Whether in the bush or on a lush festival lawn, ace your festival hairstyling like a pro with effortlessly functional and stylish trends. 

Trending: 4 festival hair updates

1. Braided hues: Skip the neon hair pieces and glittery extensions and go for more subtle colour with the help of braids created with the addition of extensions in blonde, dark blue, purple, or copper brunette, or apply wash-out hair chalk to change your hair colour for the day.
2. Festival queen: Festivals are synonymous with flowery hair accessories, so stand out from a sea of flower crowns with metallic headpieces in modern, floral designs that will feel more like elevated hair jewellery.
3. Buns out: Always oozing with festival cool, a braided style in the form of Bantu knots will not only keep styling low maintenance but will also keep hair up and off the neck in the heat. Create face-framing braids to give the style some softness and allow space for micro-accessories such as braid cuffs.
4. Link up: We love a bit of sparkle, especially for festival season, but applying the popular craft glitter-hair gel combo in hair partings can be difficult to wash out. Rather opt for golden braid rings and cuffs woven into face-framing strands when rocking either box braids or locs.

8 tips for festival hair care

1. Make hair as low maintenance as possible by going for braided styles such as box braids, cornrows, Dutch braids, or faux locs, which will also keep your natural hair protected from the elements.
2. Thinking about rocking a wig or weave? Go for texture and keep sleek, straight wigs that need heat-styling tools at home. Texture, waves, and curls reminiscent of the 1980s are bang on trend right now, so opt for wavy textured wigs that can be styled with a spritz or two of water and leave-in conditioner.
3. Before heading off, do a proper hair wash in order to avoid hair that is oily or dirty during the festival.
4. Since shampooing will be kept to a minimum, use a dry shampoo to spray into braids or in-between cornrows to freshen up hair and reduce dirt and product build-up.
5. Keep a lightweight, leave-in conditioner spray and frizz-control mousse on hand to soothe the scalp, keep hair moisturised, and refresh braided styles.
6. Save yourself the stress of knotted hair or frizz in the morning by wearing a silk bonnet over wigs, braids, and natural afros while sleeping, if staying overnight.
7. Excessive sun exposure can break down hair proteins and pigments, making strands more brittle, dry, and faded. Use a hair SPF product to coat strands while you party away.
8. Use hats and headscarves to not only accessorise hairstyles but protect against sun exposure, humidity, and dust.