You Can Get Beach Waves In Less Than 5 Minutes With This Ponytail Hack
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Whether you live by the sea or simply want a hairstyle that looks like you do, beach waves are beloved by many. When it comes to how to achieve the look, you’ve got options, from hot tools that do the work for you to no-heat-needed hacks like a headband (seriously, keep reading).
Meet the expert: Bryce Scarlett is a celebrity hairstylist
“I'm really passionate about all natural hair textures and different ways of creating natural looking hair textures,” says celebrity hairstylist Bryce Scarlett. As the mane man behind Kaia Gerber, Gigi Hadid and Lily Rose Depp, to name a few, he’s aced getting practically every type of beachy wave out there.
One of the best things about beachy waves is there are so many styles that fall in the category, so you can make the look your own. “When people request beach waves, they're usually referring to soft waves with straighter ends created by wrapping hair around a wand iron or bending into the hair with a flat iron,” Scarlett says. His go-to technique and preferred tool is using a flatiron. “I love the Moroccanoil Perfectly Polished Titanium Flat Iron—its beveled edges and pressure set plates make it so easy to gently bend into the hair,” he notes.
Scarlett's top tips for achieving beach waves:
Prep with product.
“I use a hydrating serum or leave-in conditioner on the ends of the hair and then a dry texturizing spray throughout,” Scarlett says.
Experiment with what works for your hair type.
“If you have very fine hair, a salt spray may be a great approach to try,” Scarlett says. “Don’t be afraid to try layering products either. I often use dry shampoo, dry texture spray, hairspray, and a pomade.”
Aim for imperfection.
“When trying to achieve beach waves or any natural looking hair texture, the biggest mistake you can make is being afraid of making mistakes—nothing should be too perfect or symmetrical.”
To help you get beachy waves at home, check out these tutorials that take out all the guesswork.
1. How to Get Curling Wand Beach Waves
The most traditional way to get beachy waves is with a curling iron or wand. If you have curls, you'll have to straighten your hair as a first step. From there, divide your hair into big sections to avoid creating tighter individual curls. Then, opt for a barrel approximately one inch in diameter, like this wand from Bed Head, and apply a heat protectant to your hair before styling. Lift your roots slightly while you style, and avoid wrapping your hair around the barrel too tightly. Shake out your hair or throw on some texture spray (like this one from Oribe), and you’re ready to go.
2. How to Get Loose Beach Waves
A curling iron, like this SinglePass one from T3, might be a little more user-friendly compared to the wand method above. This video breaks down getting loose waves into an easy-to-follow, foolproof method.
Start by brushing out your hair and separating it into four sections. Then, gently wrap your strands around the barrel starting at the midpoint of your hair. Depending on your length, you may only need to do one to two loops around the barrel before moving the iron through the curl in a downward motion as you reach your ends. If you have oily hair, finish with a dry shampoo to add texture and volume.
3. How to Get S-Shaped Beach Waves
You can create beautiful, s-shaped beachy bends with a few simple steps—and all you need is a ceramic flat iron and a heat protectant. If you have curls, start by straightening your hair. Feel free to do two passes if needed. Then, part your hair in small sections. You can use the flat iron to create effortless-looking bends by rotating the iron back and forth as you glide it down each section of hair. For final touches, add some hairspray or edge control.
4. How to Get Overnight Beach Waves
Talk about beauty sleep—you can even get beach waves while you snooze. Skip the hot tools and wait until your hair is 90 percent dry before you prep it at bedtime. Start by leaving the front pieces of your hair out. Then, flip your head over like you’re going to make a high ponytail on top of your head, separate into three equal sections, and make a regular braid. Making it too tight will prevent volume, so leave an inch and a half out at the bottom. Finally, secure it with an elastic. In the morning, gently unravel the braid and shake out your hair from the roots.
5. How to Get a Basic Flatiron Wave
It can be tough to imagine using a flatiron for curling your hair when it’s designed to straighten it. However, there’s a reason flatiron waves are a thing, and while it might sound counterintuitive, they’re super easy to do. This quick video from Moroccanoil shows you the basic moves. Just place a small section of your hair between the plates, close the iron, and wrap your hair around the outside of the flatiron. For loose waves, don't hold the hair still for too long. Once you're ready, twist the iron slightly, and begin gliding it downward through the section.
6. How to Get Headband Beach Waves
No heat? No problem! Leave it to Luxy Hair to come up with yet another genius beauty hack for beach waves that don't require heat styling. Using a cotton headband, like one from Kenz Laurenz, twist and wrap your hair around the base of the band to achieve that undone, straight-off-the-sand look. For extra hold, use a blow dryer on the cold or warm to really set it in place. Add a bit of your favorite hair oil or wax for extra shine.
7. How to Do Beach Waves On Short Hair
Although it might take some practice, creating textured waves on even the shortest of hairstyles can be done. All it requires is a one-inch curling iron and a flick of the wrist. Rather than starting at the midpoint of your hair, start closer to the root. The longer you hold the hair in the iron, the more defined it will be. Pro tip: After you finish curling your entire head, generously spritz it with a flexible-hold hairspray before you brush out the curls to ensure they stay.
8. How to Get Beach Waves In Five Minutes
Beachy waves don’t typically start at the root, so it makes total sense to curl from your ponytail (opt for an elastic that won’t create creases). This hack can also help if you have thick hair that makes it harder to section it off or reach the back pieces. Plus, it’s an amazing time-saver. Start with a heat protector and separate your ponytail into sections. Then, with your iron, curl your strands, starting as close to your hair tie as possible. Follow up with the scrunch method to enhance your curl as each piece cools down. You can leave your hair in a ponytail or touch up the pieces that frame your face. Use a comb or your fingers to add volume or break the curls up.
9. How to Get Beach Waves With Braids
If you’re ready to level up your beach wave game, consider adding a braid—or two. This video demo, from celebrity hairstylist Sarah Potempa’s Beachwaver brand, shows you how to get a crown braid look, then emphasize it with beach waves. Rather than starting from the top, Potempa begins at the bottom and curls up the hair shaft. The result: tight curls that frame the face for the perfect formal event.
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