Stop choosing between swimming and good hair. Now you can have both!
Heading to the beach with no idea what to do with your hair? Wearing it down means dealing with frizz, tangles, and a face full of wet strands every time a wave hits. Pulling it all the way up means spending an hour working through the knots afterwards. Neither option sounds great when all you want to do is swim.
We found 6 waterproof hairstyles that hold up through salt water, wind, and humidity, so your hair stays looking great from the first dip to the last. Try them out and pick your favorite!
Salt water and wind met their match with this one. Start by sectioning off your front pieces and tying the rest of your hair into a tight bun. Then braid the front sections and wrap them around the base of the bun, securing with pins.
The wraparound braids lock the bun in place far more securely than a regular updo, which means it holds through a swim instead of slowly unraveling. Your front pieces stay out of your face, the bun stays put, and the whole thing looks polished enough that nobody would guess it took you five minutes in a beach parking lot.
Bob owners, this one was built with you in mind. Shorter hair can feel tricky to style for the beach, but this Y2K-inspired look turns that into an advantage. Use a hair belt and start twisting your hair along the hairline, working from the forehead toward the back of your head. Secure each twist with mini elastics or small claw clips as you go.
The twists hold tight through salt water and humidity, keep your hair off your neck, and give you a textured, put-together finish. Pair this with one of your favorite bob refresh hacks afterwards, and you will step off the beach looking like you planned the whole thing.
Two Dutch braids going into low buns is one of the most waterproof combinations you can put your hair into. Divide your hair into two sections and start a Dutch braid on each side, but stop braiding partway down and coil the remaining hair into a small bun instead of braiding all the way to the ends. Secure each with elastics.
The Dutch braid technique keeps the hair flat against your head, which means less resistance in the water and no giant mass of hair working loose at the back. The buns at the end keep the tails secure. It holds through a swim, dries quickly, and still looks cute when you come out the other side.
Pure mermaid energy, and it looks even better on wet hair. Start by creating mini braids from your front sections. Then tie the top layer of your hair into a half-up bun, divide it in half, and secure it with a claw clip.
The front braids are the waterproofing here. They hold your face-framing sections in place even after a wave hits, so instead of coming out of the water with hair plastered across your face, you come out with the style still intact. The bottom half stays free, and on wavy or curly hair, that means some great post-swim texture.
Fresh out of the water with your hair doing whatever it wants? This two-minute fix puts things back in order fast. Section off the front tendrils on each side and tie the rest of your hair back. Bring the ends of the front pieces together, tie them with an elastic, and pull everything down so it sits across the top of your head like a braided headband.
It works on hair in any condition, dry, damp, or fully soaked. The front sections that usually cause the most trouble after a dip get tucked out of the way, your face stays clear, and the whole thing looks polished enough to count as an actual hairstyle rather than an emergency fix.
A messy bun that holds through a swim? This stacking trick makes it happen. Create two half-up buns on top of each other, one directly below the other. Pull the upper bun through the lower one and secure with bobby pins. Bring the loose ends down to the base and let them frame the bun naturally.
The two layers lock into each other and create a bun that sits higher and stays more secure than a single bun ever could. It dries quickly, the loose ends add a relaxed coastal feel when they air-dry, and the whole thing still looks intentional when you come out of the water.
A beach day doesn’t have to mean a hair disaster. Any one of these six waterproof styles takes just a few minutes to put together and holds up through saltwater, wind, and whatever else the day throws at you.
Pick the one that fits your length and texture, try it on your next outing, and see the difference for yourself. And if you want to see how a new summer cut or color would look on you before committing, try TheRightHairstyles virtual try-on tool or get the HairHunt app (iOS, Android) for daily hair styling and coloring ideas. Your next great beach look is one click away!
