Steps to the Sexiest S-Waves You’ve Ever Had

S-waves are supposed to be easy, right? For many women, they’re the go-to style when you want to look your best without spending a huge amount of time on your hair. But, if you’ve ever just grabbed a curling or flat iron and went to town, you may just have found creating waves is a lot more difficult than you thought it would be.

Fortunately, here are a few tips to make it all better.

Duck Bill Clip

Waves Start before You Dry

If you’ve waited until your hair is completely dry, you’ve missed a golden opportunity to add texture. And, when you’re going for a curly, comfortable look, that’s exactly what you need.

One of the best tips involves placing duck bill clips at intervals throughout your hair and mostly drying your hair while these are in place

Adding Texture as You Dry

When your hair is about 70 or 80% dry, remove the clips and cup or scrunch your hair slightly as you finish drying.

If you need to run your brush through your hair, use a flat one – not a rounded brush. Otherwise, you’re likely to get tangles rather than texture.

Before moving onto the next step, be sure to section your hair. You’ll want to work with the smallest pieces possible. (And don’t forget about heat protection!)

Just What Are You Doing with That Flat Iron?

There are two ways you can create gorgeous s-waves with your flat iron… and yes, it’s all much easier with the flat heat, not a curling iron.

1. Brush your hair and create a bend near the top by holding your hair with your fingers. This bend should be parallel to your hair, not towards or away from it. (Imagine drawing an S with your hair so that it sits just off the side of your head instead of an S you could see from the front.) Tap the flat iron over this bend so that it gets enough heat to set the hair without leaving lines on it. When you’ve finished this bend, turn the hair beneath it in the other direction (thus making the S) and tap this with the flat iron. Then, it’s a matter of repeating until every section is done.
2. Alternatively, you could run your flat iron through your hair as you normally would. When you get to the point of the first bend, turn the flat iron at an angle and hold it. Release the hair and reposition the iron just underneath the first bend. Turn the iron and hair in the other direction and hold. Repeat until you’re done with the entire piece and then finish with the rest of your hair.

Which is better? The first method is much quicker, but you may find that it just doesn’t hold on longer or thicker hair. Your best bet is to try both until you find the best technique.