Expert style tips to keep hair looking and feeling cool all summer
Summer hair is always tricky. The heat and humidity can cause all sorts of problems, stripping your hair of moisture, making straight hair hard to maintain, and natural curls fluffy, frizzy and flyaway. The first question to ask is how do you want to feel? Soft flowing beach curls, straight sharp and tailored? Like you haven't tried too hard?
The answer to this makes summer hair easy to cope with.
The answer to this makes summer hair easy to cope with.
- Investing in a blow dry a day before you fly ensures you fly with a clean head of hair but don't be tempted to put any products on after as this will just weigh down your hair and strip it of further moisture.
- No time to get to the salon for a blow dry before you fly, then a simple bun twist or plait will keep hair off your face, and look and hold better on hair that hasn't been washed for a day or so. Not only will you land looking great, but if your destination is somewhere tropical, it'll help keep you cool too.
- Once at your destination the humidity can continue to play havoc on your hair. To make sure your hair looks smooth and curls bouncy, not frizzy, apply a leave in treatment mask in place of conditioner as soon as you arrive at your hotel and leave some in at the ends. This replenishes the lost moisture and will help combat the frizz.
- If you're after that sexy, tousled look, don't be tempted to wash your hair after a day at the beach. The combination of sea salt and wind will help you get the look. Just add some oil, such as shu uemura essence absolue, to soften the hair and you'll be ready for those sunset sun downers in no time.
- If your hair has a natural wave to it, keep things simple and use a sea salt or texture spray on damp or dry hair and leave it to dry naturally. You'll be left with beach ready hair that makes a style statement with minimal effort.
- Keeping hair straight can be a lot of effort in the heat, so unless you want to weigh your hair down with loads of products on a daily basis opt for a simple up do. A top knot, braids or messy ponytail can make any girl look summer ready in minutes.
- Top knots keep your hair out of your face and are easy to do on your own. Give your hair a good brush, pull it up into a ponytail at the crown and secure it with a band. Twist your hair around until it turns into a little knot. Secure with a second band.
- A messy ponytail is the ultimate in low-maintenance and great for beach trips while high ponytails are great for accentuating your cheekbones.
- To create that laid back, messy look it's best to work with day old hair and tousle with salt spray at the root for added texture and grip. Pull your hair up and gather it at the top of the crown of the head and tie into a ponytail. Spray the length of the hair with a texture spray and tease to create texture and volume. If any strands fly away then leave it, as the messier the look the better.
- Braids and plaits create that laid back boho vibe while also keeping your hair out of your face during the day. Come night time, simple take out the braids and tossle for a sexy beach wave look.
- Coloured hair can really suffer in the sun. Add to that a combination of sea, sand and wind and most colour will have lifted and faded and hair will become very dry.
- To counteract this, choose a conditioner with added colour like the new Kerastase Chromatique range to replace lost colour but also lock in moisture. Redken's all soft shampoo and conditioner is also a great product to use to help soften your locks. Covering your hair with a hat or a head scarf whilst on the beach or in the sun is another easy way to prevent the sun from drying out your hair.