A celebrity hairstylist’s trick for effortless wavy hair without the damage
After a day at the beach, hair can end up looking like straw: dry, tangled, and dull. Yet that wavy effect everyone wants to recreate is entirely achievable without sacrificing the health of your hair. A celebrity hairstylist shares a simple routine designed to protect your strands while giving them movement and shine.
What summer really does to your hair, according to expert hairstylists
Salt, chlorine, and UV rays all have one thing in common: they strip away the hair’s natural oils and damage the cuticle. The effects show up after just a few swims. Strands become rough, lose their shine, and break more easily. Understanding this process is already the first step toward tackling it effectively.
Celebrity hairstylist James Pecis recommends a preventive step before you even get in the water. He advises wetting your hair with fresh water first, even a quick rinse from a bottle will do, before swimming. Hair that’s already damp absorbs less salt water or chlorine. This simple habit significantly reduces exposure to the most common summer aggressors.
After swimming, a rinse with cool water completes the protection. It helps remove salt or chlorine residue and smooth the cuticle, leaving hair softer and shinier. These two reflexes, before and after the water, form the foundation of an effective summer hair routine.
Practical steps to protect and enhance your lengths
Before getting in the water, applying a lightweight oil or leave-in conditioner to the lengths and ends provides an extra layer of protection. These areas are the most vulnerable to damage. The step also creates a barrier that makes detangling easier after swimming, which limits breakage when styling.
To create waves, simply keep hair wet and loose, then comb it back with a wide-tooth comb. This method takes minimal effort and works particularly well on straight or already wavy hair. As hair starts to dry, a small amount of dry shampoo can revive volume at the roots. An anti-humidity mist, meanwhile, helps keep frizz in check.
When it comes to products, the hairstylist is clear: avoid salt sprays after a day at the sea, since your hair already has more than enough salt in it. Instead, reach for a lightweight texturising spray applied from mid-lengths to ends, or a UV-protective mist that helps preserve both hydration and colour.
Adapting the routine to your hair texture
Curly and coily hair, which tends to be naturally drier, deserves extra care. A protective style, such as a braid, a twist, or a high ponytail, limits friction and shields lengths from the sun. Before styling, distributing a leave-in conditioner through damp hair and then sealing the ends with a thin layer of oil prevents curls from tangling.
For tighter curl patterns, a high ponytail is often easier to pull off than a braid. It’s a small practical detail that makes a big difference on long beach days.
The weekly routine recommended by the hairstylist
Once a week, a clarifying shampoo removes traces of chlorine, salt, and product build-up. This deep cleanse prepares the hair to absorb the treatments that follow. After clarifying, a nourishing mask applied from roots to ends restores lost moisture.
- Wet hair with fresh water before every swim
- Apply a lightweight oil or leave-in conditioner to lengths and ends
- Rinse with cool water after every swim to smooth the cuticle
- Use a lightweight texturising spray or UV-protective mist, not a salt spray
- Do a clarifying shampoo followed by a nourishing mask once a week
The goal of this routine isn’t to fight your hair’s natural texture, but to bring out the best in it, with more suppleness and shine. By prepping strands before the water, rinsing after every swim, and leaning on hydrating treatments, you can achieve a luminous, beach-day wave without spending the rest of the summer trying to undo dryness and split ends.
