The Top 10 Most Convenient Second Day Hairstyles (2024)

We're all for stretching out the time between shampoos. It means less time getting ready, healthier hair, and easier to style strands. And if I’m being honest, that dirty hair, bed head, Kate Moss hair look is forever my inspo when trying to achieve the perfect hair style. Unfortunately for those of us with fine hair, things can start to look a little too oily quick. But here’s the silver lining- a little oil goes a long way when it comes to holding a hairstyle. Second-day hair, or hair that was washed a day or two ago, is much easier to work with than clean hair. Squeaky clean hair can slip out of bobby pins and be difficult to coerce. Plus, so many hairstyles just look so much cooler on hair that has a little grit. Keep reading for 10 second-day hairstyles, including tutorials, hair care tips, tools, and the hair products you need to make them happen.

Your skin is covered in billions of good bacteria from about 1000 different species. These helpful bacteria are collectively called your microbiome. Washing your hair too frequently can throw off your scalp's microbiome, causing things like scalp inflammation and inhibited hair growth, as well as strands that become increasingly dry and brittle. We’ve previously discussed how often you should wash your hair, and the importance of using conditioner.

Just because you’re skipping a day or two between shampoos, doesn’t mean your strands don’t need special treatment on those days. Treating your second-day hair like it’s freshly washed can damage it, undoing all the benefits of skipping daily washing. Below are the best hair styling products, tips, and tricks to use on second-day hair.

• Don’t re-blow dry second-day hair. You might think it’s a good idea to freshen up second-day strands with another blow-dry, but blow-drying already dry hair can singe your strands and cause damage to your hair.
• Apply heat only to sections that need it. Instead of reheating all of your hair, section off the parts that have fallen flat or need straightening. Apply your hot tool of choice only to those sections.
• Absorb oil before you style second-day hair. Absorb any visible oiliness in your hair with dry shampoo before any second-day hairstyles. Applying heat tools to oily hair can cook the oil and your hair in the process. See our previous post on how to use dry shampoo for more information.
• Don’t add an additional heat protectant. If you’ve already applied a heat protectant before styling your freshly washed hair, the protection is still there. Adding more will only make your hair oilier, giving your heat tools more opportunities to cook your hair (see above).
• Preserve your hair when you sleep. Limit oil accumulation and prevent crimps and folds in your hair while you sleep. To preserve a blowout, sleep with a loose bun at the top of your head. Protect your curly hair from breakage and frizz with a few loose braids.

Gather your hair above your ears into a high ponytail at the crown of your head. Twist the ponytail around itself and coil it toward the base until you’re happy with the knot. Use a few bobby pins to secure it to your head and pin down any rogue pieces of hair.

• Run a texturizing serum through damp hair to prevent flyaways, and part it slightly to one side.
• Take about a two-inch chunk of hair from the front of the right hairline, and begin to braid.
• Section this portion of hair into three even strands, keeping them separated with your fingers. Now, start a normal braid; take the right strand and cross it over the middle strand. Next, take the left strand and cross it over the middle strand.
• Once you have this foundation, begin adding more hair with each crossover. To do this, gather a small bit of hair from the hairline, add it to the rightmost strand, and then cross it over the middle strand. Pull it tight, but keep the strands separated at all times.
• Repeat on the other side by gathering a small bit of hair closest to the side part (away from the hairline), adding it to the leftmost strand, and then crossing it over the middle strand.
• Continue this braiding pattern until you’re an inch away from the right neckline. At this point, start to braid horizontally across to the left neckline. All of the hair should be gathered into the french braid by the time you hit the bottom of the left ear.
• Once all the hair is incorporated, finish braiding traditionally. Secure with a hair tie.

Spritz your strands with a brushable hairspray and let any flyaways roam. Gather your hair into a high ponytail. Gently twist and loosely wrap the ponytail around itself and secure it with bobby pins. This can be a messy bun or slick, depending on your mood.

• Start with a side part, and section off approximately 2 inches of the front of the larger side. Spray a texturizing spray evenly on your strands for extra grip and texture.
• Gather the rest of the hair and braid toward the same side that the front piece is sectioned off. Once complete, pull and pinch the hair to make the braid larger and more full.
• Next, roll the braid into itself to form a braided bun, and pin it into the side near the nape of the neck.
• Braid the front section of hair into the rolled braid and pin it to secure. Pull at your braid to add a haphazard fullness.
• Finish it off with a strong hair spray for added hold.

Take a small section of hair from each side of your head and cross them back across your head. Use one hand to hold them in place and slide a bobby pin in horizontally over the crossed section. Then take another bobby pin and slide it upward at a diagonal angle to set the right side. Repeat this on the left to complete the triangle.

Part your hair horizontally from ear to ear so that it’s divided into two equal halves. Pull the top section up into a ponytail and secure it. Pull the bottom section of your hair into another ponytail right under the first one. Wrap a small section of hair around the base of both ponytails, creating a fuller, longer single pony, and secure it with a bobby pin.

Grab a section of hair around your temple, twist it around your fingers a few times, and secure it with a hairpin. Tousle the rest of your hair or twist it into a messy bun. Or take equal sections from both sides and secure them behind the crown of your head for a half-updo, keeping your hair up and out of your face.

This one works on both long hair and short. Brush through your hair and slip a headband over your strands back to your temples. Leave the ends of your hair loose, or secure them into a low bun or low ponytail.

• Create a deep parting on one side and flip all your hair over one shoulder.
• Leaving out any bangs or shorter layers around your face, braid all your hair and secure it at the end with a hair tie.
• Loosen up your braid by tugging at the sides and spritz with more sea salt spray to complete the look.

Experts agree that stretching out the time between shampoos means healthier hair. And not having to wash your hair every day means less time getting ready. But oily hair can be hard to hide on the off days. Lucky for us lazy girls a little oil goes a long way when it comes to a second-day hairstyle. Second-day hair is much easier to work with than clean hair, which can slip out of style and be difficult to coerce. Our ten second-day hairstyles are all easy enough to DIY and will fit into any daily routine. Not to mention, they look so much cooler on hair that has a little grit.

by Jaclyn LaBadia, featured contributor