From Gigi Hadid’s fiery ginger to Billie Eilish’s buttery blonde, 2021 was a blaze of warm, off-kilter shades as the world is starting to open up. What does the year to come will bring in regards to hair colour trends? Are we likely to get the return of peroxide blonde or slime green? Will 2022 be an affair of the dark? This article compiled the predictions of some experts on the 2022 trends in hair colour.

Warm it up

Warmth is returning in 2022. No matter if you’re brunette, blonde or redhead, try adding warmth into your look. Request your colourist to incorporate an ‘midlight’ to their highlighting process. It creates deeper and warmer hue which connects your base and the lightest highlight in a seamless and harmonious way, resulting in multi-dimensional, controlled and more warm results.

Be Daring

“Sandy blondes” like Sharon Tate will be big as electric coral since it is a beautiful shade for everyone’s skin. It’s like recording the magic hour in a particular hair colour. There’s Simi and Haze, the dynamic twins from Los Angeles who do it the best. Light and natural. Dark blonde highlights the features of brunettes but is sufficiently light as not to alter the overall look completely.

Get high maintenance

“Get ready for high-maintenance colours in 2022! Everybody has been simple and low maintenance for the last two years and we’re over it! We’re looking forward to seeing hair that has been processed twice (light base with highlights) similar to Paris Hilton and dramatic, edgy dark hair with a sultry look similar to Megan Fox.”

Make sure it’s natural

Natural colours with lots of dimension as well as bright and shining highlights, is one of the predictions for 2022. Get inspired by colours such as auburn red, toffee blondes and chocolate brown.

Customization is key

As we begin 2022, we’ll be seeing clients moving away from the balayage look and overly bleached two-toned styles which can cause hair damage. Instead, the focus of the style will be to keep hair looking healthier by using personalised natural and blended hair colours which complement the individual skin tone.

Try Balayage

Inspired from the runways of Celine, Chanel and Dior hair is now simple and sleek as a contrasting effect to the bold, vibrant shades and styles that are currently in fashion. Young and fresh blondes will be infused with undertones of butterscotch, honey marigold, lemon and Cher Horowitz in Clueless.

A popular Galvin iconic style from the ’70s is the summer to winter childhood hairstyle. It captures those sun-kissed locks from the summer, as hair gets longer throughout winter and you can see the shades playing out in the lengths of hair. When summer transitions into autumn and winter, the darker underneath plays against the movements of the lighter lengths. A slight balayage is a good way to keep the appearance and enhance the illusion.

This is applicable to all hair types. Darker tones might require a slight gloss for toning down your natural red tones, and add more shine. Blondes might want to add a hint of colour for keeping their locks looking fresh and bright. In the spring, apply an ethereal halo of colour to boost the skin tones and draw attention, something akin to the fantastical “golden hour” just before sunset. Then, when the sun finally sets, you’ll have the Cali beach natural look.

Health is wealth

There’s an increasing demand for hair that is healthy and beautiful nowadays, and it will continue through the year. Hairstyles and colours aren’t too complicated and try to show off vibrant, abundant healthy hair. Colours that are bold but feeling natural appear to be trendy. It’s a mix of Irish reds, Chestnut and Scandinavian blonde, with an overriding focus being on health and shine. The aim will be to use more glosses, which provide a greater overall colour that enhances shine and overall health.

Copper reds

“Hair trending colours” will still be within the natural colour family. They are the deep browns that have seamless, harmonious caramel highlights. The subtle balayage remain well-liked. We are seeing demand for natural mahogany and copper red tones also!

Colourful flashes

“Stripes of colour in hair, with chunky contrasting balayage, highlights or bleach bits, instead of bleaching of the scalp or a uniform tone are extremely popular in the new year. Many are opting for warm vibrant hues with the placement type like I Saw Red and Tangerine Dream. Bold colour flashes using acid tones and neons will be popular in 2022. The stylists at our salons are working on creating underneath peekaboo highlights, so that these colours appear as hair moves, and as the face is framed with bleach bits or dip dyes techniques.

Layer it up

The 2022 colour will be filled with intense layers and warm tones. Think of vanilla blondes, deep browns similar to an ethereal chocolate cherry tone or pumpkin coppers. There will be lesser high-contrast colours, and more blended lowlight highlights. In other areas, people are accepting their natural texture.