10 Ways to Get Effortless Beachy Waves on Every Type of Hair

If you're all about that low-maintenance hair routine, you're probably no stranger to the good ol' air dry. And it works to make waves, too: With a few strategically placed buns (two at the nape of your neck!), you can air dry your way to a California girl look without heat. Just twist hair into two knots, secure them in place with pins, then wait it out until they're dry. That's it!

To boost the bends, before you start forming the buns, apply a styling product, like a curl-enhancing mousse, to add shape and volume to your air-dried strands while hair is damp. One editor swears by Paul Mitchell Sculpting Foam for the job.

Iudina says that when it comes to getting natural waves, "the best way is to braid hair in a few (at least four) loose braid while your hair is slightly wet and let it dry." YouTuber Desi Perkins shows the method in action, resulting in gorgeous, natural-looking waves overnight.

Short on time? You can hack this style on dry hair. "Create a few loose braids and just tap them with a flat iron, let it cool down, unbraid and shake it out," instructs Iudina.

This wave styling trick incorporates a flat iron into the mix rather than a curling iron — a choice that, as YouTube beauty vlogger HeyKali says, makes the waves look extra shiny. If you have thick, long hair, this tutorial might take longer than the others, but your flawless waves will be totally worth it.

The secret: Make sure your flat iron is facing down to the floor rather than horizontally. For even more gloss, mist dry hair with a shine-enhancing finishing spray as a last step, like CHI Shine Infusion.

According to Potempa and Iudina, who both prefer using a curling iron to achieve beach waves, there's a step-by-step method that's foolproof. Section off hair into the top and bottom, then separate strands into the left and right side. Hold the curling iron upright with the clamp facing forward, place a one to two inch section of hair into the clamp, leaving an inch or two of the ends out to create a beachy wave, then twist the iron away from your face.

The key is in the stretch method that @avamarshhair shows in her video. "Stretch the curl," Iudina advised. "While curling a hair strand, pull it down after each twist to break the pattern." That'll make for the perfect beachy look. Hold each pass for three to four seconds, then open the clamp and pull the iron straight down to release. Repeat on the left and right sides, "alternating each strand in turns of curling it left or right," says Iudina.

A curling wand is perfect for creating imperfect, gorgeous waves. The GH Beauty Lab says that's because unlike a curling iron, a wand allows for ends keep their natural texture. The key to this look: Leaving a few inches of the ends of hair unstyled. "When you wrap a hair piece around the wand, make sure it’s flat," advises Iudina. "If you twist it, it’ll have a more round, well-done shape and that’s not what to aim for while achieving beach waves."

Start by misting a heat protectant and then hairspray all over dry hair and brushing through. Then, using a 1-inch barrel curling wand, grab vertical sections of hair and wrap around, leaving two inches of ends out to prevent hair from looking over-styled. Alternate directions as you go and finish with a sea salt wave spray and a light finish hairspray.

Ever dreamt of waking up with perfect hair without having to waste time styling (or use potentially damaging hot tools)? This is the hack for you. All you need is a fabric belt (one from a bathrobe works great) and four hair ties. You can also opt for a headband designed specifically for the job.

To perfect waves, section hair in half and in each section, twist hair around the belt piece by piece, securing at the end with a hair tie. Then twist the entire section into a bun. Repeat on the other side. Wake up, unwind and finish with hair spray. Done!

You've probably been told that if you want small, tight curls, you should use a skinnier curling iron, and if you want large, looser waves, you should use a large barrel curler, right? Well, YouTube beauty guru Luxy Hair is about to blow your mind.

As she demonstrates in this video, if you break your hair into large sections and use a small barrel curling iron, you can quickly and efficiently curl all of your long hair into voluminous waves.

Getting beach waves on short hair can be trickier than with long hair. Still, this very easy beach waves tutorial is simple to follow and takes less than 10 minutes. Use a 1-inch curling iron on a low heat setting and work from the front in vertical sections, alternating directions as you get toward the undermost layers to keep the style from looking too coiffed.

GH Beauty Lab pros recommend setting your style so it lasts and stays frizz-free by misting a medium- to strong-hold hairspray all over, holding the can about six inches away from your head for a light application.

If you have medium-length hair, YouTuber Allan Davison's pull-through technique is ideal. Section hair and use a 1-inch barrel curling iron to add a bend at the middle of the hair's length and smooth out the ends for a perfectly tousled, undone wave.

Finish with dry shampoo at the roots and texturizing spray through the ends for volume, and a drop of hydrating oil on the ends to keep hair looking healthy.

A key feature of beachy waves is that they begin about halfway down your hair, around ear level (this helps give a messy, undone effect). A genius shortcut: Pulling hair into a ponytail and curling just the tied section with a curling wand. This makes it easier to keep track of which pieces you've curled (versus those you haven't) when your strands are gathered in one place.

Finish with by spritzing texturizing spray all over hair to encourage a natural, blended style and a flexible hairspray to keep everything in place. Iudina recommends IGK Beach Club Volume Texture Spray for ultimate piece-y texturizing.

A curling iron, experts say (Potempa recommends the Beachwaver, a Good Housekeeping Beauty Award-winning self-rotating curling iron, and Iudina prefers to use Hot Tools' 1.25" Marcel curling iron). The key is in how it's used and the size; the smaller the curling iron's barrel, the tighter the wave will be, Potempa advises. Opt for .75-inch for tight waves, 1-inch for classic beach waves and 1.25 inch for loose, voluminous waves.

"To get the look, simply leave one to two inches of the ends of your hair out when curling," says Potempa, and avoid touching your curls until they are completely cool (touching strands that are still warm can loosen the curl and will cause it to fall flat).