Step by Step Guide to Tousled Hair

One of the most surprising things about the tousled sexy bed head hairstyle is that it can be achieved in mere minutes or it can be a very time consuming process. The time difference depends on the length, texture and cut of your hair, the amount and type of products used, and styling techniques or tools used to create the look.

Celebrities such as Jennifer Aniston, Charlize Theron, Ryan Seacrest and Natasha Bedingfield favor this look, but not everyone is a Hollywood celebrity with their own personal hairstylist. Knowing some secret tips and tricks or having a step-by-step guide can help the average person create a sexy tousled celebrity hairstyle at home.

The first thing to take into consideration is the haircut. The more layers the better, especially if your hair is thick. Chunky layers will keep hair from being too weighed down, making it easier to achieve great volume and directional flow. Short thick hair and longer medium length locks are the easiest types and lengths to work with. Having a successful outcome with thin hair can be a bit of a challenge because mousse, gel, or wax products tend to weigh down thin hair, but it's not impossible.

The easiest technique to achieve the tousled look on longer hair is to braid the hair while it's damp and sleep in the braids. Apply a medium hold styling mousse such as Kiss My Face Hold Up Styling Mousse before braiding. The next morning, undo the braids and gently toss your head about to separate the hair. Use a medium hold texture spray such as L'Oreal ARTec TextureLine Hold Texture Spray to keep the style in place and you're good to go.

Creating the "controlled chaos" bed head look on short thick hair like Ryan Seacrest's or Charlize Theron's can be very simple. After shampooing your hair, towel dry it and then apply a strong hold styling mousse such as Aussie Opposites Attract Strong Hold & Touchable Feel Styling Mousse. Lightly towel dry the hair again and swish it back and forth quickly you're your hand, fingers, and a wide tooth metal comb to help lift the hair from the scalp. Top it off with a light finishing spray such as Paul Mitchell Fast Drying Medium Hold Finishing Spray to keep the style in place and you're ready to head out the door.

If your hair is thin, you will have to work a bit harder. One of the best tricks for thin hair is to use some lightweight mousse or gel such as Suave Max Hold Volumizing Mousse or Herbal Essences Body Envy Weightless Hold Gel. Apply the gel to wet hair before starting the drying process. Then use your fingers and hands to pull sections of hair in different directions as it dries. This will create texture and volume by tricking the eye to focus on multiple focal points as if the hair is molded and swirled in multiple directions. Another good tip for thin hair is to put the blow dryer on the lowest setting and pull the hair up high and far away from the scalp as it dries. This will separation and give the illusion of volume. You can also use a hair pick to keep the hair lifted off the scalp as it dries. Use a lightweight but sturdy hold finishing spray such as White Sands Medium Hold Liquid Texture to keep the hair in place. This product is a fine mist that goes on lightly and dries almost instantly, so it will not weigh the hair down with wetness before it dries like some other hairsprays do.

For longer hair about the length of Jennifer Aniston's, use some styling mousse on the hair while it's still damp. A great lightweight mousse is Sephora Terax Hair Care Silk Foam Lightweight Styling Mousse. After applying the mousse, twist tendrils of damp hair around your finger into a spiral shape. If your hair is thin, use smaller amounts of hair in the tendrils than if your hair is thick. If time isn't a factor, let the hair dry naturally. For faster drying, use a blow dryer with a diffuser. Using a diffuser will reduce frizz and static. After the hair is dry, run your fingers lightly through it or toss your head around a bit to loosen up the tendrils. Finish with a light setting spray such as Tresemme Smooth Finishing Lightweight Hair Spray.

For hair that already has some volume and curl, use a styling mousse such as Kerastase Nutritive Elasto-Curl Weightless Mousse for Fine Curly Hair. Next, you'll want to wad and scrunch up the hair with your fingers and hands. Scrunch it up nice and tight and let the hair dry. After it's dry, use a wide tooth wire hair pick to gently separate the bunches. Or you can simply leave it alone. Whatever you do, don't brush it because that will cause the hair to frizz. To give curly hair a sleeker, straighter look and still keep a nice tousled bed head appeal, use some hair wax. Smooth it on the top layer of the hair and on the ends of each section. Hair wax will give the hair texture, shine, and hold but will allow you to sculpt it easily. One of the best brands of wax is Tigi Bed Head Hard To Get Texture Paste.

There you have it! You should now be able to create your own Hollywood celebrity sexy tousled bed head hairstyle look using the tips in this step-by-step guide.

Source: Personal experience as a hairdresser.