Get Rid of a Wave in Your Hair

Hair with a wave
Photo: Shutterstock
Q: I have medium thick hair. In the past 2 years I've noticed a wave in my hair a bit more prominent on my left side. It resembles a wave left in your hair if you've worn your hair in a ponytail all day and then taken it out.
 
How do I get rid of it? I've tried cutting it out but it's still there I've tried layers but it's still there. Please help me. I am a mother of 3 all under the age of 6 and work full-time so I don't have a lot of time.
 
A: It sounds as though you may be dealing with an annoying “growth pattern”. It’s simply the way the hair grows. There may have been something that affected the way your hair follicles grow the hair and the result is this “bend” in the hair. They’re not uncommon, and the causes can be everything from a hormonal shift to pure genetics.
 
There are a couple of things I can think of that should work for you. There’s a temporary solution that you’ll have to repeat at least as often as you shampoo the hair. You can get a flat iron and simply pass the “bent” hair through the iron to straighten it. You can get a simple, inexpensive flat iron that is suitable for this purpose for around US$20. Just make sure only to use the flat iron on completely dry hair. Using one on damp or even moist hair can cause serious hair damage.
 
Another option is to use a chemical straightener. You can use a perm kit without rolling the hair and simply comb the solution through the hair to straighten it (focusing on the bend), then rinse and neutralize the hair using the same technique of combing. This should straighten the bend in the hair. You could also try one of the packaged straightening kits available. Just be sure to focus on the bend in the hair when combing the hair to straighten it.
 
The chemical option has the benefit of allowing you to make a more permanent resolution (it should last until the hair re-grows sufficiently to restore the bend) and as long as your hair isn’t very wavy normally, you’ll have little worry about obvious differences between the straightened hair and any new growth.
 
©Hairfinder.com
 
See also:
 
How to use a flat iron
 
How to blow dry hair straight
 
How can I avoid or fix the crease in my hair after wearing it in a ponytail?