Of all the things you might “cut” from your life in the new year — certain foods, old mindsets, those skinny jeans you thought were a good idea at the time — your hair often feels like the least dramatic, perhaps most cathartic clean break you can make. Still, there’s nothing like stepping into January with a fresh new haircut that makes subzero temperatures and overcrowded yoga classes seem somewhat more bearable.
The good news about trends in 2020 is that there’s plenty of room for personalization. “These days, haircuts are becoming more and more tailored to your face shape, natural texture, and lifestyle,” said David Lopez, celebrity hairstylist to the likes of Ashley Graham and Hailey Baldwin. “Overall, people are wanting styles that are easy to wear and also make their hair look thick. And because we’ve seen so many people experiment with vibrant hair colors, it’s inspired a slew of people to become more experimental and adventurous with their haircuts.”
If that doesn’t already sound like the “you do you” mantra you’d like to cling to in the new year, allow Lopez to break down the biggest haircut trends you’re about to see blow up your Instagram feed in 2020 ahead.
The Soft Blunt Bob
So you want to get a bob haircut? Yeah, you and about 892,073 other people throughout the last year and a half. (“Many, many, many bobs happened in 2019,” Lopez summed up, which sounds about right.) Luckily, there’s a new twist on the trend you can expect come 2020. “This year, they’ll become softer and a little more grown out,” Lopez said. “I like to call it the ‘soft blunt’ bob, where the perimeter of the haircut looks thick but slightly piecey. There are a lot softer edges.”
Curtain Bangs
We know, we know — bangs for Winter, so revolutionary. But retro hairstyles have been on the up-and-up in recent months and will gain even more momentum come 2020 — especially with fringe haircuts. “Curtain bangs inspired by the ’70s are growing in popularity,” Lopez said. “They’re a low-commitment way to try something new as they quickly and easily grow into face-framing layers and can be worked by almost any hair texture.” Groovy, baby.
Longer Lengths
It’s not hair extensions (although you’ll certainly see plenty of that in Hollywood) — people will actually be growing theirs out this upcoming year. “With newer and better ingredients in hair care and more awareness around avoiding chemical and heat damage, people are able to grow out their hair to longer and longer lengths in a healthier way,” Lopez said. Butt-grazing lengths, come at us.
Short Pixie Cuts
Miles-long hair aside, Lopez said there’s also room on the opposite side of the spectrum, adding that “shorter lengths will continue to reign with softer edges and more movement.” More specifically, though, experts are predicting pixie cuts will be everywhere in the new year — specifically of the ’60s mod persuasion. “There was a pixie resurgence in 2019, and I think it’s here to stay,” said Travis Speck, hairstylist at the Sally Hershberger NoMad Salon in NYC. “Anytime a client comes in and requests a pixie, I take my inspiration from Mia Farrow’s classic pixie cut. Short hair is much more manageable and less high maintenance, but in order to help it grow out, you’ll need to schedule routine trims.”
Luxurious Curls
If we’re talking maximum volume, then forget about the super straight styles of the past. Stylists are going va va VOOM for curls. The best way to get them? Get yourself a curl maximizing serum or spray and douse your wet head. Next, break out the diffuser you shoved into the back of your bathroom drawer twenty years ago and use it to dry your hair as slowly as possible, which is the key to big curls, say the experts. Finally, you know how everyone was forking out the dough for hair straightening irons? Ditch it for the latest in styling tools – a curling iron! Or rather, a curling machine (BaByliss PRO makes a couple of models available at retailers like Overstock.com, Walmart and Ulta Beauty.) Yes, it works exactly the same way that the straighteners work, except it curls your strands and keeps them curled for a luxurious, body maximizing brush out.
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Photo Credit: Olena Yakobchuk / Shutterstock.com