Can you remember any of the hairstyles from your youth? Quess what? For summer fashion, the latest hairstyles have their stylistic roots in the seventies and eighties.

Two key hairstyle trends of the season are straight and smooth and loosely curled with a tousled bohemian look. The two styles may appear to be opposites but both have body. There’s no limit on length as both short and long styles are right in style.

There is a return to short hair with the eighties inspired “undercut”. The bob is updated with variations ranging from elevated to classic.

Long straight styles tend to feature lots of layers, jagged edges and side-swept bangs. Typically it is the younger clients wanting this layered jagged edged look, as they refer to as the “rock star” haircut. It is similar to the hairstyle worn by Ashlee Simpson.

If keeping straight hair smooth and sleek is challenging, there are styling tips and products that can help. Leave in conditioning creams that can be combed evenly through the hair prior to blow drying will help keep the hair smooth and well moisturized.

For height at the crown, lifters such as powder or mousse can be applied to the roots. A round brush and Velco rollers then can be used with a blow dryer to creast volume a the top of the head. Cutting weight out of the hair at the crown elevates the style.

Long and flowing loosely tousled bed head waves go with the bohemian influence seen in some of the current clothing styles. This is the look that stars such as Julia Roberts and Debra Messing have made famous.

Enhancing the look of natural curls and fighting the tendency for curly hair to turn frizzy when humidity is a factor, can present a challenge but there are styling techniques and products that are up to the task. Prior to blow drying, use a thermal active protective spray designed to hold curl, resist humidity and prevent “frizzies”. To make the most of natural waves and curls, use a sculpting mousse or medium hold sculpting gel while styling your hair. Although hair may have natural curl, warpping large sections around a curling iron can help to achieve a more evenly curled look. Finishing steps may include using a scrunching mousse or a curl-shaping cream designed to hold, separate and refresh curls on wet or dry hair.

Maybe back to the seventies and eighties isn’t so bad after all? As I look at everyone wearing the “Posh” do, I keep thinking…wasn’t this what we referred to as the “Sasson” in the seventies? It was pretty cool then and it’s pretty cool today!