylist to many celebrities in Hollywood, developed the most commonly used curl typing system. Before you decide how you want to style your short wavy hair, it’s important to know what kind of curl type you have and what it means for your style. Walker’s typing system breaks down hair into four types of curls, with subcategories. The system considers density, volume, length, and consistency. The type number refers to the curl families (straight, wavy, curly, kinky).

Curl Type 1 is the absence of curl or stated more bluntly: straight. This hair type ranges from fine and fragile to coarse and thick but remains resistant to curl.

Curl Type 2 is classified as wavy hair. This type isn’t overly oily or dry, this allows for many styling options along the spectrum of curly or straight looks. It is the curly hair type most prone to frizz, but that does not stop it from having the flexibility of different hairstyles. It is very resilient and reflects shine well.

Curl Type 3 is classified as spiral curls. This kind of curly hair either an “s” or “z” pattern to it. It is often prone to tangles, breakage, dryness, and frizz. This hair type isn’t as shiny as Type 1 or Type 2 since the hair follicle does not lie flat, allowing for the reflection of more light.

Curl Type 4 is classified as “kinky” or tightly coiled hair. This hair type may appear to be coarse and strong but it is actually the most fragile of all hair curl types. This type can have a zigzag pattern or show no pattern at all. It experiences extreme dryness and requires constant protection and hydration. Note, it is the most common kind of hair that is found in African American hair.

How to Care for Short Wavy Hair

Regardless of what kind of hair type you have, taking care of it begins in the shower. This means making sure you have the right products for your type of hair to keep it clean, moisturized, and well-protected. Wavy hair (Curl Type 2) is the easiest hair type to care for and its natural malleability makes it one of the easiest to style. The other hair types require a little extra care, especially for keeping the frizz away. Here are things to keep in mind when you’re washing and styling your short wavy hair:

Hydration

Hydration is key no matter what type of hair you have. You’ll want to keep it hydrated by using a hydrating shampoo and conditioner. We recommend that you use a sulfate-free shampoo. Sulfates strip your hair of its natural oils causing it to become dull and frizzy, especially for those with waves and curls. After you have shampooed, your hair, you will want to use conditioner to lock in moisture. We recommend a leave-in conditioner with keratin.

Keratin is a protein found in hair. It strengthens the shaft while smoothing the hairs cuticle, reducing frizz, adding shine, and improving manageability. This is perfect for waves and curls. Using this kind of conditioner will detangle your hair while also providing needed protection against heat styling after washing.

Lock in Your Curls and Let Them Shine

We all love having your curls set in place, ready to shine so we can show them off to the world. However, even hair with curls and waves can fall flat. To combat this, you can use a texturizer on damp hair. This will help define your waves, give you added volume, and create that bounce that’s unique to curly hair and everyone loves. After applying your product, you can use a diffuser for more volume.

If you are on the curlier end of the spectrum (Types 3 & 4), you can use a styling cream or a mousse to define the curls without overly controlling your texture. For those of you that prefer a softer curl, you can use a styling cream on wet hair to piece together and elongate your curls.

Let It Be

This part can sometimes be the hardest. We’re always looking to make minor adjustments to our hairstyle, trying to achieve the perfect balance of curl and bounce. However, with curly hair, this is something you want to avoid. After you’ve finished styling your wavy hair, let it be. Messing with your curly hair will ultimately lead to frizziness, flyaways, and tangles. Three things you definitely don’t want for your hair. So once your done styling, let it be and move on with your day.

10 Hairstyles for Short Wavy Hair

Choppy Rebellious Look

We all love channeling our inner rebel and nothing does that better than a choppy rebellious look. The Choppy layers are ultra-trendy and add a lot of effortless volume. Plus they’ll let you channel your inner rebel and show you’re not a girly-girl! Thick wavy hair looks great in choppy layers and can be easily styled for a messy texture that adds lots of volume to the head.

Shaggy Cuts

Having shaggy layered cuts is a fabulous look for short wavy hair and can emphasize the natural movement. If you have hair that is coarse and thick, you will want to have a layered cut with strongly textured tapered tips to reduce the thickness. The final result produces a daintier finish and preserves that natural movement.

Wavy Sassy Bob

We all love adding a little sass to our appearance and why not do that with our hairstyle? Curly hairstyles are perfect for showing off modern cuts and salon dye jobs. You can create your short wavy hair with highlights and lowlights to create elegant swirls. The key to creating this look is an angled cut, elongated towards the front, so be clear when describing to your stylist exactly how you expect the hair to frame your face.

Inverted Bob with Messy Curls

Hairstyles look great when chosen specifically to match the shape of your head. If you have a flat back to your head, then an inverted, short wavy bob is best for styling your short wavy hair. To get body with this look, you will want to use an inverted cut with short undercuts for hair to lay over. This will give the appearance of more height in the crown and help cover the flat back of your head. The result is a short wavy haircut that leaves you feeling confident and ready to show off those curls.

Curly Tapered Pixie

If you are wanting to display a more delicate feminine look but still maintain strength in your appearance, try this short wavy hair look. Short tapered cuts generally are considered boyish but if you use soft waves in the cut, you can add a touch of delicate femininity. This cut pairs well with long earrings. They will exemplify the elegance and grace while emphasizing your neckline and chest, balancing masculinity and femininity.

Short Curly Hairstyle with Long Face-Framing Pieces

This cut is similar to the aforementioned pixie but leaves a different impression. This pretty cut creates an impression of wildness with accuracy. You can use copper highlights to brighten the natural brown color.  The elongated sideburns are an extra detail that can help you make the hairstyle one of a kind.

Simple Short Hairstyle with Scrunched Curls

Looking to save time from your morning routine but still want to have a stylish look? Opting for a simple short hairstyle could be a good way for you to achieve the short wavy hair look without all the hassle of a high-maintenance ‘do. Especially since we can’t all spend 20 minutes styling their hair to perfection. For those who live on-the-go, you will appreciate this simple cut that allows you to air dry hair but still provides you with a cute hairstyle. Use a special air-dry product, scrunch to shape your ringlets, and then be on your way.

Bouncy Curly Bob

Annie often comes to mind when we think of bouncy curls. Having them can signify moisturized and pampered locks, something we all want to project. If you have short curly hair, to achieve this scrunch in a lightweight leave-in conditioner with aloe vera or glycerin while your hair is still damp. Then, lightly diffuse with a blow-dryer on a low heat. After that, you’ll be ready to head down to Mr. Warbucks’.

Soft Curly Inverted Bob for Shorter Hair

If you want your short wavy hair to project feminine and gentle, you might try an inverted bob accompanied with some soft curls. You can use subtle caramel highlights cascading over a chocolate-brown base to bring a summery feel to any season. Sprinkle a salt spray and tousle with your fingers for a beach-ready vibe.

Scrunched Curly Brunette Bob Hairstyle

In the nineties, the wet-hair look was popular, and it seems to have resurfaced with a modern twist. To achieve this look, you will want to start with hydrated ringlets, scrunching with medium-hold gel. The result will be a messy yet polished looking hairstyle.

Conclusion

Knowing what kind of hair curl type you have and that it affects how you care for your hair is the first step in choosing a style for hair. That means don’t just go through the motions of shampoo and condition. There’s needed steps you need to take to lock in moisture, protect your hair, and avoid frizziness. There’s no shortage of styles for short wavy hair, regardless of the curl type you have. You have plenty to choose from so you can project a look of freedom, strength, and independence.