With the soul-crushing waves of the summer heat dawning upon our heads, the time has come when we prepare for the season’s scorching humidity. Humidity in the country can be graded up to a level of 5000 on the heat scale, and nobody thinks that sweaty necks and sticky locks are appealing to oneself or anyone. There’s hardly a girl who likes having to straighten and style her hair a million times a day, only to go outside and have it puff up like a pom-pom! As the summer temperatures kick in, you’ve got yourself covered with these five super easy summer hairstyles to stay cool and chic: Halo Braids Up your braid game with this ethereal, goddess-looking hairstyle. If you know how to French braid, you can create this look with no such trouble. Simply begin by French braiding in the centre of the back of your head, and pull hair into it from along your hairline. Continue around your head, making a horizontal braid that surrounds the entire circumference to create the ‘halo’ effect. The Halo Braid is the most popular hairstyle to wear this summer! Messy Bun You just cannot go wrong with a messy bun, because the messier the merrier! This is the easiest up-do to pull off and is perfect for a casual day out. All you need to do is gather your hair into a high or low ponytail, and then twist it to create a loose bun by wrapping the hair around itself. After securing in place with an elastic, pull out strands of your bun from the sides to loosen. Voila! Boho Fishtail Braid If you wish to wear your hair down but need to be a little cooler, try out the trendy Boho Fishtail Braid. It may seem elaborate, but it’s actually very easy to achieve once you get the hang of it. Gather your hair into a low pony, and split hair into two sections. Then, cross your sections over and continue plaiting through mid-lengths to ends. Finish by tying off the ends with an elastic. Don’t be concerned with any stray strands; this look isn’t supposed to be too polished. Low Ponytail Having a bad hair day? The low ponytail is your saving grace! A low ponytail is a staple hairstyle especially on humid days, but people mainly love how low-maintenance yet classy it looks. To achieve this, volumise the hair with a little backcombing at the crown and gather hair loosely at the nape, then secure the pony with a hair-tie. That’s it. You may add a tiny braid or a hair accessory to your ponytail, or you can wrap a loose strand around your hair-tie for a more sophisticated look. Boxer Braids Boxer braids aka ‘Dutch Pigtail Braids’ are the newest hair obsession on Instagram. As the weather gets warmer, this definitely rounds up as the best summer go-to hairstyle. This flattering look is surprisingly easy to master and looks amazing with any hair length, type, and colour. To create boxer braids, you are required to divide your hair into two equal parts and Dutch braid your hair (French braiding in reverse). Once you reach the end of the section, secure your braid with a hair tie, and repeat the same technique on the other half of your head. When your braids are complete, pull the braids apart loosely, and make them look wider and volumised. Published in Daily Times, April 12th 2018.