How to Get Beach Waves Without the Fuss

The ocean has great hair. In fact, I’d like to go so far as to make the bold, sweeping statement that when it comes to beach waves, oceans definitely win.

But the reality is that I am not an ocean. You are probably not either. However, just because we are not oceans doesn’t mean we can’t get beach waves. So let’s go surfing.

(Note: this works best on long, straight/straight-ish hair. For curly hair tips, see Rita Ora’s guy.)

You’ll need:

– Some hair

– Sea salt spray — I like these ones the best:

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Note: You can also DIY the spray by adding a handful of salt to a cup of water and then putting that very scientific mixture into a clean spray bottle.

Timing:

If you want to wake up with waves, do this before bed with towel-dried hair. Sorry for not putting “towel” in the “You’ll Need” section.

If you’re doing this in the morning for high tide at 4 p.m., start with mildly-damp hair — a nice gauge for this level of wetness is somewhere between “I walked to work in 90 degree heat” and “I just took a barre class, but skipped abs.”

Now Let’s Do This:

1. Twist your hair into chunks, keeping in mind the smaller the chunk, the tighter the twist, the curlier the wave. Reader’s choice!

2. Gather them at the top like you’re a carrot pulling itself out of the ground. (Don’t worry about the back part of your mullet if you can’t grab it all.)

3. Now take your sea salt and spray, mermaids! Spray!

4. Keeping your carrot top in one hand, scoop the remainder of your wig up into the handful of twists (seriously, don’t fuss about errant strands because beach hair isn’t supposed to look “perfect”) and then all at once, twist that shit into a cinnamon bun. Use an over-stretched elastic so as not to crease your curl, and mist your head-bagel with a final pump of salt spray.

5. Now we wait. Rumor has it that reading Man Repeller improves waves but IDK. The longer you sit with this baby perched atop your scalp, the better.

Let it marinate. Let it grow legs.

6. Once your hair is completely dry, undo your topknot and comb through the curls with your fingers.

Voila! Total sand babe. Smile for the camera and be the ocean that you always knew you could be.

Rumor has it that if you hold a seashell up to your ear, you can hear yourself.

Photographed by Krista Anna Lewis

Want more on hair twirling? Pinky-styling, right this way. Or if you’re aspiring to be a beach blonde babe, educate yourself about the platinum ‘do here. Have you spotted a Centry 21 shopping bag this morning? What about a dad with a cute baby? 

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