“Irish Hair” Is TikTok’s New Term for This Common Curl Pattern

Courtesy of Libby Brenner @locks.by.libbybrenner

For most people, dealing with multiple textures is part of having hair: It's fairly common for someone to have, say, 4A coils at their hairline but 3C curls throughout the rest of their head. But when your two main textures are noticeably different—stick straight and 2C, for instance—that's when things get tricky. A slew of people have taken to TikTok to share that exact dilemma: waves or curls hiding under a layer of straight hair. And since a TikTok phenomenon isn’t a TikTok phenomenon until it has a catchy name, they’ve coined this one “Irish waves” or “Irish hair.”

Jacelyn Bautista, a hairstylist at NYC The Team Salon, gets a bit more technical: “The Irish waves trend is [referencing] hair that is more wavy underneath from the occipital bone down and more of a smoother texture on top.” Bautista confirms the name's direct lineage: It’s commonly seen in those with Irish heritage, though anyone could have a similar curl pattern. As hairstylist Vernon François previously told Allure, “Your curl type is determined by the shape of the follicle that your hair grows out of from your scalp.” It stands to reason, then, that people with this dual hair texture simply have a couple of different follicle shapes all over their heads.

And apparently, it’s not uncommon. “I see this type of curl pattern all the time in my chair so if we wanna call it ‘Irish hair,’ we’re gonna do that,” says Ohio-based hairstylist Libby Brenner in a TikTok video as she cuts a client with “Irish hair.”

For those with this wave pattern, a strategic cut and styling method is essential. “My Irish hair drives me nuts,” says one user in the comments of an Irish haircut video. Since the two hair textures act differently it can be hard to find the right products and routine that allow the hair to look uniform. To cut through the confusion and frustration, we spoke to hairstylists who share the keys to creating blended waves.

How to wash Irish hair

With the right shampoo, washing Irish hair is arguably the easy part. Since Irish hair has more than one texture, those with this hair type should reach for shampoos and conditioners that work for both straight and wavy textures like the Amika Normcore shampoo. This lightweight cleanser has coconut acid to reduce buildup without stripping the hair and fatty acids that hydrate the hair without weighing it down. The accompanying Normcore Conditioner is a great follow-up step for all the same reasons (plus, the addition of shea butter adds moisture without any greasiness).

Briogeo Superfoods Mango + Cherry Balancing Shampoo + Conditioner Duo for Oil Control

$52.00, Sephora

Amika Normcore Shampoo

$24.00, Sephora

Amika Normcore Conditioner

$24.00, Sephora

There are a slew of shampoos and conditioners that work across hair types, so consider looking for products that address other specific hair-care concerns you may have like damage, dryness, color treatment, or oily scalp. One of our favorites for a deep scalp cleanse and rebalancing on an oily scalp is the Briogeo Superfoods Mango + Cherry Balancing Shampoo and Conditioner. The duo works on fine and wavy hair textures to balance oil production on the scalp and prime the hair with moisture for styling.

How to style Irish hair

People with this hair texture tend to run into the most issues when it comes to styling. “I've tried some products to make my waves more pronounced and it weighs them down so much,” one user writes under another one of Brenner’s Irish waves videos. Another user comments that styling her Irish hair always results in frizzy waves.

Arguably the easiest way to create a uniform texture would be to straighten the hair. If you’re OK with flattening out your curls, the best styling technique is to blow out the hair and use a flat iron to achieve silky straight strands.

If you’d rather enhance your natural waves, it’ll take a bit more strategic maneuvering. Because the underlayer of the hair naturally curls up and the top typically lays flat, you’ll want to use products and techniques that get the two textures to blend so you can have waves all over—without weighing down the hair with the product or creating frizz while drying. It all comes down to the right arsenal of products and proper technique.

John Frieda Frizz Ease Curl Reviver Mousse

$15.00, Amazon

Full-Time Plumping Mousse

$27.00, Hours

Strategic styling starts on damp hair: Bautista says to “evenly saturate your hair with your favorite lightweight curl cream or gel,” and recommends the Davines Gel Cream which defines the hair’s natural pattern with a soft hold. Los Angeles-based hairstylist Laura Polko suggests using a mousse if you have more curls than waves underneath but be sure to “not use too much product on the bottom, but concentrate more on the top,” says Polko. Applying the bulk of the product to the top helps add more texture to the flat fine parts of the hair. Polko recommends the John Frieda Dream Curls Curl Reviver Mousse which helps tame frizz (she’s an ambassador for the brand). We love the Allure Best of Beauty winning Hours Full-Time Plumping Mousse which has an airy whipped texture that dissolves on contact and holds your strands in shape.

Once you have selected your product formula of choice, Bautista recommends using finger twists to really bring out your waves. After applying a generous amount of gel, lightweight cream, or mousse throughout your hair (use enough to saturate), section the hair in three layers and begin to finger twist each section by wrapping small to medium pieces of hair around your finger and twirling the strands around your finger to create a curl or wave. “You won’t have to finger twist so much for the bottom layers because you want to focus on accentuating the waves on the top,” says Bautista.

When you’re all done twisting, flip your hair upside down and scrunch with a microfiber towel—this absorbs excess moisture while helping the curls/waves hold their shape. You can also use a diffuser to aid in this step, “Diffusing lightly with your head upside down to ensure everything is drying evenly,” says Bautista. We love the diffuser attachment on the new Nural Dyson blowdryer—the easy-to-hold handle and medium-sized diffuser head make this styling step so easy.

Turbie Twist Microfiber Hair Towel

$5.00, Walmart

Dyson Supersonic Nural Hair Dryer

$500.00, Dyson

Innersense Organic Beauty I Create Hold

$28.00, Ulta Beauty

Innersense I Create Volume

$28.00, Ulta Beauty

In her Irish waves styling video, Brenner forgoes finger twisting and instead keeps the hair saturated with water using a spray bottle while she rakes a gel (she uses the Innersense I Create Volume Lotion) through the hair in sections. She also uses a microfiber towel to scrunch the curls while the hair is upside down, but before diffusing, Brenner coats the curls in Innersense I Create Hold Gel, a strong hold gel.

The best haircuts for Irish hair

In addition to strategic styling techniques, the right haircut can bring more harmony to Irish hair. Both Polko and Bautista recommend a cut that is heavy on the layers. “Layers create more movement and bring out the waves in this texture since the weight from the straight top layer is weighing down the hair, causing it to not wave,” says Bautista.

Ask your stylist for haircuts like the shag or octopus cut with face-framing layers. These are great for Irish waves since they shorten the top layer allowing the waves underneath to shine. If you were doubting that those few waves in your hair could really mean that you have wavy hair, follow these steps, and you’ll unlock your hair’s full wave potential.

Discover more wavy hair stories:

• Getting a Curly Cut Can Help You Embrace Your Natural Texture

• Hair Plopping Is the Easiest Way to Dry Your Curly Hair

• 17 Best Gels for Curly Hair to Boost Volume and Minimize Frizz

Now, watch Jordan Chiles entire routine:

Originally Appeared on Allure