Wave Nouveau on 4C Hair: Before and After Results on Curls
4C hair is one of the most versatile hair types there is. From silky straight strands to tight, coily zig zags, this hair type can do it all! But sometimes, we’re all in the mood for something a little different.
So if you’re looking for ways to transform your 4C hair into soft, perfectly defined curls, you might want to consider Wave Nouveau. But what exactly is it?
To find out the answer to that and much more, just read on! In this article, we’ll take a look at what happens when you apply Wave Nouveau on 4C hair.
Table of Contents
What Does Wave Nouveau Do to Your Hair?
Wave Nouveau is a chemical texturizing treatment that smooths and reshapes your hair. Most wave Nouveau solutions contain ammonium thioglycolate, a reducing agent that breaks the disulfide bonds that give your 4C curls their shape.
Once these bonds are broken, your hair is wrapped around rollers, and a neutralizing solution is applied. The neutralizer immediately stops the reshaping process and causes the disulfide bonds to reform. Your hair will take on the shape, size, and pattern of your rollers, creating a uniform curl pattern.
How to Apply Wave Nouveau on 4C hair
Transforming your 4C hair into waves is possible, but you’ll have to apply and remove your treatment correctly. Wondering how to do that? Well, don’t worry because we have you covered!
Here’s a quick rundown on how to apply Wave Nouveau to 4C hair.
Do a Strand Test
As mentioned previously, Wave Nouveau can have negative effects on your hair. So, to get a preview of how your curls will respond to the treatment, do a strand test.
Put on a pair of gloves, and apply the Wave Nouveau solution to a small, easily hidden section of hair. Wait for about 10 minutes, and examine your results. If the section is brittle or discolored, don’t apply the treatment to the rest of your hair.
Prepare Your Hair
Before applying your Wave Nouveau, shampoo your hair with your preferred shampoo. That will eliminate dirt and oils and help reduce the chance that your Wave Nouveau treatment will come out uneven. Blot your hair with a microfiber towel to get rid of the excess moisture.
Phase 1: Apply the Wave Nouveau Shape Release
Divide your hair into three or four easy-to-manage sections, and secure each one with a hair clip. Starting about ¼ an inch down from your roots, saturate your hair thoroughly with the Wave Nouveau shape release solution.
Make your way through the sections quickly so the solution doesn’t sit on your strands for more than five to ten minutes. When you finish, there should be a noticeable change in your curl pattern.
Once your hair is straight, rinse your hair thoroughly with warm water.
Phase 2: Apply the Wave Nouveau Shape Transformer
The second phase of a Wave Nouveau treatment is the shape transformer. The shape transformer is a conditioning gel that hydrates and strengthens your hair while you apply your rods. Once your hair is saturated, divide it into small, neat sections and wrap them around your preferred rods.
Curling rods come in a variety of sizes, ranging from small to large.
Larger rods create big, soft waves, while smaller rods create tight, well-defined curls. You can use whichever size you prefer or even mix different sizes to create curl variety.
Phase 3: Apply the Wave Nouveau Shape Lock
Wrap an absorbent cotton strip around your hairline to prevent drippage. Next, apply a generous amount of shape lock solution to each one of your rollers. Allow the solution to process for ten minutes before rinsing your hair well with cool water.
Then, towel blot the rods to get rid of excess moisture.
Phase 4: Apply the Wave Nouveau Finishing Mist
The final step of a Wave Nouveau treatment is the neutralizing solution. The neutralizer will halt the chemical processes and prevent your hair from becoming overprocessed.
After your hair is saturated with the solution, let it sit for 5 minutes before rinsing well. After that, the only thing left is to remove your rods and enjoy your brand-new curls!
How Do You Take Care of Permed 4C Hair?
Whether you get a perm, texturizer, or Wave Nouveau, chemical treatments can wreak havoc on your strands. So if you want to keep them healthy, make sure that you’re doing the following:
Avoid Overusing Shampoo
Getting a Wave Nouveau treatment will require you to make some adjustments to your hair care and styling routine. One of the most significant changes you’ll need to make is how often you wash your hair.
Even gentle shampoos strip away the protective layer of natural oils coating your strands. That can leave them dull, brittle, and more prone to tangles.
So, for the best results, try not to wash your hair more than once or twice a week.
And if you do need to wash your hair more regularly, reach for a hydrating co-wash instead of shampoo. Co-washes are made with gentle ingredients that cleanse your strands without stripping them.
Get Regular Trims
Wave Nouveau is considered a permanent treatment, but – interestingly enough – the results don’t last forever. So, as your perm wears off, the ends of your hair can become dry, frizzy, and undefined.
So, if you want to keep your curls fresh and your hair healthy, make sure that you’re getting regular trims. And keep in mind that the benefits of trims aren’t purely cosmetic.
Trims also keep your hair healthy by preventing damage from traveling further up the shaft and putting the rest of the strand at risk.
Take a Break from Heat Styling
Now that you have your Wave Nouveau treatment done, you’ll have to be extra careful with hot tools. Hot tools, like flat irons and blow dryers, put unnecessary stress on your strands and lead to breakage.
While avoiding heat entirely is best, you can also take preventative measures to keep your hair safe. These measures include using a quality thermal protectant, using high-quality hot tools, and keeping the temperature low.
Do Regular Protein Treatments
Both 4C and Wave Nouveau-treated hair are more fragile and prone to breakage than other hair types. So, to keep your curls strong, try incorporating more protein-rich products into your haircare routine.
Protein reinforces your strands, helping repair and prevent damage. It’s an incredibly effective way to strengthen your hair and mitigate chemical damage.
The one downside is that protein treatments don’t work well for everyone’s hair. Additionally, it’s easy to overdo it and cause protein overload. So, make sure you start incorporating protein into your haircare regimen gradually.
Is Wave Nouveau Bad for Your Hair?
Although Wave Nouveau isn’t as harsh on your strands as other chemical treatments, it can still lead to damage. The treatment breaks down the bonds in your hair and reforms them in a weaker state.
Repeated restructuring can weaken your strands and cause dryness, breakage, and even hair loss. The good news is that there are plenty of ways to counteract this damage and keep your hair healthy and thriving.
- How to Stop Wave Nouveau Breakage
- What Is 4C Natural Hair
- Growing 4C Hair
- Co Washing 4C Hair
- What to Do With 4C Hair After Washing
Wave Nouveau can be an excellent way to loosen your 4C hair and transform those tight coils into big, juicy curls and waves. But it’s important to note that, like other texturizing treatments, Wave Nouevau comes with some risks.
So, make sure you do your research beforehand and give your strands plenty of TLC before and after your Wave Nouveau. That said, we hope that the information we’ve covered today is just what you need to determine if Wave Nouveau is suitable for you and your 4C hair.
