Loose Wave vs Body Wave: What is the Difference Between? Which Hair Should I Choose?

This post was sent to K-Hair from one of our loyal hair buyers – Ms Sandra Kalenski, the owner of a multi-franchise salon chain in South Africa, wanting to share her earlier experience in the hair industry.

Hello guys, my name is Sandra, your devoted hair salon owners, and as someone with more than 10 years providing service and selling hair to customers across my country. Throughout my years of service, I have met many customers or inexperienced hair buyers unable to decide between Loose wave vs Body wave – despite them being rather popular hair textures in the market. Indeed, many tend to underestimate the importance of this matter, saying that they look the same, or that they can be used interchangeably. This however, is a common misunderstanding, as Loose wave and Body wave are two completely different hair options with their own versatility and patterns – which I will explain and make clear right away. Let’s go through all the information together, shall we?

Table of Contents

1. What is Loose wave hair?

The first step of learning the differences from loose wave vs body wave is to describe the appearance of both textures. So, let’s work from the ground up, shall we?

Coming from a hair business owner, I have to admit that Loose wave is among our most selling textures in our salons, often requested by many of my customers.

Compared to other tight, coily hairstyles, Loose wave, much like its name, is much looser – only has slightly tight curls, with its classic spring-like shape. However, the curls are still very well-defined, dynamic and often deliver a beachy, laid-back look that add a playful, natural and relaxed vibe to the final hair look.

On top of that, having such a spring-like, defined and distinct curly texture, Loose wave hair is extremely bouncy – delivering a flexible, and dynamic hair look that bounces with every movement. Furthermore, by having more defined curls, Loose wave also comes with more fullness and volume – helping hair users to feel more confidence in their hair, delivering the thick, voluminous look that is desired by many hair customers in the market. Hence, for a vast majority of hair buyers obsessed with volume, but hesitant against fluffy, tight and coily textures – me included, Loose wave is the go-to, most suitable option in the market.

Loose wave hair has a spring-like, defined and distinct curly texture

2. What is Body wave hair?

Body wave hair – another hot hair texture, is extremely popular, even more popular than the Loose Wave mentioned above. In fact, among many of my VIPs – hair influencers, celebrities, or women aiming for luxurious hair look, Body wave is often their favourite pick.

Unlike the Loose wave with its spring-like look, Body wave – like its name might suggest, features a S-line wavy texture that can somewhat remind you of the natural curves of a woman’s physique. The interesting thing here is that, throughout the entire hair weft or wig, the wave still remains in absolute uniformity, flowing consistently from the top to the bottom length of the hair. Therefore, upon first impression, most customers often become hypnotized by this up-tight, uniformed and consistent wave, which delivers a sense of elegance and sophistication to the texture.

Among the hairstylist community, Body wave is referred to as the timeless classic. In fact, throughout the changes and trends, Body wave hair textures still managed to secure a stable amount of customers – mainly for its elegant, gorgeous and luxurious hair look. Thanks to its softer waves, Body wave can offer a more polished, subtle, and sleek hair look that captures the light beautifully, integrating the hair with more shine and luster. Therefore, it is the perfect choice for photoshoot, carpet-worthy events, or formal, professional gatherings that call for a more formal, sophisticated look.

Body wave hair features an S-line wavy texture

3. Differences between Loose wave vs Body wave hair

Now this is the crucial part – comparing the distinct features between Loose wave vs Body wave textures. Indeed, knowing the appearance of the hair textures are merely just a start, everybody can do it, by just looking – you can easily describe them yourself. However, telling the differences in versatility, volume, maintenance,… is the hardest part. To avoid making unwanted mistake, hair buyers and stylists out there, let’s go through the differences together:

Loose wave

Body wave

Wave patterns

Featuring a spring-like, tighter, more defined curls → extremely bouncy and dynamic
Still feel loose and relaxed compared to other coily textures

→ Offering a balance of both dynamic, curly and loose, natural look

Featuring an S-shaped wave from the top to the bottom length of the hair → completely uniformed and consistent
Deliver a more subtle, sophisticated and flowing waves

→ Offering a more formal, elegant look

Volume

Is the more voluminous hair textures: Extremely defined, tighter, curlier hair textures → Give the hair more volume when combed out
Curly, spring-like hair strands → suitable for beach days, for a more relaxed, bouncy hair look

