Mermaid waves are hot hair news this year, and J.Lo’s showing us how it’s done

Beachy waves have stayed on top of hair trends for years, but a new ocean-inspired style is coming in hot to shake things up.

We’ve noticed mermaid waves cropping up again and again across Instagram and TikTok, where the trend has been hashtagged over 5.2 million times and counting.

Where beach waves are inspired by wind-swept, salt-licked strands featuring lots of movement and oomph at the crown, mermaid waves are longer (think waist-length, wispy ends), wavier (think loosely crimped kinks rather than bouncy twirls) and are supposed to channel that just dipped texture of hair that’s been drenched in the sea then dried a little in the sun.

Need some inspiration? Look no further than J.Lo, whose extreme mermaid waves are giving us all the va-va-voom we need to power through the year. Chris Appleton, the hairstylist to the stars, was kind enough to share a snap of J.Lo’s look to Instagram – complete with extra-long hair extensions and the caption, “Kicking of 2022 with jlos Waves.”

See if you can spot them in her music video for ‘I’m On My Way To You’ here: 

J.Lo’s not the only one on board. Lizzo, Kim Kardashian, Ciara, Shay Mitchell and Kylie Jenner are already huge fans of mermaid waves. Zendaya even slayed the style on the red carpet at the Oscars in 2021.

Celebrity hair and makeup artist, Chris Georges says mermaid waves are his number one most requested tutorial because so many of us are looking to switch to the style.

“To achieve the look, I use a flat iron starting a few inches from the top of the head, and make bends in the hair in alternating directions,” he says. “Remember, you don’t want to drag the flat iron. Remove your flat iron from the hair before bending in a new direction. This will make your mermaid waves last all day long.”

Using this technique means you can customise your waves giving them a more lived-in, natural vibe, he adds. “I love to finish the style off with UNITE’s TEXTURIZA Spray to add fullness and volume,” says Chris. 

Elsewhere, we’ve seen people using three-tonged crimpers like the Babyliss Triple Barrel Waver (£45) and Mermade Pro Waver (£54) to achieve the style. Just remember, the bigger the barrel the bigger the wave, so if you want tighter kinks, go for a smaller barrel.

For more from GLAMOUR’s Deputy Beauty Editor, Elle Turner follow her on Instagram @elleturneruk.