How to Make Second-Day Hair Look Polished

This post is the third in a series on weaning myself off my blowdryer—and learning to like my natural waves. The first post tackled the importance of moisture, the second explained how to make a product cocktail to coax beachy waves, and this installment is all about what to do when you wake up the day after you’ve shampooed and styled…and your hair looks like an SOS pad.

Because I’ve discovered that shampooing every day is a bad idea (it really does dry out textured hair and increase fuzz), I try to do it no more often than every other day. So, when I wake up to major behead, instead of repeating the whole wash-and-style regimen from the day before, I employ one of three strategies, depending on how much time I have (and how disastrous my hair looks).

If I’ve not a second to spare...and my hair isn’t horrible, I’ll take a spray bottle of water and spritz until my hair is damp. Then I’ll gently scrunch and revive yesterday’s waves, finishing with an all-over mist of Deva-Curl Set It Free Moisture Lock Finishing Spray to deflate stubborn frizz—as well as impart a citrusy, clean scent. 

If my hair is horrible and I have ten minutes, I will hop in the shower, completely wet my head, run a dime-sized dollop of conditioner through, mid-lengths to ends, and rinse. Then I’ll apply the same stylers I did the previous day (an all over body-builder plus a surf spray)—but limit application to a very conservative amount. The shower-rinse got rid of some of yesterday’s products, but not all. So, my goal is to revive but not to overdo it (and leave my locks lank).

Finally, if my hair is full-on SOS, but I have very little time, I focus on just reviving the front, dampening the hair around my face and hitting it briefly with a blowdryer to smooth and shape slightly. Then, I’ll pull the rest of my hair back into a knot at my nape, letting a few pieces spring free along my hairline. To keep the loose hair from frizzing, I mist on the aforementioned DevaCurl spray—and dash.

Next up: How do I style my waves...when I’m dressed up? For some women, beachy waves + cocktail dress = chic. I’m not one of those women. Next week, I’ll share how I turn everyday waves into a look that's more evening appropriate.  

Have a product or styling tip that's a must for second-day hair? I'd love to hear it. Email me at mediumblondeblog@gmail.com—or share it with us all in the Comments, below.