10 Summer Hairstyle Ideas to Beat the Heat, According to Experts

Summer heat is great for beach and pool days, but it doesn’t often make for great hair days. Between wanting to stay cool and battling humidity, warmer weather calls for fun, summer hairstyles. It’s also a great time to consider embracing your natural texture to avoid heat styling or even going for that bold hair chop you’ve been debating for months.

No matter if you’re styling your hair for summer-long heat or temporary vacation temperature spikes, it can be difficult to be creative with your hair. In order to get the best summer hair inspiration, we turned to two hair experts for their ideas for summer hairstyles. Keep reading to see their 10 summer hairstyles to beat the heat.

Meet the Expert

• Chase Martin, is a Stylist at Sharon Dorram Color at Sally Hershberger Salon.
• Dave Stanwell is a Celebrity Hair Stylist and House of Frieda Ambassador. His past client list includes Jenna Ortega, Rachel Brosnahan, and Octavia Spencer.

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Crown Buns

The first step to staying cool in the summer heat is to get your hair our of your face. But, you don’t always want to have all of your hair up. One way to achieve this is to put the crown of your hair in a bun or multiple mini buns as seen here. We love this option of creating a crown of mini buns.

This style is great for all hair lengths and textures. Start by sectioning the crown of your hair and then divide it into small ponytails secured with clear elastics. Take the length of the hair and begin to wrap it around the base of the ponytail to create each small bun. Those with longer or thicker hair will be able to create larger buns as they have more hair to create the bun with.

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Sleek Low Ponytail

“When you need to get your hair out of your face on sticky summer days but still want to look polished, a sleek low ponytail is the solution,” shares Martin. This style can look great on all lengths. Feel free to take inspo from Zendaya and leave the length of the ponytail with your natural texture or tease it to add extra volume.

Martin says to start by applying a smoothing serum to dry hair. Gather hair at the nape of your neck and secure it with a hair tie. Wrap a small section of hair around the hair tie to hide it. Use a fine-tooth comb to smooth out any bumps.

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Pixie Cut

If you’ve considered going for a major haircut like a pixie style, the summer is the perfect time to take the plunge. Imagine no hair on the back of your neck and no hair ties – a dream come true.

Stanwell recommends getting a cut that allows you to play around with texture. “I love a sea spray/beach spray/mousse. You can rough dry your hair and leave, or you can get your round brush and style alternating directions for that deconstructed look,” explains Stanwell.

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Wash and Go

Warm weather is a great time to let your natural texture shine. Humid air often gives curls extra body and lift. When it comes to styling your curly hair, Stanwell recommends keeping it simple and sticking with a wash and go.

During the warmer, more humid months Stanwell recommends that you don’t rinse all of your conditioner out and leave some in your hair as it dries. Second day, he says just use a water spray to reset the curls. 

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Half-Up Half-Down

The perfect hairstyle no matter the season, a half-up half-down can be a lifesaver for summer formal events like weddings. “A classic look that’s both pretty and easy,” says Martin. To try it on yourself, Martin says to divide your hair horizontally from ear to ear, then secure the top section with a hair tie or clip. He adds that you can tease the crown section for added volume.

There are hundreds of ways to customize this look by incorporating mini braids, curling the portion you leave down, or even adding a bow or embellished clips.

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Slicked-Back Buns

When starting with wet hair (or let’s be honest, hair that needs to be washed), a slicked-back bun is a great option to avoid having to heat style your hair. Use a styling comb or brush to slick back your hair and then twirl it into a tight bun. For a new twist on this classic, consider creating multiple buns like this fun triple bun look.

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Crown Braid

Perfect for the hottest summer days, the Crown Braid will keep your hair out of your way, while looking super sophisticated and put-together, explains Martin. This style looks great on all hair textures and offers a great way to show off your curls while keeping your hair out of your face.

If you’re not an experienced braider and the full crown intimidates you, Martin suggests this alternative: “Part your hair down the middle and create two braids. Wrap each braid around your head and secure with pins. For a softer look, loosen the braids slightly.”

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Messy Bun

A classic for a reason – the messy bun is the easiest and chicest updo to keep cool all summer. The messy bun can be achieved using your hair accessory of choice: clip, hair tie, etc. and works for most medium to long hair lengths. For a more intentional look, try parting the front small pieces of your hair in the middle and leaving those tendrils loose.

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Pineapple Updo

Named for its pineapple crown-like appearance, the pineapple Updo is popular among the curly hair community as a protective style for sleeping. But don’t sleep on its ability to “wow” in the daytime. “The Pineapple Updo works great on hair that has some natural texture, like waves and curls, but any hair type can replicate this fun and effortless summer hairstyle,” explains Martin.

To master the pineapple updo, Martin says to simply gather your hair into a high ponytail at the crown of your head, then secure it with a loose scrunchie or hair tie. You can add clips, barrettes and pins to make the style more polished or more quirky.

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Bubble Ponytail

A Y2K trend with major staying power, the bubble ponytail is a great option for hair that embraces summer humidity. This style is great for medium to long hair and can be achieved on all textures. Start with a regular ponytail and then create the bubble effect by adding equally spaced elastics along the length of the ponytail. Finally, tease each bubble section by pulling gently from both sides.

You can change up this look by trying different parts in your hair, creating bubble pigtails, or adding clips or barrettes in the front of your hair.