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Cute Summer Hairstyles to Keep You Cool in the Heat
Updated on April 2, 2026 | 3 min read
Jaclyn LaBadia, Davines Writer
It's officially hot out and that means no more leaving the house with your hair down. From limp roots and strands stuck to your face, to unmanageable frizz and flyaways, the heat and humidity can turn your best hair day into a tangled, sweaty mess within minutes of stepping outside. So keeping your hair up and away from your skin, while still looking good, is the goal for summer.
If you’re tired of the same old high ponies and messy buns, and need some hot weather hair inspo, we have you covered. Keep reading for all the summer hairstyles to keep you cool when the temps are anything but.
Key Takeaways
Cute and Practical Summer Hairstyles
- Summer hairstyles should keep hair off your neck and face to help you stay cool and combat frizz, sweat, and humidity.
- Low-maintenance looks like textured ponytails, top knots, braids, and messy buns are ideal for medium to long hair in hot weather.
- Heatless styles such as overnight waves, claw clips, and wet looks are trending and help prevent heat damage.
- Curly hair thrives with protective styles like pineapple updos and braids, which also reduce frizz and retain moisture.
- Accessorize with scrunchies, claw clips, scarves, and headbands to add style without extra effort or heat.
- Protect and nourish your hair with summer-focused products like the Davines SU line, which offers UV protection and hydration.
- Hydrating shampoos, leave-in conditioners, and SPF-infused treatments are essential to maintain strong, healthy summer hair.
- Try formal-friendly options like a sleek ponytail or braided crown using professional stylist picks for elevated events.
- Minimize heat styling and prioritize air-drying, scalp care, and protective styles to maintain healthy hair all season long.
In This Article
Choosing a Hairstyle During Summer
Easy Summer Hairstyles for Medium Hair
Chic Summer Hairstyles for Long Hair
More Heatless Summer Hairstyles
Hairstyling Product Recommendations for Summer
Summer Hairstyles for You
FAQs
Choosing a Hairstyle During Summer
Hair acts as insulation, trapping heat against your body. So the best summer hairstyles are ones that keep your hair off your neck and face for better airflow, releasing trapped heat and keeping you cool. Summer hairstyles should also:
- Help your strands stay neat and in place in the face of sweat and humidity.
- Minimize heat styling and protect the hair from sun exposure, keeping it strong and healthy.
- Require less styling time and effort.
Now let's break down the best hairstyles for summer for all lengths, plus our favorite heatless styles and the products you need to pull them off all summer long.
Easy Summer Hairstyles for Medium Hair
For easy summer hairstyles on medium hair, consider styles that manage humidity, keep you cool, are low maintenance and can be customized to your hair type. Think textured ponies, top knots, braids and half updos. These looks are simple and chic, and keep you cool during the warm weather.
Textured Ponytail
Embrace the humidity of the season and lean into your hair’s natural texture by scrunching with a salt spray, before grabbing your hair into a loose ponytail at the back of your head for a textured, beachy vibe.
Top Knot
This one is a classic for a reason. It keeps hair off your neck, can be thrown together in seconds and you can dress it up or down, depending on how you accessorize. An oversized scrunch says casual, where a gold or jeweled clip is more glam.
Half Updo
A half updo is another versatile summer look that works in both casual and more professional settings. Pull the front part of your hair up and secure it with the accessory of your choice.
Braided Styles
Braids are timeless and add a sense of playfulness perfect for summer. Plus they keep your hair hidden away and protected from the elements. Think fishtails, bubble braids and braided buns.
Low Chignon
A low chignon doesn't require much length and looks great on medium hair. Plus it's effortless and looks better the messier it gets. Brush your hair back at a slight angle from the temples to create lift. Secure a low pony, then twist and spiral it into a bun.
Chic Summer Hairstyles for Long Hair
The best summer hairstyles for long hair keep your longer lengths off your face and neck while also looking effortless and cool. Consider looks like a braided crown, space buns, sleek ponies and accessorized up-dos. Here are the best ways to style your long hair this season.
Braided Crown
A braided crown, also known as a milkmaid braid, is ideal for keeping hair off the neck and can be done using French or Dutch braids. A crown braid involves braiding hair around the head, resembling a crown.
Check out our tutorial on how to braid your own hair.
Space Buns
Space buns are a playful look for summer, keeping you looking and feeling cool in the heat. They’re versatile and work with lots of hair types (but they’re perfect for long lengths) and can be styled sleek or messy, depending on the vibe.
Sleek Ponytail
A sleek pony is another hot summer style for long hair, keeping strands neatly slicked back and away from sweat and humidity. Gather your hair and smooth into a pony, secure and finish with a shimmery hair mist.
Accessorized Updo
Hair accessories are a fun way to switch up your long hair looks in the heat. For a boho look, try a textured updo with fresh flowers or a low bun with a silk scarf tied into a bow. Need something more polished? Pop a headband on a pony.
