How can I make my hair wavy?

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Hi everyone. This might be a really bad question, so sorry in advance. 😅

My hair is mostly straight, probably somewhere between 1B and 1C. I'd really like to have 2C-type waves, but I'm not sure if that's even possible.

I know people get perms, but that's a chemical treatment. I'm still in high school, and my hairline is already a bit receded because of genetics, so I'm worried about damaging my hair.

When I grow my hair out, people often tell me it looks really good. I just keep thinking it would look even better if it were naturally wavy.

I've tried things like sea salt spray before, but it only gave my hair a little more volume. It didn't actually make it wavy.

So, is there any realistic way to get 2C waves without a perm? Or is a perm basically the only option for someone with my hair type?

For reference, this is the hair type chart I'm talking about:

1A: Pin-straight hair with very little volume.

1B: Straight hair with a bit more body and volume.

1C: Mostly straight hair with slight bends and natural movement, often thicker.

2A: Loose, subtle S-shaped waves.

2B: More defined waves that no longer look straight.

2C: Strong, well-defined waves, with some strands almost looking curly.

3A: Loose curls.

3B-3C: Tighter curls.

4A-4C: Very tight coils/kinky hair.

Any advice would be appreciated!