Tousled hair is a great way to let your hair’s natural beauty shine through.
Otherwise known as bed head hair, this effortless look is kind to the hair too! There’s a lot to love about this textured hairstyle, and it’s a look for all seasons.
I’ve recently written about getting your hair back into good condition after the summer.
As we know, the sun can be drying for hair, leaving it dry and frazzled. Amongst other things, I recommend reducing heated styling to help get your hair back into shape. I know that’s not always easy, so I wanted to share this Style How-To to offer some inspiration for styles that don’t require you to get hot under the hairdryer.
The tousled look is a simple style to create, making it a great style choice if you have busy mornings and you’re in a rush to get out of the house.
So put your hairdryer on a cool setting and get ready to style tousled hair in 4 easy steps.
Step 1 – Wash and Condition your Hair
- Wash your hair with the right shampoo and conditioner for your hair type to encourage maximum shine.
- After conditioning and rinsing the hair, towel-dry to remove excess water. It’s a good technique when you dry the hair with a towel, to gently squeeze out the water. Because rubbing the hair too vigorously can cause breakage. After towel drying, your hair should be damp but not dripping wet.
Step 2 – Prep with a Styling Product
- Now you are ready to get your hair prepped with a styling product. Leave in conditioners are a great option for styling this kind of look. For instance, I prefer using a leave in conditioner for styling as they give hair a natural finish. That makes them perfect for the tousled look, which is all about movement and texture. Remember you are going for bed head. So that means hair shouldn’t look too done.
- Apply 2 to 3 spritzes of our Styling Mist for Natural Hold and a Glossy Finish to your hair. This leave in conditioner will provide definition without weighing the hair down. Plus, it speeds up drying time, making this style even quicker and easier.
- I used the Glossy Mist on the model, but if you have fine hair, you can add extra volume to this look with my Styling Mist for Natural Hold and Volume
- If you are working with other products, follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Step 3 – Rough Dry Hair with Head Upside Down
- Now hair is washed and prepped it’s ready to style.
- Turn your head upside down (this creates lift) and semi-dry your hair with a hairdryer on a cool setting, using your fingers to lift and manipulate the hair as you dry it.
- Using fingers to manipulate your hair instead of a brush creates a more natural, textured finish.
Step 4 – Finish Blow Drying Hair Before it’s Fully Dry
- When hair is semi-dry, flip your head back and finish blow-drying, still using your fingers to push hair into place.
- Finish blow-drying your hair before it’s fully-dry and leave it to dry naturally. That is vital. Over drying the hair can make it fly-away. Whilst you want your tousled hair to look textured, fly-aways will spoil the look.
So there you have it; tousled hair.
I reckon this look takes a maximum of 5 minutes to style. So it’s not just a hair saver it’s also a time-saver, giving you back much needed time in the mornings whilst giving your hair a break from excessive heat. It’s a win-win!
Salon Know How: Top Tips for Tousled hair
If I have one piece of advice when styling hair, it’s that less is more. It’s a good rule to follow with your hair, and here’s what I mean:
- Use less product. When using styling products, use a little. Overdo it, and you risk the hair becoming difficult to style.
- Dry your hair for less time. In my experience, most of us over-dry the hair. It’s not necessary to get the hair completely dry when you are working with a hairdryer. When hair is too dry, it loses its flexibility.
- Don’t overwork the hair. The hair can become flat if you overdo it. That is particularly true for a tousled, textured hairstyle.
About the Author
Norris Ogario is founder and Creative Director of Ogario London. Developed in his London salon, the Ogario London haircare products reflect his belief that hydration is the key to fixing most hair problems. You can style hydrated hair with ease. Plus, hydration leaves hair shiny and healthy. Norris has over 35 years of hair know-how. With expertise in all hair types; from dry hair to fine or grey hair, from frizzy to damaged or bleached hair, curly hair and afro hair, Norris offers his expert advice.
Recommended Reading
Over the years, I’ve talked to and helped a lot of customers with dry hair concerns. I write about all aspects of healthy hair, from stopping frizz to getting rid of split ends and share salon tips and techniques for looking after all hair types.
You can find all my tips and expert hair advice on the Healthy Hair Blog.
The way we style and care for our hair is not the only factor determining hair health and shine. Because good nutrition is vital.
So, if you want to delve deeper into how you can improve your healthy hair diet, take a look at our blog, Healthy Hair: Choose the Best Foods for Hair Growth.
Did you know? Colour treatments have a significant impact on reducing moisture in the hair, particularly if you bleach your hair.
So, if you have bleached hair and want to regain your shine, read my blog, How to take care of Bleached Hair. Additionally, read my case study on elasticity in bleached hair.
Have you tried styling your hair with a leave in conditioner? It’s a great option for adding moisture to your hair before heated styling. Because, it gives hair the best foundation for styling, without compromising the health of your hair.
Leave in Conditioner for Styling Hair
I mentioned earlier in this article that I am a fan of leave in conditioners for styling. If you’d like to know more about why leave in conditioners are the right choice for your hair, go to my blog, Leave in Hair Conditioner: We Give you the Heads Up.
Simple tips to Add Volume to Hair
Tousled hair is not the only simple styling technique. Discover more simple techniques for adding volume to hair.
@chanilillian shows you some volume-boosting-tips.
Using just ONE styling product, @chanilillian shows you how to add instant volume.
Plus, Chani works some simple volume boosting techniques at the roots along with a deep drop parting to add instant volume. Learn how to keep styling to a minimum AND get better results for fine hair; choose less heat, keep it light on products and use your hands to work fine hair.
Check out our How to Add Instant Volume to Hair Video here.
How to Get Shiny Hair
Discover my tips to bring out the natural shine of your hair. From getting moisture right to the core of the hair to smoothing the cuticle for maximum shine, you can find the secret to shiny hair here.
How to Look After Fine Hair
In this blog, I tackle fine hair problems and give you tips and techniques for styling and caring for fine hair. Discover my Ultimate Guide to Caring for Fine Hair.
How to do a Bouncy Blow Dry
Whilst we love tousled hair for its simplicity, sometimes we want the glamour of the bouncy blow dry. However, this can be a challenging style to achieve at home. Discover the steps for simplifying this glamorous style and learn how to do a bouncy blow dry by following my simple steps.
How to Stop Frizzy Hair
If frizzy hair is spoiling your style, it’s time to take charge. Discover my expert advice on getting rid of frizz.
About Us
Ogario London is a salon developed, natural hair care range. Because we are passionate about our products, delivering the best results is at the heart of what we do. Do you have questions about our products? Or, would you like advice on the best products for your hair type? Maybe have another question about how to look after your hair? If you do, please get in touch at info@ogariolondon.com.
Beauty Bible Recommends
Restore and Shine Hair Masque was awarded best hair mask in the Ultimate Natural Beauty Bible Awards. As an independent hair care brand, we are incredibly proud to be recognised alongside some of the industry’s biggest haircare brands. Because I spend time ensuring that our products deliver the best results, I couldn’t be happier to get this review and win this prestigious award.
Here’s what Josephine Fairley and Sarah Stacey had to say,
“Beauty Bible fell in love with this mask when we discovered it at a Cosmetic Executive Women product demo evening. The brand comes from a London hair salon, and the mask is a huge boon for hair – packed with avocado, olive oil, aloe vera, nettle and horsetail, together with sage (which is rich in vitamins A, C and E). Just a sniff of this rich, unctuous creamy mask perks you up. Use for gleaming shiny, healthy hair.”
