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Wednesday, July 20th, 2011

Gorgeous Beach Hair for Every Texture

Grace Gold

Think you need naturally wavy hair to pull off the I-just-came-from-the-beach look? Not so! Anyone can rock tousled hair with ease. Read on as our expert stylists explain how any hair texture can score beach beautiful waves.

If You Have Fine/Straight Hair…

Air drying hair while sleeping is your key to beachy texture, says Amy Abramite, Creative Director of Chicago’s Salon Maxine. Style while we sleep? Done!

STEP 1 After shampooing hair at night and skipping conditioner so as not to weigh down locks, detangle hair with a wide toothed comb. Then mix a baseball-sized amount of mousse with a dime-sized dollop of gel, and distribute from scalp to ends.

STEP 2 Section hair into four to six large vertical sections, and twist each section loosely like a rope. Fold the rope a few times onto itself, and secure with bobby pins, making sure to leave the ends out. Then hit the pillow for some zzz’s.

STEP 3 If drying overnight isn’t an option, you can blow dry hair on low heat, so that the air pressure doesn’t disturb the twists. Once dry, remove the bobby pins and rake your fingers through strands to break up product and release your sexy new beach waves. Preserve the waves with L’Oréal Elnett Hair Spray, for bouncy hold.

If You Have Wavy Hair…

“Consider this the lucky texture for beach babe waves!” says Jet Rhys, Owner of San Diego’s Jet Rhys salons.

STEP 1 Before starting your nightly teeth brushing routine, lightly spritz hair all over with a sea salt spray like Bumble and Bumble’s Surf Spray.

STEP 2 Then gather a ponytail atop your head and secure with an elastic, wrapping hair around the base to form a bun. Fasten with bobby pins.

STEP 3 As you snooze rich waves and height will take hold. In the morning after removing pins, flip your hair over, and scrunch in a dollop of volumizing mousse with your fingers to define waves. Watch out Giselle!

If You Have Curly Hair…

“Beach waves on curly hair look best if the locks are casually relaxed and less bouncy,” says Abramite.

STEP 1 Begin by shampooing and deep conditioning to add moisture to strands, and then detangle without snapping curls by working up the shaft with a wide-toothed comb. Prep with a quarter-sized amount of leave-in conditioner to keep the texture silky smooth.

STEP 2 Divide hair into three large sections and braid loosely; the weight of the braid will help straighten hair near the top half of the head, and relax the curls on the bottom half, capturing a totally natural vibe.

STEP 3 Skip out on the securing elastics for an even more authentic shape. Then either allow the hair to air dry over night as you sleep, or blow dry with low heat. Once dry, unravel braids to release tousled texture and spritz with spray wax for come-hither waves.

If You Have Kinky-Curly Hair…

Coarse hair can ride beach waves too, given some smoothing and ironing prep.

STEP 1 First cocktail a golf ball-sized amount of smoothing serum with a volumizing gel like L’Oréal Vive Pro Glossy Style Volume, and work the mixture through hair to strike the perfect marriage of hold and texture, advises Rhys.

STEP 2 Then divide hair in half from ear to ear, and blow dry sections smooth with a round boar bristle brush, finishing with a swooping bend at the ends. After your blow dry is complete, spritz strands with hairspray, and sweep hair back into a high ponytail – which will help set waves from midsection to tips, with slightly straighter roots to better mimic mother nature’s styling hand.

STEP 3 Wind small sections of the ponytail around a two inch curling iron, setting for ten seconds each. Leave the ends out of the curler’s clamp for an un-styled feel, or opt for a clampless curling iron. Once you’ve ironed all sections, take out the elastic, flip hair over, and massage the roots and lightly rake fingers through hair.