Difference Between Curly and Wavy Hair

“Curly” is a label that is sometimes used to describe all textured hair (wavy, curly and coily), and sometimes is used to describe a subset of textured hair. Wavy hair is a type of textured hair, but it is a separate subset of textured hair than curly hair.

This difference in how curly hair is used both as a broad umbrella for ‘textured hair’ and how it is also used to describe just type 3 hair, can certainly be confusing. Some people with type 3 hair seem to see it as false or dishonest for people with wavy hair to refer to their hair as curly.

In curly girl method communities and other places online, people with curly hair sometimes get upset with people who have wavy hair calling it curly. I’ve also seen people with curly hair expressing frustration with how curly-related tags on social media are often full of wavy hair.

I can understand this because if you search #wavyhair on Instagram, or try to look up curly hair cuts, you’ll come across almost exclusively heat-style wavy hair.
It’s very trendy for salons to curl and then brush out someone’s hair after cutting it, so those heat-styled waves are all over, and it makes it harder to find content about naturally wavy hair. When people with wavy hair use curly tags, it causes the same difficulty for those looking for curly-specific content.

So, I use #curlygirlmethod sometimes because while my hair is wavy, I do follow the curly girl method for the most part, but I don’t use #curlyhair or similar because my hair is not curly. I find that it feels unnatural to use “waves” or “wavy” in some contexts. For example, I say “curl clump” because “wave clump” just doesn’t sound right to me.

However, when speaking generally about my hair I prefer to specify that it is wavy, not curly, just to show respect to those with curly hair who want that word reserved for them. Of course, this is personal preference.
Are Wavy and Curly Hair The Same?
Wavy hair and curly hair are not strictly synonymous. Wavy hair is a looser texture, and there are some common differences in these hair types. However, wavy and curly hair can also have a lot in common
Common Differences in Wavy and Curly Hair
Wavy hair is more likely to be low porosity.
Wavy hair is more likely to need clarified more often.
Wavy hair is more likely to have the curl pattern start lower on the head.
Wavy hair is more likely to be easily weighed down.
Wavy hair is more likely to be flattened.
Wavy hair is more likely to lose definition easily.
Wavy hair tends to have more natural oils or be less dry than curly hair.
Wavy hair is less likely to need deep conditioning frequently.
Wavy hair is more likely to need hard hold products to maintain definition.
Wavy hair is less likely to respond to certain techniques such as finger-coiling, wet styling, or using a Denman brush.!