Do you feel like your waves will not last an entire day, no matter what you use in your hair? If that’s the case, you probably need a product with a stronger hold than what you are using. Strong hold products for waves can be intimidating because you generally do not want to have a stringy, crunchy look to your waves but rather a soft hold that will clump your waves without separating them.
Image Source: @itsme.weasley
How I use a strong hold gel on fine or wavy hair:
Since it might leave a cast on my hair, I apply it to soaking wet hair and scrunch it out after my waves have completely dried. Remember, start slow and add more as needed.
Image Source: @vivi.waves
After trying many different strong-hold products and getting many different results, I have put together my top strong-hold styling products to make your waves or curls last all day.
1. DevaCurl Ultra Defining Gel
This gel is perfect for dipping your toes in the water. It is ideal if you have multiple curl patterns. It will help give you great hold without leaving much of a cast on your dry hair.
2. Briogeo Style + Treat™ Yuzu + Plum Oil Hair Styling Texture Foam
Here’s a styling foam that will give you maximum definition and volume for your wavy hair. This multitasking foam enhances and amplifies your natural curls, delivering bouncy, touchable waves without any crunch. The foam is infused with a proprietary Super B-Complex; this styling foam strengthens and promotes healthy hair while providing lightweight moisture with Plum oil for softer, shinier curls.
3. CURLSMITH – Curl Defining Styling Soufflé
It’s one of my all-time favorite gels and moisturizers during the summer months! This product has a stronghold of gel and moisturizing properties with a semi-solid jelly texture. This combination makes it great to give you hold and definition and will help create a soft cast where you can scrunch your waves.
4. Eco Style, Texture Edit, Kurvy Moisturize Hydrating Foam
This product is where you start to set up a new level of hold in this list. It is great for type 2 waves that can’t decide whether to be curly or wavy on any given day. It’s light and won’t weigh your hair down, with the bonus of being formulated with hair growth vitamins. It will not leave your waves looking stringy or greasy. However, this gel does have some level of a learning curve. It is not as forgiving when you use too much, so start slowly and add more.
5. Cake Big Wig Volumizing Mousse
Say hello to volume that will give you a touchable and flexible finish! This lightweight foam features a delicate cookie scent that includes bergamot, mandarin, and raw sugar notes. Your waves will not only love the scent but also the hold that leaves big and bold styling.
6. Rizos Curls Light Hold Gel
If you need serious hold for your waves to make it through the day, this a great gel to look at. It will contain fly aways and clump curls incredibly well, but again will create a cast that needs to be scrunched out of waves to leave them looking soft and bouncy. To get the best results from this product, I scrunch it into soaking-wet hair right out of the shower or mix it with a more medium-hold gel.
Just because you have wavy hair doesn’t mean that you can’t use a strong-hold product. When using one, you will need to “scrunch the crunch” out of your hair after it has completely dried, which is the biggest secret to getting these hard-hold products to work for you.