Lack of volume and fullness compared to Loose wave: Its S-shape wave is rather 2 dimensional – extremely flat when looked at the sides

→ Cannot offer the same volume and thickness as Loose wave
→ Less bouncy, only offer a subtle volume to the hair

Versatility

Both the textures can be flexibly styled, but in different ranges:

Given its loose, spring-like curls – much like the more relaxed version of other tighter curly textures → Loose wave can be curled flexibly into other curly, coily and tighter textures, such as the kinky curly, Burmese curly,…
However, to be straightened, Loose wave still tends to stick to its original curly textures → cannot be straightened entirely, can only be straightened to Natural curly

Both the textures can be flexibly styled, but in different ranges:

Given its looser, more subtle and S-line shape, Body wave is extremely flexible in terms of styling
Can be straightened to natural straight – a sleeker hair look
Can also be curled to slightly more tight textures, such as the Loose wavy, or even be curled to coily, curly textures, like the Deep wave, Deep curly, kinky curly

→ Switching flexibly between different textures, offering more styling range for my fellow hairstylists

Maintenance

Due to having tighter curls, Loose wave tends to be slightly more demanding in maintenance:

Having more defined curls, Loose wave is more prone to tangling and shedding → calling for more frequent detangling and moisturizing
Requires more delicate handling – using too much force to detangle the hair can cause it to become worse; too little moisture can cause the hair to frizz

→ More demanding and less forgiving for maintenance mistakes

Due to having looser waves, Body wave is much easier to maintain:

Having such sleek, S-shape waves → Body waves is less prone to tangling and shedding, as the hair is already extremely smooth.
With looser waves, Body wave is much easier to moisturise → the loose waves can evenly distribute the nutrient, causing less clog and making the hair healthier.

Natural look

Offering a more natural hair look:

Loose wave looks a lot more like the natural curly textures of many African American hair → offering the most natural-looking hair texture for the final look
Blend in extremely well with the customers’ natural hair texture
Bouncy, voluminous → adding more fullness to the hair without looking extra or dramatic

Body wave is more of an elegant, classy hairstyle, rather than a natural one like Loose wave:

Stiff, uniformed and consistent S-shape waves → look more like a salon-made, slightly styled hair rather than a natural, laid-back look.
Its volume is much more subtle than Loose wave – lies flatter against the user’s hair → delivering a sleeker, more polished look

Ability to hold curls

Based on my experience, Loose wave can hold curls for a much longer time:

The tighter curly textures guarantees that the shape can last much longer, even after styling or being exposed to external factors
However, this also means that Loose wave will be harder to style freely

Dissimilar to Loose wave, Body wave cannot hold their waves for as long:

The S-shape is the loosest textures → will lose this shape after washing, or multiple styling.
Hence, this texture is also more compromising when you style it.

Differences between Loose wave vs Body wave hair

4. Choosing Between Loose Wave vs Body Wave

Many customers have come to me confused about how to choose between loose wave vs body wave. Despite being entirely two different hair textures and each with their own features and purposes, in the eyes of many inexperienced hair users, the final look of these two options often feel deeply similar or even sometimes identical. Even worse, many of my apprentices are also unable to help their customers in this matter, leaving many clients unsatisfied and disappointed. One thing that all hair business owners and especially salon professionals, must be able to understand which hair texture type is the most suitable for which face type, aesthetic and event – to better consult your customers and deliver the most satisfactory installation for your clients:

4.1. Who does Loose wave work best with?

When consulting your clients, pay attention to their preferences, face shape, and the occasions targeted to tailor your advice to. For example, between loose wave vs body wave, normally, loose wave would work extremely well for the following type of clients:

