Thick Hair How-to's: From Best Hair Cut to Beachy Waves

by Julie Redfern Davis (Subscribe to Julie Redfern Davis's posts)
Posted Mar 17th 2010 at 8:00AM

Make the most of your thick hair. Photo: Peter Buckingham

Got lots of hair?

Consider yourself lucky.

Thick, full hair is much to be desired. In fact, says celebrity stylist and Hair Basics expert, Ted Gibson, "It's the kind of hair that most girls want."

One of the best things about having a head-full, notes Gibson, is that you don't have to get it cut every four to six weeks. You can also use a lot of styling product without weighing the hair down and you don't have to shampoo daily (oily hair is hardly a concern).

Most women know if they have thick hair, but the true measure is the diameter of each strand. "If your hair strands are on the larger side, you have thick hair," says Gibson.

Another way to determine: pull your hair back with an average size elastic. If it will only wrap one or two times, your hair is most definitely thick.

When it comes to cutting thick hair, long layers work best, as do longer styles. "If you cut thick hair short, it tends to stick out," says Gibson.

And because most women with thick hair often skip out on a few shampoos, washing with one that's highly cleansing is recommended. "You want a shampoo that is going to thoroughly remove build-up from the scalp, as well as the hair," says Gibson.

Thick hair can handle almost any styling product, but the ones that work best are products spiked with silicone. They have a little more weight, which helps keep thick hair tame.

One of the easiest styles to achieve with thick hair is coveted, beachy waves. Because the hair is full and voluminous, the curl holds beautifully.

To learn how to create sexy waves at home, watch our how-to video or follow our step-by-step on how to achieve them, and visit our Hair Basics section for more easy hair how-tos.

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Hair Basics: Thick Hair How-To's

Thick hair goes from basic to beachy with the help of star stylist and Hair Basics expert, Ted Gibson.

Peter Buckingham

Hair Basics: Thick Hair How-Tos

Thick hair has many perks. For starters, you can get away with cutting it less often. But even better is that you can shampoo less (oily hair is hardly an issue) and apply almost any styling product without feeling weighed down or falling flat. But the biggest bonus (to us, at least): you can create sexy, beachy waves in a matter of minutes. Read on for the step by step on how to achieve them.

Hair Basics: Thick Hair How-Tos

The key to creating loose, sexy waves is the size of the curling iron. A large barrel-approximately 1 ½ to 2 inches around-will give thick hair the perfect wave.

Hair Basics: Thick Hair How-Tos

When curling the hair, work in large sections (about 1 to 1 ½ inches wide). Placement of the curling iron is key to creating great waves. "Hold the iron horizontal and wrap the hair around the iron, leaving the ends out," says Gibson.

Tip: To ensure the curl stays put, spray each section with hairspray before curling. The hairspray creates a grip for the iron, resulting in a better, longer lasting curl.

Hair Basics: Thick Hair How-Tos

After the entire head is curled, "warm a nickel-size amount of shine lotion in the palm of your hands," says Gibson. Then, tilt your head back and work the product through the hair from roots to ends.

Hair Basics: Thick Hair How-Tos

Using your hands, pull the curls forward, and separate and style to your liking. The more tousled and messy the hair, the better.

Tip: You'll get better results using your hands to style. A brush will literally brush out the waves.

Hair Basics: Thick Hair How-Tos

The final look: the ultimate beach wave-and babe.

Hair Basics: Thick Hair How-Tos

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Filed under: Hair Care, Cuts & Style, Hair, Hair How To
Tags: hair basics, hair video, HairBasics, hairstyle videos, HairstyleVideos, hairvideo, ted gibson, ted gibson hair basics, TedGibson, TedGibsonHairBasics, thick hair, thick hair videos, ThickHair, ThickHairVideos, video

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READER COMMENTS

(35)Add A Comment

olga lednichenko, 3-19-2010, 4:28PM

Long -Thick-and-Curly never goes out of fashion - no matter which way the tide - flows in the cosmopolitan

cheers
olga lednichenko

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All Winners LOVE Winners aka BABYFACE, 4-05-2010, 8:36PM

I Got Lots Of Hair....Much to Be DESIRED.

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IRISH, 4-05-2010, 9:58PM

Her hair was PERFECT before he monkeyed with it!...WHY?

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kay, 4-06-2010, 5:14PM

That's because she has naturally straight (albeit thick) hair, if it were naturally curly or wavy, it would have held better and looked better.

tooni, 4-05-2010, 11:12PM

Are you kidding me? That looks like crap.

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harriet, 4-05-2010, 11:22PM

That model with the oversized botox lips and black amazon jungle eyes looks like hell.

