How do I keep my waves looking like waves instead of a big poofy mess?

when my hair is wet it has nicely defined waves and some curls, as soon as it starts to dry all of the strands separate and it turns into something resembling cousin it. It looks straight-ish but it's just all of the strands going every which way and creating its own mass. Or something. I always have it up because I hate the way it feels and the way it seems to float. It doesn't lay nicely. I'm a simple girl, starting from the beginning. I though my hair was wavy because I always had it up, but have come to realize it's always up because it's wavy lol.  

2 Answers

well from my experience I suggest that you air dry it  but never use a towel to scrunch it or something because the friction between your towel and hair will cause frizzing.However, if you want to fasten the process you can use a diffuser it will definitely define your waves.Also, DO NOT touch your hair every second this will cause frizzing..Hope I helped :)
Yes, definitely don't dry it with a regular towel, use a microfiber towel. And don't be rough with your hair. Comb your hair in the shower...don't comb it when it's dry. Your hair is "poofy" because you're separating your hair strands. Instead, keep them together with some mousse or curl cream, scrunch your waves to give them definition, and let them air dry. Don't touch them! You will notice a big difference. :) good luck!