TABLE OF CONTENTS
• What is 2B Hair?
• What is the Difference Between Curly Hair and Wavy Hair?
• 4 Steps for a 2B Hair Care Routine
• 3 Tips for Caring for 2B Hair
• How to Style 2B Hair?
Among the hair types, 2B hair is one of those curl types that sometimes appear as loose waves and sometimes look extra curly with the right hair products and routine. That’s why a dedicated hair care routine is so important for all hair types, especially for people with wavy, curly, and coily hair that needs help defining its shape.
If you’re constantly struggling to determine whether or not you have 2B hair or just need help caring for your wavy hair type, let this guide be your ultimate source. Here, discover how to care for 2B hair, the characteristics of 2B hair, and the caring tips and products you’ll need for the best waves yet.
What is 2B Hair?
Among the four main hair types — straight, wavy, curly, and coily — 2B hair falls in the wavy category. This hair type appears straight at the root and begins to loosely shift into a wave from the mid-shaft to the ends of the hair. Within the wavy hair type, 2B hair is in the middle of 2A and 2C hair. The biggest difference between 2A, 2B, and 2C wave types is how loose or tight the curls appear with 2A hair seeming almost straight with a subtle wave, 2B having more defined waves, and 2C curls being tighter in shape with a loose zigzag look.
Since 2B hair is wavy and not curly, you won’t see any corkscrew or spiral textures within your hair. Instead, you’ll have a loose or elongated S-shape from the middle part of your strands to the ends. Type 2B hair, like all wavy and curly hair types, is prone to frizz, especially when it’s humid.
What is the Difference Between Curly Hair and Wavy Hair?
Understanding whether your hair is curly or wavy can be challenging, especially when it’s possible to have more than one hair type within your mane. The most basic difference between wavy hair and curly hair is that waves tend to be S-shaped while curls tend to have more of a spring or spiral shape that makes a complete circle around (similar to a spring). Some curly hair types are S-shaped, like 3A and 3B curl patterns, but this type of S-shape is tighter and springier than a type-2 wave.
On the days that your 2B hair is looking extra limp, look towards flat waves as the culprit. Flat waves happen when hair is heavy from product buildup and keep your waves and curls from looking their best. After cleansing hair with a sulfate-free shampoo like Black Vanilla Moisture and Shine Sulfate Free Shampoo, your 2B hair will be refreshed and its natural wavy curl pattern should be revitalized.
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4 Steps for a 2B Hair Care Routine
Thankfully, type 2B hair is fairly easy to manage once you’ve got the right routine. Below, explore a hair care routine dedicated to 2B hair to tackle tangles, frizz, dryness, and lackluster waves.
1. Use a Gentle Shampoo
Since the roots of 2B hair tend to lay flat, they are more prone to greasiness than the rest of the hair shaft. Routinely washing and cleansing type 2B hair is important for its overall health along with keeping waves in its most defined state. Use the aforementioned Black Vanilla Moisture and Shine Sulfate-Free Shampoo to gently cleanse hair without stripping it of necessary natural oils. This shampoo helps soften dehydrated, brittle hair and boosts its moisture levels with the infused hydrating aloe leaf juice while rose extract helps add shine.2B hair should be shampooed every two to three days depending on how greasy your hair feels and the amount of product buildup on your scalp. You can tell your hair needs a good cleansing when waves begin to fall flat and hair feels extra greasy.
2. Saturate Strands with Conditioner
All wavy hair types need conditioners for added moisture and hydration to protect hair from environmental stressors like humidity, which can lead to frizz. Use the matching conditioner Black Vanilla Moisture and Shine Hydrating Conditioner after shampooing to complete your in-shower 2B hair care routine. This conditioner helps detangle wavy hair without any tugging on knots and hydrates hair thanks to added shea butter. Massage this conditioner in your hair from mid-lengths to end before combing the product through to add nourishment to your entire mane.3. Add Lightweight Stylers to Define Waves
2B hair types tend to have high porosity, meaning they absorb liquids well but have a hard time retaining that moisture. Having high porosity levels could leave your 2B hair thirsting for moisture and appearing flat, dry, and brittle. An easy way to tell how porous your hair is is by seeing how long it takes to dry. If your hair dries quickly (even after stepping out of the shower) you most likely have high porosity hair.To keep moisture in your hair use the LOC method, which requires hair care products to be layered in a specific order (leave-in conditioner, then hair oil, then hair cream) to help hair add and retain moisture. Start with the lightweight Black Vanilla Moisture and Shine Leave-In Conditioner as your first step in the LOC method. This spray leave-in instantly hydrates hair, promoting shine and improved manageability for styling, all without weighing down your hair.
Follow up with Born to Repair Reviving Hair Oil With Shea Butter to continue adding moisture and shape waves without weighing them down. The blend of shea butter and jojoba, coconut, olive Amazonian nut, and babassu oils helps fight against damaged and brittle hair for healthier-looking, frizz-free waves. Finally, seal in all that moisture with Hair Milk Original Leave-In Moisturizer which is formulated with agave nectar to lock in hydration and soybean oil to soften and strengthen hair. All of these products are lightweight so your hair doesn’t feel greasy or look limp.
4. Deep Condition Semi-Regularly
If your hair constantly feels dry no matter what you do, add a deep conditioner treatment to your weekly (or bi-weekly) hair care routine for an intense boost of moisture. Use Monoi Repairing Hair Mask at least every other week (or more regularly if your hair is damaged) to restore moisture and keep hair healthy, tangle-free, and hydrated.3 Tips for Caring for 2B Hair
1. Scrunch and Flip Hair When Styling
Most type 2B hair can use a boost in volume and definition to keep soft waves from falling flat. To liven up limp strands, flip your hair over when applying any product and scrunch the roots for major definition. Add Coco Creme Curl Shaping Cream Gel to your styling routine to define your waves and minimize frizz without getting stiff or crunchy.2. Apply Product From the Mid-Shaft to the Ends
No one wants greasy roots, so if your 2B roots are prone to looking oily, focus your styling product from the mid-shaft to the ends and use the remaining product left on your roots to avoid frizz at the crown. Applying the product to the part of the hair that is wavy will help your waves stay plump and hydrated after styling.3. Use a Wide-Tooth Comb to Detangle
Since 2B hair can get tangled and knotty easily, you’ll want to detangle your wavy hair when it is wet and with the use of a conditioner with good slip to avoid damaging the hair. If you prefer using a tool over finger detangling, opt for a wide-tooth comb over a paddle brush as this will cause the least amount of manipulation to your wavy curly hair and allow your waves to be more defined and bouncy.How to Style 2B Hair?
The possibilities are endless when it comes to styling 2B hair to embrace your wavy tresses. Here are a few trendy and easy styles to try, including ones that look great on men with 2B hair.
Wash and Go
You can’t go wrong with a simple wash-and-go style that requires minimal manipulation to showcase hair in its most natural wave pattern. If you’re letting your waves flow naturally, don’t forget to scrunch, scrunch, scrunch. The few extra minutes it takes to scrunch your strands are well worth it when your waves are plump and defined all day long.Wavy Layers
If your 2B hair tends to fall limp and flat, visit a professional and get some wavy curly layers. Layered hair adds definition and texture to hair while giving it a desirable shape. Depending on the length of your hair, cut 2B tresses into a mullet or shag for a TikTok-worthy haircut.Curtain Bangs
Try cutting the front pieces of your hair into bangs to embrace this other trendy cut that puts your waves on display and perfectly frames your face. Curtain bangs are a great choice for 2B hair when you want to cut weight off tresses in the front and get bouncier waves.Next Up: How to Know if Your Hair Needs Protein
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