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Gia, 4-05-2010, 11:26PM

That is SO DISGUSTING when you say that people with thick or curly hair don't have to wash as often! Come on! Unless the person never does anything to work up a sweat and isn't the oily type, they are going to SMELL after a day or so! I don't care how thick my hair is! I shower DAILY! I can tell you that after doing hair for over 25 years it's OK to wash daily! Just use good shampoos and moisturizers! The women who are older, middleaged and post menopause can maybe go a few days without washing their hair. Their oil and sweat glands aren't working as hard as they used to but for the rest of you, PLEASE WASH! It's so nasty to wash someone's hair who hasn't washed in days! UGH

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daphne, 4-06-2010, 2:57AM

my hair cries out in pain (well, not literally) when I wash it every day for weeks on end. It dries up and gets very brittle. Now that I wash it less often it's the healthiest it's ever been and I get complimented on it all the time. It doesn't even begin to feel or look like it's getting dirty until the end of the second day. I wash every other day but can and have stretched it longer, and I know people who go a week without washing (that i cannot do, but maybe some people can). my hair is naturally very thick, coarse, and wavy.

the one thing i don't agree with on this article is not having to cut your hair as often. my hair is so thick that it starts to pouf out in unflattering ways if i don't regularly get trims with lots of layers cut into it.

T, 4-06-2010, 4:55PM

I agree 100 percent. I think it is disgusting not to wash your hair everday. To me that is just being lazy and not clean.

kay, 4-06-2010, 5:15PM

You are silly, washing your hair every other day is fine even every third day, my hair does not smell nor is it ever oily, maybe you work up a sweat daily or are surrounded by odors that are absorbed into your hair. It is similar to not exfoliating your face everyday, your skin as with your scalp has natural protectants that you wash away and therefore increase vulnerability if you are over zealous with washing and scrubbing.

Kira, 4-06-2010, 11:40PM

You are an idiot. Just because someone doesnt wash their hair everyday does not mean they dont shower. Infact, I have thick hair. I dont wash it everyday when I shower. I skip the shampoo and go right to conditioner. My hair certainly doesn't smell bad. Use some common sense. The write said dont shampoo it everyday, he did not say "dont shower everyday".

kim, 4-07-2010, 12:54PM

Just read your posting..Since you are a hairdresser, what is a great Every day Shampoo and Moisturizer? I have been searching for soooo long..I can not find a great combo. My hair is thick(fine strands, but abundant hair!!!), wavy to curly. Yet gets weighted down by ALOT of products. I would like my hair to feel Light, Airy and Soft. Most products leave my hair feeling like it has been coated and flat. Or some do nothing at all.
I would love to find a great everyday shampoo that JUST cleans..No Silicon would be Great. Also I would love a great leave-in conditioner. Or just to find a great hair care line..especially if it smells great. Love the smell of Bed Head products. Don't like how they perform.

Thx
Kim

angie, 4-05-2010, 11:34PM

What's with the hairy eyebrows on this girl?

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tanddsullivan, 4-05-2010, 11:38PM

Why would you take a woman with gorgeous hair and screw it up?

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Pat, 4-05-2010, 11:48PM

Whatever the age or thickness, unshampooed hair looks like hat/pillow hair, feels gross, doesn't move properly, fails to shine, smells bad, reflects laziness and ineptitude, hollers every nasty secret you were afraid would leak out ... without you even opening your mouth. Now, about those flossing habits of yours . . . Yecch!

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Master Chief, 4-06-2010, 12:28AM

I liked the "before" more than the "after"
Straight spaghetti hair RULES!

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me, 4-06-2010, 12:30AM

This guys work always stinks. Her hair looks unfinished and tacky.

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R0ll TiDE, 4-06-2010, 12:44AM

I have extremely thick hair and it is heavy. I does not curl well either. So I think these people are stupid. Also, if i skip a wash my head feels so gross...even though it really doesn't look that bad. I prefer to wash daily.

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Sam, 4-06-2010, 1:25AM

Thick hair and full lips are the best -- thin man lips on women are not women of the white folks. Do you see thin hair models?

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mimi, 4-06-2010, 1:35AM

She was prettier before the sexy beachy waves. (Isn't that Winnie from the Kevin Show? I forgot the name of the show, lol). Anyway, lovely girl, (and lovely man, for that matter), but she was great before he improved her hair.

Her eyebrows are enviably thick in my opinion; so sick of flapper-girl (as in 1920s) thin eyebrows, so aging.

As for washing your hair less than every day, well, I don't care how thick or thin it is, it is going to SMELL if you don't wash every morning. If it is thick, all the more surface for envrionmental soils to land and stick to whatever natural oils are there, or whatever products you applied after your last wash. There's lots more crap in the air these days than in earlier times when there wasn't a WalMart or Starbucks in your face wherever you turned, for example.

If you were blessed with thick hair, you have to pay the piper and get up an hour earlier than the rest of us and wash it every single day! Women (or men) who think they don't need to wash hair daily aren't aware that their hair has a "dirty hair" smell. It's unAmerican!

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