Don’t get us wrong, having freshly washed, blow-dried hair is one of the best feelings in the world. It smells great, feels great, and looks… pretty good. Now, the second day after washing our hair is when things get really good. That slinky, just-washed feel lives on, the intoxicating shampoo scent remains, and there’s not a strand of greasiness in sight. Our hair just looks so much better and styles so much easier. 

If like us you’d love to forgo the overnight wait and get second day hair on day one (or to turn back time and get it after days of not washing your tresses) you’re in luck. We’re about to show you how and explain why there’s nothing like that second day hair feeling…

What is Second Day Hair & Why is it So Good?

If you’re wondering what exactly second day hair is, it’s as straightforward as it sounds. The day after you wash it, you have second day hair, simple! The more complicated part comes when you’re on day one, three, four, or more, and you need that second day hair for a specific style or occasion. Thankfully, it’s possible to achieve.

Why is it so great?

We can explain…

The vast majority agree that whilst our hair feels freshest on day one, it looks much better and is way easier to manipulate on day two. Thinking it’s all in your head? It’s not. Here are just some of the reasons why your hair might naturally look better on its second day of cleanliness.

It’s Had Time to Dry

Are you in the practice of letting your hair dry naturally? If you are, firstly, well done! Your hair will love you for reduced heat styling. Secondly, this may be a reason why your hair is so much better on day two. It’s had an adequate amount of time to fully dry meaning those super-defined waves and curls that come with slightly damp hair, are no more.

Of course, we love our hair to have shape. But, once it’s properly dry, you’ll be able to tousle it out a little adding volume and a sense of pretty effortlessness to your locks.

Natural Oils Have Returned

As much as we try not to, washing our hair inevitably leads to a slight stripping of the natural oils that moisturize our scalps and our locks. This means our hair can feel a little dry after washing, especially if we’ve shampooed twice or forgotten to condition. The day after washing, that natural oil (called sebum) that we washed away starts to come back adding softness to our tresses. Sebum also helps to balance the pH levels of your scalp preventing your hair from dryness and breakage. 

Natural Shape is Restored

If you often find your hair just won’t sit right after washing, sleep on it. Hair is often fluffier and drier just after washing and blow-drying which can stop it from assuming its usual style. We’re betting that, come the morning, you’ll find your locks are much more obedient. Why? Sebum has returned and those strands have had a chance to relax and de-fluff!

Styles are so Much Easier to Accomplish

Another noteworthy reason your second day hair might look so much better than the first is thanks to how it holds a style. If you’ve ever found that styles seem to slide out of place, or that you just can’t grip the strands as you need to after washing, you’re not alone.

The reason it happens is your clean hair needs time to gain its oil back. This will give your tresses a much better base. Bobby pins, headbands, and hair elastics will have something to grip onto and your style will look much sleeker and hold much better. If you’ve ever had your hair done for a big event you now know why your stylist asks you to arrive with your hair having already been washed the day before!

Now don’t worry, if you’ve washed your hair and need to style it on the same day, all is not lost. We’re about to talk you through just how you can achieve that coveted second day hair on day one, or on any other day for that matter!

How to Create Second Day Hair on Day One

To make sure your hair looks its absolute best after washing, you’ll want to learn how to recreate the look. This will serve you and your beautiful locks well on those occasions when you don’t have time to sleep on them! We also love knowing how to do this so we can always have that just-cleaned feeling (and shampoo scent!) when we’re going somewhere special.

Think it’ll be a complicated process?

It’s not!

Getting second day hair is totally achievable in a relatively short window of time. All you’ll need to do is follow these simple steps in order and, hello second day hair of your dreams…

Wash Your Hair Thoroughly

First on our list is to make sure you give those tresses a really great wash. Now, by this, we absolutely do not mean scrub at your scalp! What we’re talking about is ensuring your locks have a good all-round cleanse that gently removes any build-up or leftover product. To do this, use your fingertips to massage your scalp as you go.

Doing this each time you wash your locks will give you the perfect base to start creating your dream second day hair.

Choose a Good Quality Shampoo That’s Right for You

Now you know that properly cleansing your hair is so important, make sure you have a shampoo that gives you what you need. There’s no need to spend your life savings on shampoo, however, we do recommend investing in one that’s made for your hair type. 

