The lazy girl’s guide to nailing perfect beach waves with minimal effort

That’s it. Easy waves in less than five steps.

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 you hair but you also 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 is the hair is dehydrated and is just a dehydrated curl waiting to happen. Although, it’s not always a bad thing; it can help the hair support volume and give it more texture,” she says.

To keep curls hydrated but still full of texture, Michelle recommends using leave-in hydrating products as much as possible, 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 recommends.

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.”

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 there more wave 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.

Can you create beach waves overnight?

If you want to create beach waves without using heat styling, there are a few methods to try.

“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.”