It’s no secret that girls want their hair to look perfect and, yes, that means we will spend hours on it. Guilty as charged. But, during the summer, the last thing you want to be doing is spending hours on your hair. Over the years I have scoured YouTube and Pinterest for different tutorials and ways to style my hair that takes as little time – and heat – as possible. Here are 5 heat-free hairstyles I have tried and now love that you can do the night before. You’ll end up spending only 10 minutes max on your hair in the morning and will have more time to spend at the beach.
1. Loose Curls
This hairstyle takes almost no time out of your morning routine. The night before, shower and let your hair air dry. When it’s almost finished drying, spray some curl-enhancing serum in your hair to help enhance your hair’s natural waves. Gather your hair on top of your head like you would to put it into a pony tail. Then, divide it into two sections and twist them together. Secure them on the top of your head with clips or bobby pins to make sure they won’t come undone throughout the night. The next morning, take out the twist and apply a curl enhancing mousse to help define the curls as well as combat frizz. Behold your effortless, no-heat loose curls. Add a little hair spray to make sure the curls don’t lose their shape and off you go!
Tip: The more twists you do in your hair, the curlier your hair will end up. So, if you want your hair to be extra curly, consider sectioning off your hair into 4 or 6 parts.
2. Edgy Beach Waves
To get more of a tousled, beachy look to your hair use this method. Similar to the last hairstyle, apply a curl-defining serum to partly damp hair and then section it off into four parts. For this style, you’re going to take each section and twist it into a little bun on the nape of your neck. Secure with a no-kink elastic to avoid any weird bumps in your hair the following day. The next morning, take out the buns and apply a curl enhancing mousse to help define the waves and help with fly-aways. This strategy will leave you with messy-chic, bedhead waves that will literally make you say “I woke up like this” about. Put in a little hairspray to make sure the look lasts all day.
Tip: Before you put your hair up in the buns, part it on whichever side you usually wear your hair. When you take out the buns in the morning, the curls might be too unruly to make a part without ruining them. It’s easier to part your hair when its still partly wet.
3. Retro Curls
If you want a polished, retro-inspired look without the heat, consider investing in some old-fashioned hair curlers. The bigger the curler, the bigger the curls in your hair will be. Putting the curlers in your hair will be no problem after a couple quick YouTube tutorials and some practice. Curlers are known for producing more defined, less frizzy curls (compared to other methods). Plus, hairstyles that are the results of curlers are also know to stay better throughout the day.
Tip: If you wake up and your hair is way curlier than you wanted, take a wide-tooth comb and gently brush them out. This will help separate the curls and make them looser without completely destroying the style. Gently is the key word.
4. Mermaid Waves
This is my personal go-to look if I know I don’t have time to take out my hair straightener the next morning. Literally put your wet hair in a French braid and sleep on it. The next morning, the result is touchable waves that took almost no effort. Waves from braids are known for being more defined – so, less messy and bedhead-ish, if that’s not the look you’re going for. Add some curl defining product in the waves to combat frizz.
Tip: The longer your keep the braids in, the tighter the waves are going to be. So, if you sleep with the braids in overnight, you are going to wake up with some seriously tight waves or ringlets (especially if you have already naturally textured hair).
5. Barrel Curls
If you want to achieve big, ringlet-esque curls then try this style out. With partly damp hair, section your hair off into two pieces. For each section, secure it in a high bun (making sure to use a hair donut or flexi rods to create it). To secure the buns wrap around a no-kink elastic only once. This way you can avoid any gross bumps the next morning. Sleep on your sock buns. The next morning, when you take out the buns, your hair will spiral into two large ringlets. Comb your hair through your fingers to separate the ringlets until you’re happy with the turnout. Add a little curl-defining mousse to reduce any frizz and make sure to hairspray it to make the look last all day.
Tip: Hair donuts and flexi rods come in a lot of different sizes. The smaller the donut you use, the smaller your ringlets will turn out to be. Choose accordingly.
Remember: these hairstyles will work differently depending on the type of hair you have. The key is getting to know your hair and what works – and doesn’t work – for it. Chances are you’ll have to experiment a couple of times before you master it, but once you do, you’ll never pick up another hot styling tool.
Featured image via Anika Huizinga on Unsplash
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