Are you ready for the ultimate festival hair care guide for long hair!?
Going to a music festival means giving up the luxuries of heat styling, hair dryers and the ability to wash your hair following your usual routine.
As summer inches closer and the music festival season begins to heat up, it’s time for us to celebrate not only the sounds and performances we love but also the colourful expression of personal style that these festivals inspire.
Us long-haired lovelies are put in a bit of a predicament – we want our hair to look nice for the weekend but we won’t be able to do our usual styling.
Plus, we’ll have weather to contend with: sun, wind and rain are known to mess with our hair.
So, what do we do!?
I’m here to help you!
I have always had long hair and I’ve been attending festivals for over 15 years.
The longest festival I camped at was Boom Festival in Portugal that was over a week of camping in extreme heat!
My hair survived!
Whether you’re a curly haired queen, a straight-haired diva, or a wavy-haired wonder, we’ve got you covered. This is your go-to resource to keep your hair looking fabulous, healthy, and festival-ready all season long, no matter what the elements throw your way. After all, why should you worry about your hair when there’s so much music to enjoy and dance to?
See also: Best festival hair accessories for summer
Step 1 – Pre-Festival Hair Wash
As a long-haired person, you’ll probably already have figured out that washing your hair daily ain’t it.
So, hopefully 4-5 days without washing your hair is already pretty normal for you.
If not – if you have fine and oily hair that really requires more washing – then you’ll need to pack your dry shampoo!
Wash your hair as close as possible to leaving for the festival – make it the last thing that you do.
When washing, do two shampoos and a deep conditioning mask left on for 10 minutes and combed through.
This should give your hair plenty of moisture to last for the next few days.
Use leave-in conditioner too for extra shine.
Step 2 – Pre-Festival Styling
When it comes styling your freshly-washed pre-festival hair, think about smoothing your hair instead of perfecting it.
Avoid using lots of styling products that weigh your hair down and make it feel dirty.
During hot and and dry weather, the air gets very dusty and this will stick to the products you out it your hair!
Your hair will most likely be up, braided or put into a protective style for most of the event.
This means that your pre-festival hair styling should be simple, such as a basic blow dry or straightening session.
Curls from a curling iron or tongs are unlikely to last and will go frizzy quickly – but you know your own hair!
Remember that in a few hours time, you’ll be lugging your heavy bags for a long time across hot, sticky, dusty and/or muddy fields.
At that time, whatever style you’ve put into your hair will be long gone.
Step 3 – Find a protective style that will last several days
A protective hair style is one that protects your hair while you’re wearing it.
Braids and buns are great examples of protective hair styles.
These styles, when done properly, can also be slept on and stay looking fresh for several days!
Braids
Braids are very popular at festivals, but tricky to do on yourself.
Feed-in braids/cornrows aka “French braids” are especially popular because they use all your hair, keep it off your face and these styles can easily last a whole week with no maintenance at all.
People also use synthetic hair extensions to make their braids look thicker and longer.
However, you’ll probably need some help to braid your own hair if this is the look you’re going for.
Buns
Buns are great, you can do 2 space Buns easily by sectioning your hair down the middle and twisting it up into two cute buns.
You could also try braided buns if you’re feeling adventurous or creative.
Long and flowing
If you’re brave enough, let your hair flow long!
However, in this state your hair is most exposed to the elements, likely to get tangles or suffer from environmental damage.
Consider wearing a summer hat to protect your hsir while wearing it down at a music festival.
Step 4 – Festival Hair Care
While at the festival, if you’re wearing a protective hair style then you won’t need to ever brush your hair until you take the style out.
However, if you’re switching things up or wearing your hair down, here are a few essential hair care products to pack in your festival backpack:
- Serum/hair oil – this will smooth your hair down if it’s being particularly unruly
- Dry shampoo powder – wash your hair without water!
- Texturizing spray – if your hair feels flat and limp – this can bring it back to life
- Heat protector spray – even without heat styling, the sun and weather means your hair requires heat protection if you’ll be outside for 18-20 hours per day!
Also remember to bring:
- Snag-free hair ties
- Satin scrunchies
- Hair brush
- Wide tooth comb
Step 6 – Sleep Well to Avoid Bedhead
You may not be thinking much about sleep if you’re focussed on partying! But you’ll definitely need to refresh your energy as festivals are spread over several days – so take it easy!
While sleeping, your hair goes through a lot with friction as you move around on your pillow.
This leads to bed head – which can be hard to fix if you’re not using one of the protective hairstyles I mentioned earlier.
Consider wearing a satin bonnet to bed to keep your hair protected from being roughed up as you move around while sleeping.
Post-Festival Hair Care
When you get back home, it’s time to cleanse yourself of all the filth you’ve accumulated on your hair!
Just like your pre-festival wash, do two shampoos and a deep conditioning mask to help your hair recover. Comb the conditioner through and leave it on for 10-15 minutes before rinsing it off, then use leave-in conditioner for extra smoothness.
See also: How to do your own Festival Braids
Final Thoughts: Festival Hair Care
And there you have it, festival fans! The definitive guide to keeping your locks as luscious and lively as the electrifying music you’ll be immersing yourselves in this season.
From prep to style to aftercare, we’ve journeyed through the ups and downs, twists and turns of festival hair care together.
Stay safe, have fun, and let your hair sing its own song in harmony with the festival vibes. We can’t wait to see your epic festival hairstyles, so don’t forget to share your hair stories and photos with us!
Thanks for tuning in. Until next time, keep those tunes blasting and your hair shining brighter than the main stage spotlight. Here’s to an unforgettable music festival season!
