How Every Hair Type Can Achieve the Ghost Waves Trend

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Let’s be real: Effortless beauty is somewhat of a myth. Oftentimes, that “no makeup” makeup or “perfectly imperfect” hair takes just as much—if not more—legwork than going full glam. So when I saw “ghost waves” (a term coined by hairstylist Tom Smith) popping up all over social media as a low-maintenance summer hair trend, I thought there was no way they could be that easy to achieve. Barely there bends? Sounds fabulous, but my curls have more of an energetic presence, so I’d likely need multiple hot tools to create that texture—a task that doesn’t seem very effortless at all.

Because I was a bit hesitant, I asked Smith himself how every hair type—from pin-straight strands to dense coils—can master the ghost waves trend at home, and it turns out, this breezy style is as unfussy as it seems. Scroll ahead for his in-depth tutorial.

Smith describes the style as “soft, barely there, S-shaped waves.” They’re effortless and undone, evoking the laid-back, ’70s-inspired energy of a billowy boho dress. In fact, celebrities like Sienna Miller, Zoe Saldaña, and Daisy Edgar-Jones have all paired their ultra-boho Chloé dresses with understated ghost waves in the past year. Let it be known: Boho chic is back, and a free-spirited chiffon moment calls for an equally floaty hairstyle to match.

“The term comes from the fact that it’s an undetectable technique,” Smith explains. “Rather than being able to say, ‘Oh, those are GHD curls,’ or ‘That’s a curling-iron wave,’ or ‘That’s a blowout,’ it’s a hidden technique, so you can’t quite see how it’s been done. It also [has] a whisper of texture rather than a shout. … The ghost wave speaks to that person who [loves] a quiet luxury [aesthetic], as opposed to the mob wife from last year.”

This all being said, ghost waves are way more versatile than you think. Yes, they are technically categorized by slight, undetectable bends in the hair, but you can also simply lean into your natural texture for your own version of effortless, boho-inspired strands. The only general “rule” is to secure a middle part, as that tends to read breezier. “But it doesn’t have to be a perfect middle parting,” Smith caveats. “It can be something that’s a little bit more irregular, which leans into that effortless look.”