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Four ways to get perfect beach waves
Beach waves are renowned for their casual, natural look. Whether it’s summer or winter, the look is a low maintenance style that’s easy to achieve with the right tools. On hand to help to get the look is Celebrity Hairstylist Jen Atkin as she shares her top tips and tricks for achieving the perfect beach waves.
1. How to get beach waves with a hair straightener
Using a hair straightener is a good way to achieve a relaxed, beach wave look, explains Jen. While it might seem counterintuitive, using a straightener to curl your hair can create soft, flowing curls.
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- Once you’ve detangled and sectioned the hair, use the straightener plates to gather the hair and rotate the tool 360 degrees away from the face, gliding the hair through the plates slowly and evenly. Hair straighteners with flexing plates are best suited to the job, so there is no need to apply extra pressure as the hair passes through.
- Repeat this process, alternating the direction of the curls.
- Finally, straighten the ends and loosen with your fingers to give a casual, beachy style.
- Once you’ve detangled and sectioned the hair, use the straightener plates to gather the hair and rotate the tool 360 degrees away from the face, gliding the hair through the plates slowly and evenly. Hair straighteners with flexing plates are best suited to the job, so there is no need to apply extra pressure as the hair passes through.
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2. How to get beach waves with a curling tool
The Dyson Airwrap hair curler uses the Coanda effect - an aerodynamic phenomenon – to create a spinning vortex of air around the styling barrel. “It gently wraps and curls the hair, making it a great tool for achieving soft beach waves” explains Jen.
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- Begin by drying the hair until it is damp using the Firm or Soft Smoothing Brush.
- Next, secure the 1.6 inch barrel attachment and hold your Airwrap upside down, so that the barrel points to the floor. Manually wrap the section of hair around it in the direction of the arrows marked on the barrel.
- Turn the Airwrap on and once the hair feels dry, use the cold shot to fix the style before releasing.
- Switch the barrels to change the direction of the curl as you go through the sections of hair.
- Running your fingers through it at the end will help enhance the soft, beach wave effect.
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3. How to get beach waves with a round brush
Beach waves can be achieved with a round volumizing brush attachment, which lends itself to creating a tousled, beach wave style. “It is engineered to direct air into the hair to give it body, whilst the bristles create tension to shape the hair as it dries”, says Jen.
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- Towel dry your hair before styling with the Round Volumizing Brush Attachment from underneath the hair section. For added volume, lift each section at the root as you dry and ensure it is fully dry before moving onto the next.
- Once dry, roll the section up and secure with a sectioning clip, allowing the hair to fully cool before releasing each section.
- Gently brush or run the hair through your fingers to enhance the beach wave look.
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4. How to get beach waves using a hair dryer diffuser
The Dyson diffuser has been a game changer for me” says Jen, “it’s an ideal, effortless way to create waves and curls that celebrate the hair’s natural shape.” Hair dryer diffusers are engineered to disperse air evenly to mimic air drying, reducing frizz and delivering relaxed curls.
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- After washing the hair, gently squeeze out the excess water and smooth a wide tooth comb through the hair. With the diffuser attachment, set the hair dryer to a low airflow and an appropriate heat setting (higher heat for thicker hair) and dry the top of the hair to maintain volume.
- Next, place sections of hair into the diffuser, holding the hair close to the scalp.
- Do this until the hair is completely dry and then repeat with a cold shot to fix your beach waves in place for maximum retention.
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