We’ll start this by saying hair trends never truly go completely in and out of fashion, styles like the bob hairstyle and the blunt bob, along with hair colour techniques like balayage will always top requests in salons up and down the country. Having said that, the one thing beauty enthusiasts furiously search for (and beauty editors consistently asked) at the start of a new season is hair trends to experiment with—we all like a little reinvention, right? The great news is that there are a lot of exciting trends coming our way.
This year, we’re throwing it back to the ‘90s and embracing all the volume, re-imagining hair colour shades with copper 2.0, and prioritising our hair health for glossy, shiny locks.
To help give you the best inspo you could wish for, we've called in eight (yes, eight!) of the best hairstylists and colourists in the UK to give us the lowdown on which styles to look out for and how to achieve them. Read on to see which cut, colour and style trends are already proving big news in 2023.
1. The modern Teddy boy
“The modern Teddy boy cut is a play on a classic ‘50s haircut,” says hairstylist Halley Brisker. It’s a great trend for 2023 because it can be experimented with when it comes to length and all hair types can get involved. “It’s a great retro cut, and I predict a desire from people to be more daring over the next 12 months; it’s fun to style and really enhances features,” he adds. Named after the ‘50s British subculture of the Teddy boys, the cut is short on the sides and longer on the top (and it's full of volume).
Of course, this is the modern version, so it’s completely genderless and can be adapted to suit your length, texture and preferences.
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2. Deep side parting
A few years ago, TikTok declared the side parting era was over in place of the middle parting, but in 2023, celebs and us regular folk are claiming it back. Get ready for the deep side parting to be all the rage. “I see a deep side parting as power hair,” says hairstylist and Babyliss ambassador Syd Hayes.
It works for all hair types and you can easily try it at home. “It can work on both curly hair textures with big bounce and sleek straight hair because the parting holds the structure,” says Hayes. Plus, “it’s an amazing way of adding more lift and volume to any style,” hairstylist Lewis Pallett adds.
For bouncy curly hair, use a root thickening spray. Hayes loves R+Co’s Dallas Thickening Spray, followed by the BaByliss Hydro Fusion Hair Dryer with the diffuser attachment while your hair is upside down. Finally, “finish with hairspray like Hair By Sam McKnight’s Modern Hairspray to lock those curls in place,” Hayes adds.
For sleek, straight hair, “I always advise with a deep side part by taking it right from the corner of your eyebrow on a diagonal slightly back to the centre of your head, using a pin tail comb, which are great to create the super clean partings,” Hayes explains. He recommends using a gel like Sam McKnight’s Self Control Styling Gel on the parting (not on the ends!) and finishing with the BaByliss 9000 Cordless Straightener “to get that glass-like, polished hair.”
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3. ‘90s supermodel volume
If you’ve spent any time on TikTok recently, you’ll know that ‘90s volume is having a moment—a moment with 358 million views, in fact. More is more when it comes to this style. There is simply no such thing as too much volume. “We are seeing a '90s influence coming through,” says Zoë Irwin, John Fredia’s creative director.
“It can be created with heated rollers or velcro rollers, which provide a lot of volume and movement in the hair,” says hairstylist and founder of Arkive Headcare, Adam Reed. You’ll also need to think about cuts. "Think strong cuts that are slightly face-framing and bouncy,” Reed explains. “Highly conditioned hair is also key, so it's about using the right products, taking supplements, regular haircuts, regular colour appointments and really looking after the health,” he adds.
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4. Copper 2.0
Copper is another hue that’s having a resurgence after rising to popularity first in 2019. We’re calling this copper 2.0—think glossy, darker and multidimensional. Cliphair reports a 8,000% uplift in searches, so this colour is going nowhere.
The trick to this shade is seeing a professional who can help you out with exact tones to suit your skin tone and then maintaining the shade at home. “Use colour shampoos and conditioners that are really great for maintaining the vibrant shade,” says creative director and brand ambassador for Imbue, Michelle Sultan.
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5. Blue braids
If you ask Pinterest, we might also see blue braids peeping into the mainstream in 2023. With searches for the style up 215% on the site, swapping black for blue braids or combining the two is going to be a popular style choice for the year. The best part is there are so many shades of blue to choose from, including everything from cobalt to teal. Unless you like to do your braids at home, this is one to visit your local salon for.
Aside from a great scalp refresh (such as Hello Klean Scalp Soak), beauty journalist Vanese Maddix swears by a decent mist to refresh her braids, particularly loving Moroccanoil Hair and Body Mist and Ruka Hair Perfume.
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6. Hybrid Blonde
Of course blonde is a mainstay when it comes to hair but our experts predict that it’ll have a surge in 2023. Make way for hybrid blonde, says Alfred. “Mixing freehand balayage and foil highlights (by foiling around the hairline or through the parting), the mixed technique and root shadows creates a really gorgeous blonde with lots of pop and dimension,” he explains.
"Blonde hair is going to be very much a salon finish; very high-shine, very expensive, luxe-looking colour," says Paul Percival, founder of Percy & Reed.
The best part about this hue is that it works for all seasons, as we pass summer and start getting autumnal, the magic of hybrid blonde comes in as you can add warmer shades and glazes to tone the shade down a little.
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7. The bespoke bob
The bob has a habit of sticking around and reinventing itself regularly, thanks to being an elegant all-rounder that never goes out of style. The 2023 bob? Well, it's actually quite hard to pin down.
Percival has noticed that his clients are creating their own. "By that I mean disconnected haircuts, like combining the front of one type of haircut, with the back of another. Such as people's own takes on mullets and wolf cuts—people are almost having a DIY version of a haircut," he explains. "There is a real trend of mixing and matching different hair cuts, which is really nice. This will only become more popular."
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8. Two-tone pink
One of the most vibrant trends is the two-tone pink hair. Combining pink and lavender hair, think of this trend as modern day unicorn hair, which has seen a 345% increase in Pinterest searches.
Of course, pink hair is nothing new. We saw various celebrities sporting the trend in 2022, including Megan Fox and Lizzo. However, in 2023, it's getting a lot softer and becoming more blended. Plus, it can be tailored to suit your preferences and skin tone.
There are a few ways to try the trend, too. If you’re already blonde, you’re in luck. You can get the hue easily by using a temporary colour and mixing various shades to get your desired hue. If not, it’s worth visiting a professional to lift your naturally darker shade to create a base that the pink will take well to. If you're not feeling going full-on with your colour, try a super-pale wash-out pink to begin with.
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9. Shimmering shine
Shiny hair has always been stylish, but this year the trend has been taken up a notch. Say hello to 'shimmering shine'. The clue is in the name really, but essentially we are seeing lots of celebs sporting super-glossy hair with a high-shine, healthy finish.
Jennifer Lopez showed us all how it's done at the 2023 Grammy awards, and we spoke to Robin Parker, