How to nail perfect beach waves for spring with minimal effort

“Alternatively, if your hair is naturally quite curly, pull the hair down while drying to loosen the wave out,” adds Paul. Once almost dry, “smooth hair over with a large round brush, (like the Tourmaline Blowout Brush from WetBrush), says Hollie Rose.

“Next, section the hair into one-inch sections (roughly 4-5 sections, depending on your hair thickness) and using a curling wand, begin to wrap the hair around the wand, at least two inches down from your roots,” says Holly Rose, in order to avoid poodle curls.

Wand-wise, she recommends a medium barrel like BaByliss PRO Titanium Expression Conical Wand, or GHD’s Wave Wand. For tighter waves, use a small wand, and for looser waves, go for a larger one. Whichever you choose, “don’t be too perfect or precious with it,” warns Paul Windle, top hair stylist and founder of Windle Salon. “You want that undone feel.”

“Wrap the hair away from the face (this opens up the face and looks more relaxed),” says Hollie Rose. As for the most important step? “Never curl the ends. They need to be left straight, since beach waves should have a slightly undone, effortless look,” she says. “So, don’t wrap the ends of the hair around the wand.” Instead, leave a good 5 centimetres at the bottom.

To emphasise that undone feel even further, break up the waves with your fingers or a large wide-tooth comb and spritz in a sea salt spray of your choice.

If your hair is naturally curly or wavy, a salt spray will just help to enhance your natural texture, cutting down on drying time. Finally, “finish with a mist of shine spray (my secret weapon is Kevin Murphy Shimmer Shine) to add the perfect sun-kissed glow to those waves,” adds Hollie Rose.

An alternative technique that involves heat, but less elbow grease, is to update dry hair with a quick styling hack. Amika UK Artistic Ambassador, James Earnshaw, suggests using Brooklyn Bombshell Blowout Spray on dry hair, before twisting it into knots and then blasting the knots with a hair dryer. “Then apply undone texture spray through your hair and, using your fingertips, manipulate the hair to get that fluffy, soft texture,” he says.

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Lazy-girl heatless beach waves

Low-effort, high-impact - lazy beach waves are the ultimate in undone summer styling. If the thought of a curling tong makes you want to run for the hills, you’ll be happy to know you can achieve effortless waves without a single touch of heat.

Not only does this mean less time spent styling, but skipping the blow-dry also keeps you cool (no sweating under a hairdryer required). Perfect if you're short on time or simply prefer a more laid-back approach to hair care.

For overnight waves, hairstylist James recommends applying a holding gel to damp hair before loosely plaiting it. “You’ll wake up with effortless waves,” he promises.

If you're styling from scratch, hairstylist Hollie Rose suggests towel-drying your hair as much as possible. A microfibre towel, like Ceremonia's Microfiber Hair Towel, can help cut drying time in half. Then, choose your finishing touch: spritz in a sea salt spray for extra texture, or smooth on a leave-in conditioner for a sleeker finish.

Next, “part and comb the hair, then wrap your hair into two twists – one above each ear – and pin on the top of your head. Once dry, shake out and finish with a shine spray for health-looking beachy waves.”That’s it. Easy waves in less than five steps.

How to create beach waves on curly or coily hair

If you have curly or coily hair, heatless beach waves are ideal come summer. As curly and coily textures tend to be drier, opting for a no-heat technique can be a great way to keep your curl pattern defined while causing minimal damage.

"For sun-friendly styling, I would suggest protective styles like braiding, buns or twists," says curl expert and Bouclème founder, Michele Scott-Lynch. "The key is to not pull your hair too tight. Styles like these ensure you are protecting your hair but remember, you need to keep it moisturised. I'd recommend the Reviver 5 Hair Oil which protects the hair from UV rays, heat, humidity and environmental pollutants. I also use the Intensive Moisture Treatment as a leave in conditioner."

If you want to keep your curls and coils loose come summer, creative director and brand ambassador at Imbue, Michelle Sultan, says that hydration is key. “Frizz can occur if the hair is dehydrated. Although, it’s not always a bad thing; frizz can help boost support volume and give hair more texture,” she says.

To keep curls hydrated but still full of texture, Michelle recommends using leave-in hydrating products, like Imbue Curl Energising Hydration Serum, using the praying hands technique.

“Simply put your hands together and run them firmly down your curls whilst they are wet. This helps your curls to absorb the product, making sure it is evenly distributed into hair for smooth, bouncy curls. It is important to make sure you are doing this by running your hands all the way to the ends in almost a flicking motion. This helps your ends to curl like ribbons,” she tells us.

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Can you create beach waves using a straightener?

“Beachy waves work on all lengths and textures – with longer hair the waves tumble and it looks effortlessly outgrown and with shorter carved bob length hair, texture looks really flattering, sophisticated and timeless,” says Syd Hayes, hair stylist and ambassador for Babyliss.

How to create it using a straightener, though “Add kinks and waves to the hair using the BaByliss Super Styler,” he says. “It’s important to not create curls as this will create a very different look. Alternate the direction of the wave and keep the ends out for a fresher take on the classic beach wave.”

How to get heatless beach waves

Good news — your “I just came from the beach” look doesn't have to mean frying your hair with damaging heat tools. Here are a few techniques you can try:

Begin with damp clean hair. Pull your hair into two sections on either side in front of your shoulders. Separate each section into two more sections. Twist each section away from your face, then twist the two sections into a rope-like strand, securing with an elastic. Wait till your hair is completely dry before taking out your braids.

Yes, good old-fashioned hair rollers will do the trick! Roll small sections of damp hair around 1 inch hair rollers and secure in place with bobby pins. Let the hair air dry before removing.

If you have naturally wavy or curly hair, take advantage of your hair's natural texture and train your hair into beachy waves with the plopping technique. After a shower, scrunch your wet hair with a curl cream and a curl mousse. Then, tip your head over so your hair is falling down from the top of your head. Scrunch it all up so it's sitting close to the skull, then cover it with a cotton T-shirt and tie it in place. Let the hair air dry in this “plop”.

You've probably seen the videos of girls on trains or in the office with their heatless curling rods. Invest in a long silk curling rod and wrap your hair in small sections around it on either side of your face. Secure in place with elastics then let the hair air dry. Once the hair is loose, shake it out and mess it up a bit to get that effortless beachy look.

Top tips for achieving beach waves

Syd says that creating beach waves all starts with a good base. “Add volume to the hair so it still feels full, thick and not too flat. Blast dry some volume into your hair using the Sam McKnight Cool Girl Superlift, focusing on the root area so hair appears more 3-dimesional,” he says.

“Once bone dry, use the BaByliss Wave Secret Air to create waves and kinks throughout the hair. It features cooling technology that wraps the hair into the barrel automatically without you even worrying on placing the hair the correct way,” he adds. “Once waved, the next step is to brush out the waves so they're more wavy and less curly.”

His top tip for this look is to use a sea salt spray rather than a texturising spray. “Sea sprays are wetter and less drying in texture,” he adds. The Sam McKnight Sundaze Sea Spray helps to accentuate natural movement and adds just the amount of grit for the beach wave look.

Living Proof Full Dry Volume & Texture Spray

£31 £24 (23% off)

Sephora

£30.95 £23.95 (23% off)

LookFantastic

Hair By Sam Mcknight Sundaze Sea Spray

£26

Space NK

£26

Selfridges

Ouai Leave In Conditioner 140ml

£26

Look Fantastic

£26

Cult Beauty

Can you create beach waves overnight?

“When hair is damp, create two plaits and gently blow dry so that overnight the waves form,” says Syd. “In the morning, clamp your straightener on the plaits too for added definition.”