Clients desiring a slight volume enhancement are the best match for such a texture like the Loose wave. Discussing volume, Loose wave is among the safest hair texture options – as it can add a natural degree of thickness and fullness to the hair, without making it look overly thick, fluffy and dramatic.
Furthermore, as its curls are much tighter and more defined than the classic Body wave, Loose wave can deliver a bouncier, more visible and dynamic hair look, suitable for those wanting not only volume, but more liveliness and vibrance → extremely suitable for the Summer. Hence, for customers wanting a beach-ready, playful and laid-back look, Loose wave is definitely the one!
Clients with the following face shapes are also the perfect candidate for the gorgeous Loose wave textures: round, square, heart-shape, diamond face shapes. Indeed, with the volume and bounciness offered by Loose wave, the texture can indeed add more length and balance to the round face shape; as well as its soft, delicate curls can smoothen out the rough edges of the square, diamond face shape; while adding more width and balancing the forehead with the narrow chin of the heart-shape face type.
Nowadays, given the rising hair demands for natural-looking hair solutions, natural, effortless textures such as Loose wave are flying off the shelves! Loose wave, as previously mentioned, look a lot like the curly, tight hair textures seen in many African American women, hence, this texture is able to blend in seamlessly into their hair patterns, creating a seamless, carefree and relaxed hair look to the installation. Therefore, if your clients are interested in naturally wavy or curly hair textures, this is surely the one.

Loose wave can deliver a bouncier, more visible and dynamic hair look

4.2. Who does Body wave work best with?

Because of the signature features that come with Body wave, the hair texture is best suited for a specific range of customer, with distinct face feature and hair preferences and purpose as follow:

For clients wanting elegant, classy hair look, it is best to hook them up with Body wave hair. In my opinion, beside the traditional straight, Body wave hair texture is among the rare hair textures that can actually deliver the same sleek, lustrous and elegant look. Its signature S-line shape can help the hair to create eye-catching, curvy hair shine, elongating their lustrous look. On top of that, the consistent, uniform wave from top to bottom can also deliver a polished hair look, combined with the gorgeous hair sheen, making the texture extremely suitable for professional, formal, high-class settings that call for an equally luxurious, sophisticated hair appeal to go with it.

Body wave hair is best for clients wanting elegant, classy hair look

Clients with a busy lifestyle can also depend on Body wave texture as their daily hair due. As the waves are much tighter than the Loose wave – which means that the nutrients can be more evenly distributed throughout the strand, Body wave is much easier to maintain and does not require as much moisturizing and conditioning. Furthermore, as the waves are completely uniformed, the hairstyle can be sleeker and much less likely to tangle or shed – calls more less frequent detangling and maintenance. Therefore, for clients with busy lifestyles and tight work schedules, such a low-maintenance hairstyle can be best worn as a day-to-day look.
Clients wanting flexible hair looks can also count on Body wave to deliver the versatility they need. In fact, Body wave can switch flexibly between different hairstyles, such as from the sleek, classic straight, to the elaborated, tight kinky curly, twisted curls,… → allowing more styling range and creativity freedom for both the user and the hairstylist.
Clients with the following face shapes are the best match for the Body wave: long, oblong face. The loose curls, as well as the horizontal flow of the waves can add more balance to the long or oblong face shape, making it seem shorter face look and a more gentle, smoother edges → bringing out more femininity and elegance to the clients’ physical appeal.

Clients with long face shape are the best match for Body wave hair

5. How to care loose wave vs body wave hair

For both hair buyers and hair business owners, learning the differences between loose wave vs body wave is rarely enough, as you must also learn how to take care of the hair items, in order to make the most out of your investment. My fellow hairstylists, to secure the most positive feedback from your customers, as well to avoid any possible complaints or negativity, it is best to warn your customers beforehand, provide them with some possible maintenance steps after finishing your work:

5.1. Exposure to external factors

External factors are among the BIGGEST enemies of the hair’s wellbeing. In fact, these factors are numerous and almost unavoidable: the high-heat from sunlight, humidity, or chlorine-filled water in swimming pools – prolonged exposure to sunlight can cause the hair to dehydrate, become dull and lifeless; high humidity can cause the hair to frizz and become uncontrollable; while the chlorine in pool water can damage the hair’s protective layer → making it more prone to tangling. Hence, once you have finished installing the extensions, tell your customers to take these protective measures: wear a hat to keep away the immense heat from the Sun; tight their hair in braids and hide them under silk bonnet or bandana to keep away excessive moisture; and wear a swim cap every time they go swimming to protect the hair from harmful substances.

