Exactly How to Get Salon-Worthy Waves Like a Professional Hair Stylist

I think I’m pretty good at styling my hair.

(Ya girl's had a compliment or two in her day.)

But no matter how good I think I am at doing my own hair, I can never get the same waves hair styling outcome as when a hair stylist does it.

Let's be real, your hair will never look as good as it does when you first leave the salon.

They are professionals, after all.

Hair stylists know exactly what products to use, which styles best frame your face, and how to wave hair in a way that looks effortlessly polished yet tousled.

And their gifted little fingers (and killer upper body strength) can zhuzh a mane like it's no big thing.

So when a stylist gave me literally the best hair of my life backstage at Afterpay Australian Fashion Week recently, you best believe I took notes.

If you've ever left the salon thinking 'I wish I knew how they did that!', you’re in luck because I've gone and done us all a big fat favour - and asked!

How to Wave Hair Like a Hair Stylist.

I had my second-day waves (initially done by @prudence_airhairstudio) re-styled and zhuzhed up by Sophie Butson, the founder of Socoh Salon in South Australia. 

As someone who doesn't usually like wearing a curl, I was obsessed with these lived-in, voluminous waves.

I honestly couldn't stop talking about how much I loved this waves look.

And yes, I spent the rest of the day aggressively swooshing it in people's faces.

It's a style I'd never have thought to do for myself, so I had to reach out to ask the stylist for the full rundown on how she achieved the look.

Keep scrolling for a step-by-step guide on how Sophie achieved these stylish, voluminous waves using Redken products.

Step 1. Prep & Refresh.

First, Sophie awakened my styled waves from the day before.

They had fallen a tiny bit flat, but hadn’t lost their curl completely. 

“Sadaf had second day hair, so it was still clean but just needed a refresh and body,” she said.

“I prepped with the Redken Invisible Dry Shampoo and then brushed the hair with my favourite compact tangle teezer, the best brush for brushing through product and not creating frizz.”

Step 2. How to Wave Hair Using a Curling Wand.

Sophie used a hot tool and a specific curling technique to create these waves.

When she pulled out a traditional hair curler with a clip and barrel, I was apprehensive.

But Sophie says the key is leaving the ends straighter, rather than having defined curls that coil all the way to the end.

"I sectioned hair horizontally back from the hairline in 2cm thick sections, then took the ghd Soft Curl Tong Hair Curler and alternated my curls towards and away from the face."

Sophie also used the 'drop curl' technique, which involves wrapping your section of hair around the barrel of your curling wand or straightener, and then unwinding and twisting the hair as you go down the barrel.

Definitely Google this technique - it kind of looks like dropping a stitch for any knitting fans out there.

Sophie added, "I started curling at the roots to help encourage root lift and body, while leaving the ends straighter."

Step 3. Set & Cool Your Waves.

How does Sophie ensure curls and waves set nicely and don’t go limp later in the day?

“I misted a small amount of Redken Fashion Work 12 Versatile Hairspray and let the curls completely cool down before I touched them.”

“Creating curls is like cooking. You can’t take your cake out of the oven and remove the cake tin straight away. You need to let it completely cool before removing it from the mould so it doesn't lose its shape." 

"Hair is the same. Let it cool in the shape you want it to hold. I normally allow around 10 minutes depending on hair density.”

Such a helpful tip!

You can watch our Fashion Week YouTube vlog for more handy hair styling tips.

Step 4. Give Hair Lift & Body.

Once set, it’s time to comb out those curls!

Sophie said to use a large wide tooth comb like Mr. Smith Comb to comb through the hair in every way possible.

"Comb through the part and around the head. We want to create movement and body. I even get my hands into the hair and massage the scalp to create lift."

"Lightly apply a texture powder over the hair and massage it in. You don't need too much - Redken Powder Grip 03 Texturizing Hair Powder is my favourite product for this."

The Final Look...

Lastly, Sophie had a play around with the hair until we were both happy with how it looked. 

“We flipped the hair over to a dramatic side part creating a lot of lift and volume, while tucking the other side softly.”

Here's the finished look!

I loved this style tuck behind the ear, as it felt like it really elevated the whole look.

I also thought it really suited my face shape, and made the deeper curls look a little more sleek rather than bouncy.

And voila! There you have it.

Voluminous curls or waves that look more lived-in than over-styled. Enjoy!

If you want to see some more hair styling tutorials, check out these articles below:

• A Makeup Artist Showed Me Exactly How to Do This Smokey Eye With Just 3 Products

• 3 ‘Cool Girl’ Winter Hair Trends You’ll Want to Try at Home Immediately

• 16 Game-Changing Hair Hacks We Learnt From a Celebrity Stylist