Messy French Twist
This is the perfect second-day long hair style, or if your hair already has some texture. Gather your hair in the back of your head, leaving out some pieces around your face. Twist it into a messy French twist and secure it with bobby pins. View this and other hair tutorials here!
More Heatless Summer Hairstyles
The last thing you want to do in the dog days of summer is use heat to style your hair. Besides the obvious damage heat does to your hair, even the best sterling tools are no match against summer’s frizz-inducing humidity. Give your hot tools and heat protection sprays a break with these heatless summer styles.
Tousled Half-Up-Half-Down
This is an effortless summer look that can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion. Scrunch a dry wax spray through your hair and loosely looping it through a hair tie so it’s barely hanging on.
Overnight Beach Waves
Lean into the summer humidity by adding texture to your strands in the form of heatless beachy waves. Start with damp hair and create tiny braids throughout your hair, using small sections of hair. Wear overnight, unraveling and raking through with your fingers in the morning.
Wet Look
Perfect for every length and couldn’t be easier to pull off, the wet hair look is a classic summer hairstyle. Cocktail a leave-in conditioner and hair gel in your palm, then apply it to wet or dry hair, combing through. This will give you wet-looking shiny hair, without looking stiff or crunchy.
Claw Clip
Hair accessories are one of the easiest ways to change up your hairstyle without heat, and claw clips are having a major moment this season. To style, pull your hair back into a low ponytail, leaving a few strands out in front, before twisting up and locking it in around your thumb.
Pineapple Updo
If you have curly hair, use the season to embrace your natural texture. Our favorite heatless curly-girl style for summer is a pineapple updo. It’s the easiest way to keep your curls neatly out of the way and it always looks cute. Check out our post on curly hair hacks for more details on pineappling.
Hairstyling Product Recommendations for Summer
Keeping your hair healthy, hydrated and damage-free during the summer months can be tough. So in addition to your summer hairstyles on rotation, hot and sunny days call for a summer haircare routine. And that’s where we come in.
All Davines summer products, including shampoos, conditioners, hair products with spf and special treatments, are formulated using high quality natural ingredients and without harmful ones, to nourish and care for your summer strands.
Our SU family specifically, is a complete routine to protect your hair and skin before and after sun exposure. Formulated with a protected citrus extract containing antioxidants to protect hair and skin cells from free radicals caused by the sun. An absolute must-have for the summer season is SU Milk, a sun-protecting leave-in spray great for use both before and after sun exposure.
- SU Milk protects the hair thanks to anti UV-A and UV-B filters, preventing it from drying out and becoming damaged by the sun’s rays.
- Use it after sun exposure too, as an additional conditioning treatment after SU Hair & Body Wash, a hydrating shampoo that moisturizes your hair and skin after being outside.
- If you’re really feeling sun-kissed, restore and hydrate your skin and strands with SU Aftersun and SU Hair Mask; a soothing, mineral-rich skin gel and restorative and hydrating anti-aging treatment, respectively.
Summer Hairstyles for You
From limp strands stuck to your face, to unmanageable frizz, the summer heat and humidity wreaks havoc on your hair before you even start styling. So to stay cool you need some fun summer hairstyles to keep your hair off your neck and face. But in addition to looking cute, the best styles help your strands stand up against sweat and humidity, while minimizing heat styling and protecting it from the sun.
Keep it low-maintenance with our heatless hairstyle inspo for all hair types. And use only the highest quality hair products with natural ingredients and free of harmful ones to keep your strands strong and beautiful all summer long.
Not sure where to start? Take our hair quiz and start building your perfect summer hair care routine now.
FAQs
What is the best hairstyle for summer?
The best cute summer hairstyles keep your hair off your neck and face, help your strands stay neat and sweat-free, minimize heat styling and protect the hair from sun exposure and require less styling time and effort.
How do you wear a hat on hot days?
The best way to wear a hat on hot days is to choose lightweight, breathable materials like straw or cotton in light colors. Look for fits that offer ample sun protection, like baseball caps and wide-brimmed hats that aren’t too tight or too loose.
What is a beachy hairstyle?
A beachy hairstyle is one that mimics the natural texture hair gets after spending time at the beach, exposed to salt water and wind. It's characterized by loose, tousled waves and an effortless, “I woke up like this” look.
Is long or short hair better for summer?
While shorter hair is generally less maintenance and offers better airflow around the neck and scalp, helping to regulate body temperature and reduce sweating, there are lots of hairstyling options for long hair to keep you cool in the heat and humidity.
Does long or short hair look younger?
This depends on factors like your face shape, different haircuts accentuate or soften facial features, aging or making you look younger; your hair texture, shorter hairstyles tend to be more flattering on fine hair, while thicker strands can handle longer lengths; and your personal style, whatever makes you feel confident is ultimately your best look.
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