Trends come and trends go, but some are embraced and become timeless. Those that do make the transition from trend to lasting style emphasize and revive an existing aspect of our hair and change our look while maintaining that connection to our natural beauty.  The following trends have been seen all over social media, and are being embraced not only by celebrities, but by everyday folks who feel that these styles enable them to feel good about themselves while experimenting with their looks. If there was ever a time to put your hair in the hands of an adventurous stylist, it is now, because these trends are not only chic but can also be done in a way that compliments your natural look, rather than alter it completely. Often, we are afraid of what change can bring, and by holding on to a familiar sense of self, we forget all of the good that change can bring. In the context of hair, a fresh style can boost your self-esteem and make you feel ready to take on the world.

Grey hair 

#greyhair

Sleek, elegant, unique. These are the adjectives to describe the look that has been sweeping Instagram this past year. The “granny hair” or grey hair trend has been embraced by people of all ages, with various hair lengths and styles. Seen all over social media on everyone from celebrities to university students, the grey hair trend is a fresh take on colour play and what is considered beautiful.

The grey pigment is achieved by bleaching hair to the lightest possible colour, and applying a purple toner to remove any yellow undertones (if you are bleaching from a brown pigment) before adding the silver dye. Obviously, this process is trying on your hair.

But, by embracing the natural process of greying hair, trendy hair gurus have created a very well received look that is different from what is usually thought of as healthy, youthful-looking hair. Bold, shiny colours that mimic hair we once had before we had reached puberty are no longer the standard. While the #greyhair pigment may not look exactly like naturally greying hair, it is presented in a context of beauty that is beginning to value a mature look, rather than catering to a pre-existing notion that young is the standard of beauty.

Checkout the #greyhair tag on Instagram!

Balayage 

#balayage

The final form of the ombré: the Balayage covers more of the hair and strives to mimic the natural streaks and colour nuances of your hair, akin to that of the sun-kissed hair of children. Unlike the ombré, the Balayage covers the entire bottom layer all the way up to your roots, while still maintaining the tonal variation from top to bottom, with the lightest or most intense hue at the ends of the hair. The blend of the Balayage is slightly harder to achieve than the ombré as you need to divide smaller sections of hair throughout your head. While there are many endorsed methods of achieving this look, the most widely circulated is the “hair painting” technique, using plastic wrap and fine brushes.

The reason this hair trend is becoming more popular is because it’s a very natural look that is low-maintenance. Not to mention we can recreate the nostalgic, playful and natural childhood hair we once had.

Natural hair 

#naturalhair
Natural hair trends that are here to stay

A different trend that has recently taken social media by storm: leaving your hair natural, no matter what the texture. After the pin-straight hair trends of the first decade of the 2000’s when the staple for everyone from girl groups to red carpet goers was a sleek, straightened mane, “keeping it natural” is a refreshing and important affirmation that there is a multitude of ways to be trendy, beautiful, and professional other than straightening away your curls. 

Social media has exploded with trending topics and hashtags praising the natural look over manually straightened, relaxed, or permed hair, and embracing the style that suits your natural hair best whether it’s a 1A texture or a 4C.

By embracing all hair textures and not just a single look, we promote the diverse nature of beauty and can influence the companies that produce hair products to cater to a variety of people, and expand our choices as consumers in order for us to make educated decisions when buying products that help keep our hair healthy and beautiful. In turn, the styling industry in conjunction with these companies, influences salon culture, and produces more knowledgeable stylists that are familiar with a wider variety of hair textures, catering to more people.

Bobs 

#bobcut

A new spin on the classic look: the bob. The bob is making a comeback in 2016 with more versatility and boldness than before, it can be combined with any or all of the above trends.

A feminine and powerful look, the bob may be intimidating considering that to achieve this style some may have to go in for “the chop,” but it is well worth it to freshen up your style. Luckily, there are many bobs to choose from, from collarbone length bobs, to asymmetrical and curly bobs. If you are worried about the big chop, a medium length bob is a great way to give your hair a lift without losing a lot of it. Likewise, if you are looking for a versatile look to experiment with, adding colour to your bob is a great way to do so because you can experiment without worrying about damaging the majority of your hair (even if you do, you can up your bob level a notch and cut off the damaged parts).

While long luscious hair is a crowd-pleaser, the bob can provide the same versatility and length, while creating a more modern look that frames your face and accents your features.

Stay fabulous.  Stay stylish. Stay beautiful.