Summer Hairstyles: Ultimate Tips For Sun-kissed, Beachy, Wavy Hair

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Summer hairstyles are all about low-maintenance and cute ways to style your locks. If you want your hair to look like you live on the beach 24/7, here are the best ways techniques for healthy, hydrated hair.

Healthy Hair

The best way to transition to your summer look is through a haircut. Even if you’re growing your hair out, it’s important to visit the hairdressers often and get a trim. By cutting off the split ends, your hair appears thicker. You have banished the dry damaged portion that once hung limply at the bottom of your hair. As a result, your hair has less weight to carry. It becomes bouncier and lighter, which will help your locks curl and wave.

Now that you’ve taken off a few inches of damaged hair, it’s a good idea to put down the heat tools. No-one wants to spend summer blasting a hair-dryer in their face, or frying their hair with straighteners. Go heatless this summer, as your hair is already going to be more damaged than usual by UV light from the sun. Instead, let the hot weather be your natural hair-dryer and switch to air-drying. This will stop your hair from becoming damaged so quickly.

Hydration

If you want to maintain your healthy, summer hairstyles it’s important to keep your hair hydrated. Washing too often can strip your head of sebum, an oil the body naturally produces to keep the scalp from drying out. If it gets too dry, dandruff flakes will begin to accumulate. On the other hand, an oily scalp isn’t a look most people want to rock during summer. The important thing is to find the right balance for you. Don’t be afraid to begin to wash your locks less. Less washing does mean more time for you to spend soaking up the sun.

Oils and Masks

Some choose to apply oils to their hair to make up for ones they wash out. A popular oil is coconut oil, but don’t be fooled. While there are some oils that are safe for hair (such as grapeseed oil which contains a lot of vitamin E and proteins) coconut oil is not one of them. It is a quick-fix, because it disguises holes in hair shafts, making the hair appear healthier. But it is bad in the long-term. Amino acids need to be secreted into the hair shaft, but the coconut oil doesn’t allow it to get in. As an oil, it also blocks out water which is needed by hair to hydrate. Lastly, coconut oil molecules are too large to spread out as a thin layer over the skin. The layer accumulate, until it is too thick for the skin to breathe. This can cause inflammation, which does not make for a trendy summer hairstyle.

Instead, choose hair masks. There are so many varieties which all target different issues of your hair, such as shine, damage, or smoothing. It’s also a fun way to unwind at the end of a long day snorkelling or playing beach volleyball. Make sure to put on a face mask at the same time to really maximise your self-care.

Texture and Styling

Summer hairstyles are all about texture. Here are two easy ways to give your hair a beachy, wavy vibe without using heat products.

Firstly, salt spray. If you don’t have the opportunity to get down the ocean this summer, but want to fool everyone into thinking you did, this is going to be your holy grail item. Just spray liberally throughout your hair, then you can scrunch it up with your fingers or back-comb it to make your locks as messy and wind-swept as possible.

Alternatively, if you prefer your wavy hair less chaotic, try braiding your hair. Comb wet hair into one, two, or however many braids you want. Spritz on some hairspray, and then sleep with them over-night. You could even wear them the next day, as braids are always an on-trend summer hairstyle. When you do release your hair from its constraints, it should form a wonderful mop of curly, beachy hair with zero heat.