Island Wave is built for type 2 natural hair, and it also works in two situations that are not obvious.

• Type 2 natural hair, worn in its natural wave. The direct match.
• Relaxed hair with movement. Chemically relaxed hair that is not bone straight often sits very close to a loose wave.
• Type 3 hair worn straightened or blown out. If you press or blow dry and want body rather than a poker straight finish, a loose wave carries more natural movement than a silky straight texture does.

Where it will not work: type 4 natural hair worn in its natural pattern. The difference in density and pattern is too large, and the wave will read as visibly separate hair. Relaxed Natural is the texture built for type 4 worn straightened.

The test. Style a section the way you actually wear it, photograph it in daylight against a plain background, and compare that photo to the texture shots. Not your memory of your hair, and not your hair wet.

Same texture, three different commitments. The question is not which is better, it is how often you want to change your hair and whether you have a stylist.

Bundles

Wefts installed by a stylist, usually in a sew-in, worn for weeks at a time. The fullest and most seamless result, and the lowest cost per wear over the life of the hair. Your own hair is braided down underneath, which is protective when it is done well.

Clip ins

In and out on your own, same day, no appointment. Right if you wear your natural hair most of the time and want length or fullness occasionally, or if your hair needs a break from tension. Never sleep in them.

A wig or closure unit

Nothing of your own hair left out, so nothing has to blend and your edges are fully protected. The right answer if your leave-out will not match, if you are transitioning, or if you want to change texture week to week.

This is the most forgiving texture in the range, which is most of its appeal.

• Air dry for natural body. Scrunch a light leave-in through damp hair and leave it alone. No gel cast required.
• Flat iron for straight. It presses smooth easily and holds, with a heat protectant and a moderate temperature.
• Wand or rod for a tighter curl. It takes a curl well and holds it for a day or two.
• Brush it out for volume rather than wave. Unlike curl patterns, brushing a loose wave does not create frizz, it creates body.
• Restore the wave by wetting it and letting it dry undisturbed. The pattern comes back on its own.

The one thing to avoid: heavy product. A loose wave has no density to carry weight, and oils and butters flatten it into limp straight hair faster than on any other texture in the range.

With proper care, True + Pure Texture extensions last up to 2 years or more. Because this is textured hair, treat it like your own natural hair rather than like processed extension hair.

• Hydrate lightly. Ultra lightweight leave-in conditioner. Heavy oils weigh the pattern down and flatten the movement that makes the texture work.
• Detangle gently, in small sections, from the ends upward, with a real detangling brush. Pulling causes shedding.
• Cleanse regularly. Buildup is what causes tangling. Moisturizing shampoo, then moisturizing conditioner.
• Heat protectant every time, and go easy. Repeated high heat gradually relaxes a pattern and it does not come back.
• Maintain overnight. Pincurl, twist or braid nightly and tuck into a satin scarf or bonnet. Never sleep on wet or damp hair.

Texture reveal. The hair arrives flatter than it will be, because of packaging and shipping. Once shampooed or co washed, gently detangled and air dried, the full pattern returns.

Length and shrinkage. All lengths are measured stretched. Textured hair shrinks when worn in its natural pattern, and the tighter the pattern the more it shrinks.

What is loose wave hair?
Loose wave is a type 2 texture, an open S shaped wave that never closes into a curl. It has movement and body without a defined spiral, and it shrinks very little.

What is the difference between loose wave and body wave?
Loose wave has a wider, softer S with space between the bends. Body wave is usually looser again, closer to straight hair with movement. The terms are not standardised across the industry, so judge by the photographs rather than the label.

Is loose wave the same as deep wave?
No. Deep wave is much tighter, with the bends close together and an almost curly appearance. It sits closer to type 3 than type 2 and is not a substitute for loose wave.

What hair type does Island Wave blend with?
Type 2 natural hair worn in its natural wave, relaxed hair that still has movement, and type 3 hair worn straightened or blown out when you want body rather than a poker straight finish.

Will loose wave blend with type 4 hair?
Not in its natural pattern. The difference in density and pattern is too large. For type 4 hair worn straightened or pressed, Relaxed Natural is the texture built for it.

Can I straighten loose wave hair?
Yes. It presses smooth easily and holds well with a heat protectant at a moderate temperature. Wetting it and letting it air dry brings the wave back.

Does loose wave need gel or a wash-n-go routine?
No. Scrunch a light leave-in through damp hair and let it air dry. It has no closed curl to define, so it does not need a cast.

Why does my loose wave look limp?
Almost always heavy product. A loose wave has no density to carry weight, and oils and butters flatten it faster than any other texture in the range.