If your hair is very thick for example, look out for shampoos containing organic plant oils. These could be coconut oil, jojoba oil, or argan oil for example. 

Those with finer hair should shop for shampoos containing essential oils like lemongrass, thyme, and peppermint. These can enhance how voluminous your hair looks.

Don’t Skip the Conditioner

We know, after washing and rinsing your hair, it’s all too tempting to turn off the shower and throw on a towel. Well, if you really want that second day hair today, you might want to turn that faucet back on!

As we talked about earlier, hair can feel a little too fluffy after a good wash. This is not what we want for second day hair. To make sure this doesn’t happen, use a rich conditioner on your tresses. Concentrate the formula from the middle of your lengths to the ends. This will stop your hair from feeling weighed down by over conditioning at the scalp (which will create its own oils again soon enough). This will also add tons of moisture to your hair and stop those fly aways from, well, flying away!

What’s more, if you intend to blow dry your hair right after washing it, you’ll want all the extra moisture you can get.

Why?

It’s simple!

As you apply heat to your hair, moisture begins to evaporate and can leave your strands feeling dry and brittle. Using a great conditioner will prevent this from happening.

Make Time to Blow Dry Properly

Taking the time to create great first day hair will ultimately result in even better second day hair! For many of us, that means creating an amazing salon-worthy blow-dry at home. This may sound daunting but, we promise, it’s really not as tricky as it seems.

There are countless tutorials online, we also recommend asking your stylist for tips the next time you’re at the salon. Ask them how they roll your hair around the brush and which heat settings they use to create the look you love.

It’s also worth noting that if you do opt for blow-drying over air drying, try not to apply heat from heat styling tools on the same day. Excessive heat can not only cause damage and breakage to your strands, but it can also make it dryer. This will make it trickier for your hair to relax and become the second day locks you’re dreaming of.

Create Some Faux Texture

Usually, the natural sebum in our hair takes a little longer than an hour or two to start making a difference to the texture of our hair. This texture is what makes second day hair so much easier to style.

Therefore, when you’ve no time to lose, you’ll want to create some texture of your own. This can be easily done by spritzing on a little texturizing spray. It will lift the look of your locks and add a little more grip that’s essential when creating complex styles that you need to stay in place all day long. It’ll also look amazing even if you plan to wear your hair loose!

Want to know another super simple way to create texture and volume?

Keep reading…

Use Dry Shampoo

That’s right, dry shampoo isn’t just for oily root days! We also highly recommend it for creating incredible volume and texture right after washing.

Now, you won’t need much as we’re not trying to soak up any oils here. We simply need the texture that spray shampoo instantly provides. This will allow you to grip the strands for styling, plus, simply massaging your roots for a few seconds will send your tresses into voluminous overdrive!

Second Day Hair On Day Three, or Four, Or…

Maybe you wash your hair every other day, perhaps you only go for it once a week. No matter how often you suds up those strands, second day hair is always achievable.

If you like to leave it a little longer between washes, you’re likely contending with too much sebum than not enough. You also might find your once voluminous roots are looking a little lackluster. In this case, dry shampoo is, once again, your best friend. 

It’ll soak up any excess oils or product whilst giving your hair its volume and texture back, what’s more, it’ll smell just as good as it did after you first washed it. But that’s not the only way to get your second day hair after the fact…

Wash Your Bangs

Those with bangs know that the struggle to make it through even the first day without greasiness creeping in is real! However, that doesn’t mean you need to wash all of your hair to get things back in order.

Simply, wash your bangs. Use a headband with some stretch to hold your longer lengths back and leave the bangs free at the front. Wash and style them as you usually would for a speedy freshen up!

Try a Different Part

Are you a center part only gal?

Not anymore!

If you want that second day hair on day four, you might want to think about mixing things up. The reason is, after a few days of not washing your hair, as we know, the natural oils have returned to your scalp and begin making their way down your tresses. Though this is great for maintaining the condition of your hair, it doesn’t always look that great. These oils can give your hair an unwanted, wet-look sheen and can cause it to lay super flat when you don’t want it to.

So what to do?

Spritz those roots with some spray shampoo and flip your hair over into a part you don’t usually have! This section of your hair hasn’t been as exposed to the elements as your usual parted hair has been. This means it will look and feel cleaner and style better with just a quick freshen up. What’s more, it’s always fun to mix up your look from time to time!