Nothing says “it might be too hot, actually” like sweat dripping down the back of your neck in a crowded train carriage at rush hour. Soon your face starts to sweat, then your underboob, then your thighs and before you know it, you’re arriving at work looking like you’ve stopped off at the local lido on your route in. Now, the nape of your neck is a matted Niagara Falls.
Cooling the head and neck region has been scientifically proven as an effective way to improve physical performance of endurance athletes in the heat, because these areas are more sensitive to temperature than the rest of the body. So, when something cool touches those areas, we can feel more comfortable even if the rest of our body hasn’t cooled yet.
Now, unless you want to clutch an ice pack to your neck or wear one of those god-awful neck fans when out and about (both an option, at this point, no judgment from me), then the next port of call is hair, and these five styles are all chic and simple options to offer some much-needed relief:
1. The slick back
Popularised by Gen Z’s favourite It-girl Hailey Bieber, the slick back offers the best opportunity to get your hair the hell away from your face and neck. Simply give yourself a centre parting, divide off two front sections, and tie the rest up into a ponytail.
Get some serum or styling gel and apply it to the front sections before combing them into the ponytail and securing with a hairband. Then, take the ponytail into two sections and twist the hair together before twirling it up into a bun and tying it with an elastic. Don’t stress if there are a few bumps, as these can be smoothed out with a soft brush.
This style is best paired with a pair of statement earrings, a good slick of lipliner and a big pair of sunglasses. For a more elevated approach, you can also try the French twist.
2. Low bun and a huge scrunchie
Sort of a more romantic edition of the slick back, the low bun with a big scrunchie is a great option if you don’t want your hair saturated with product. Simply centre-part your hair, sweep it together at the nape of your neck, tie it with a band and twist it into a bun before twirling around an oversized scrunchie (we love the ones from Good Squish).
3. Braided ponytail
Conveniently for the weather, braided ponytails are especially on-trend right now – but they’ve long been adored by The Materialists star Dakota Johnson, who’s always managed to nail the effortless-but-elegant approach to hair care, which is vital in the heat.
Start with clean hair and brush to get rid of any tangles. Then start braiding to one side – keeping it loose so it doesn’t look too structured – and tie with a hairband. To add volume, use a hair powder or texturising spray and gently pull the braid at each side to loosen.
4. Overnight heatless curls
Despite the temperature, you might not fancy having your hair up all the time. A good hack to get around this is overnight curls, which you can do with a rod (The Silk Collection’s ones are gorgeous), a dressing gown belt – or even a pair of socks.
Start with clean, dry hair and flip your head upside down. Brush all of your hair into your hands once there are no knots and tie it with a silk hair tie upside down at the top of your head. Turn your head upright and grab your rod, place it at the tip of your ponytail and roll the hair towards you, then curl the rod around so it looks like a doughnut and secure in place.
This will keep your hair off your neck for a more comfortable night’s sleep and will leave you with gorgeous curls in the morning, which you can pin up in a claw clip to protect them from sweat until you get to some much-needed air conditioning and can set them free.
Add a little serum or a really light touch of hair oil to avoid any frizz.
5. A microbob
Sometimes, you reach the end of your tether. And if you simply can’t stand having your hair around your face in any capacity for a moment longer, there’s no better time than summer to try out a micro bob like Lily Collins, Gracie Abrams, or, you guessed it, Hailey Bieber.