5.2. Styling tips

Excessive styling can even do more harm to the hair than the gradual effect of the external factors. In fact, one common mistake that many inexperienced hair users often do is to set the styling tools in extremely high heat to get quicker results – this is deadly for the hair, as it can cause the strands to dry out and become even more fragile → leading to more breakage in the future. As a professional, it is my duty to warn you against doing this, instead, it is much better to style the hair in low heat first, and apply a thin layer of heat protectant beforehand to shield the hair from taking serious damage.

Tips to style your hair without ruining its textures and durability

5.3. Bruising and Detangling

Brushing and detangling is also another crucial step, given that both loose wave vs body wave are wavy, curly textures. The nature of most of these types are that the hair is more likely to tangle, due to their defined, signature curls. Therefore, despite the differences between these options, both of them still share some common maintenance and detangling tips, such as: using a wide-tooth or an extension-specialized comb to gently detangle the hair; comb from the ends and work your way to the root – rather than coming straight down from top to bottom; comb and detangle the hair before washing,…

5.4. Washing

Washing is a must-have maintenance step, in order to prevent the hair from gathering too much product buildups. However, in the market, there are numerous harmful hair and scalp hygiene products, many of which are ridden with sulfate, silicons, parabens – damaging to not only the extensions, but also to our own natural hair! Therefore, for the next time you go shopping for hair shampoo or conditioner, make sure to check the ingredient list carefully, or consult your hairstylists before making any rash decision. Some other maintenance tips to take while washing the hair might include: wash the hair gently, avoid forcefully scratching your scalp to get rid of dandruffs – a common mistake; apply conditioner at the mid-lengths only; rinse the hair with cold water thoroughly to get rid of any product build-ups; and air dry the hair instead of blow drying it to preserve its natural textures.

Wash the hair with sulfate-free products is a MUST

5.5. Different care methods would also be required

Beside the above general maintenance tips, between Loose wave vs Body wave, for each hair textures, different care methods would also be required:

For Loose wave	For Body wave
Avoid brushing the hair directly after washing, as this can easily break off its natural textures, instead, comb and detangle the hair by using your fingers to separate the curls.	Having extremely loose waves, Body wave does not demand too much product, in fact, clients are advised against doing so, as the hair can be weighed down as a consequence, making them lose their textures → Use light products only.
Moisturize the hair more often, use leave-in conditioner or a light hair cream to use on the daily to prevent them from frizziness and dehydration, providing the needed moisture for the demanding hair texture.	To better preserve the delicate, signature S-line shape, excessive brushing, heat-styling, or blow-drying are to be avoided at all cost!
To better preserve the curls, you can also use conditioned water to spray on the hair every morning to prevent flyouts and keep the hair in its defined curls.

6. Final Words

In conclusion, as can be inferred through the article, the differences between Loose wave vs Body wave lie mostly in their appearance, versatility and maintenance effort. On the one hand, Loose wave with its defined, spring-like curls is much more natural-looking, resilient and sometimes, high-maintenance; while on the other hand, Body wave – with its light S-shape waves, focus more on its elegance, polished and effortless look. Each hair texture is with their own traits, perks and drawbacks, and it is proudly our job – the hairstylist and hair business owners to be able to provide consultation and the best, highest-quality hair products for our clients.

This information came to me through thorough research, with a huge contribution from the dedicated consultation from K-Hair’s Vietnam sales team. In fact, in my earlier years, much like any inexperienced hair buyer in the market, I was slightly confused and unable to choose between Loose wave vs Body wave myself, unknowing which one would be best for my target customers and buyers. However, after I met K-Hair and received their support and care throughout the decision-making, I feel much more confident in my choice, and as well-seasoned as I am today, I am able to share this knowledge with you guys, all thanks to them.

Among my years of working in this complex hair market, as a hair buyer myself, I once had been struggling to find the most suitable, reliable and high-quality Loose wave and Body wave hair source for my clients. The search stopped as soon as I discovered K-Hair and their authentic Vietnamese hair items – in fact their products are among the rare hair that can actually meet the strict standards of my VIPs, without demanding expensive prices like the others. Our collaboration has lasted for 4 years, and during that period, I have always worked with Cherry, because of her constant support. She also allowed me to use her platform to spread my knowledge to my fellow hair entrepreneurs – my way to give back to the community.

Her contact information will be presented below, for those wanting to try K-Hair out yourself: