How to get gorgeous beach waves

Beachy waves are a must-have look. Great for all types and lengths of hair, all face shapes, and all ages, these tumbling tresses are the perfect go-to style. Whether you’re hanging out on the coast for real, or just looking for a summery look that works all year round, here’s how to get beach waves quickly and easily.

Your trusty TRESemmé curling iron is the perfect tool for getting beach waves at home with ease. Remember, the smaller the curling iron’s barrel, the tighter the curls will be. For beach waves, we recommend the TRESemmé 1” Curling Wand.

Step 1: Prep

Prep your hair with TRESemmé Thermal Creations Protective Spray,which is designed for use on both wet and dry hair. When using a curling iron, your hair needs to be completely dry to avoid severe damage. This thermal protective spray will protect your hair from damage caused by the heat of the curling iron, so it stays soft, shiny and frizz-free.

Spritz your thermal protective spray all over your hair, from mid-lengths to ends and rake through with your fingers for even coverage. Keep the spritzing light – you don’t want your hair to become too damp with product before you get curling.

Step 2: Section

Section your hair in half from ear to ear, clipping the top layer up and out of the way while you work on the bottom half. If your hair’s quite thin, you might be able to get away with skipping this step. The thicker your hair is, however, the more layers you’ll need to work through as you curl.

Step 3: Curl

Hold your curling iron upright and vertical, with the clamp facing forward. Gather a section of hair of about one to two inches, and clamp in place. We recommend leaving about an inch and a half of hair at the ends out of the clamp for more natural-looking beach waves that flow straighter towards the ends.

Begin twisting the hair around the iron, away from your face, until the iron reaches the crown of your head. Hold in place for three to four seconds before opening the clamp and pulling the curling iron straight down to release.

Repeat the process all around the under section of hair, before releasing the top layer from the clip and working through this section. If your hair is particularly thick, you may have to release the top layers bit by bit to ensure you can easily curl all the hair without missing any. The beach waves style is, however, a very relaxed look, so don’t worry too much if you do miss a couple of bits, or if some curls turn out looser than others.

A good tip, to prevent each curl wrapping around the others, is to alternate the direction of the curls you create. For the first, twist the iron away from you while curling, twist the iron towards you for the next, and so on.

And another bonus tip: avoid touching your newly-formed beach waves until they’ve cooled down. When hair is hot, it is still malleable, so touching it may loosen the curl or make it fall flat.

Step 4: Finish

Take a break for ten to fifteen minutes after curling, to allow your hair time to cool.

Then, use a single pump of TRESemmé Keratin Smooth Hair Shine Anti-Frizz Serum through the mid-lengths and ends of your hair. Rub it between your palms and rake it through your hair with your fingers. This will provide your hair with extra protection and nourishment after heat styling, leaving it feeling softer and looking shinier.

Finally, spritz your new beach waves with TRESemmé Flawless Curls Flexible Hold Curly Hair Spray with Coconut Oil to hold your waves in place and fight pesky frizz. While the spray dries, you have some time to define any waves that may need a little boost. If any are looking a bit flat, twist the section around your finger and hold for a few seconds before releasing.

Thought your flat iron was just for straightening? Think again! A flat iron can be just as effective at creating beach waves as a curling iron. In fact, your flat iron can be used in a very similar way to a curling iron.

Steps 1 & 2: Prep and section

Follow the steps for prepping your hair and sectioning it out that we followed when using the curling iron (see above). And don’t forget the heat protection spray!

Step 3: Curl

Holding your flat iron upright and vertical, just like we did with the curling iron, gather a section of hair of about one to two inches. Clamp hair between the plates about one and a half inches from the end and twist towards the crown of your head, keeping the flat iron vertical. Hold for three to four seconds, and release.

It’s as simple as that! Follow the remainder of the steps and tips, and use the same products, as we used with the curling iron. Bet you never realized your flat iron was so versatile!

Woken up with your hair feeling a bit flat? This is a great way to get beach waves in about five minutes. It’s also a great option for those of us who have trouble styling the back sections of our hair.

Brush your dry hair through and put it up in a high ponytail. If you have thick hair, put it in bunches instead – one each side of your head, and quite high up. Spritz with heat protection spray.

Then, take your curling wand or flat iron, and curl in small sections following the steps above. When done, wait for your hair to cool, then release from the hair ties, shaking it loose and running your fingers through to ensure those new waves look natural. Spray with TRESemmé Flawless Curls Flexible Hold Curly Hair Spray with Coconut Oil to hold your beach waves in place – and you’re good to go!

There are so many ways to get beach waves that look great, with barely any work.

To magic up California-style beach waves overnight, you can simply braid your hair into two loose pigtails when it’s wet. This method avoids heat styling, so if your hair is already damaged, it’ll thank you for skipping the hot tools!

To further prevent damage and frizziness, try sleeping on a satin pillowcase. With less friction and rubbing of your strands against the pillow, you’ll find your hair feels softer and frizz-free in the morning.

Once you take your hair out of the braids in the morning, you can dry any last remaining damp bits using the diffuser attachment on your blow-dryer, or just leave them to dry naturally.

Finally, spray your loose hair with TRESemmé One Step Wave Spray,for soft, defined waves that last all day.

Our One Step Wave Spray can also be used on wet hair, so if your hair has a natural wave to it anyway, spritzing with the spray and scrunching your wet hair before leaving to air dry will do the trick!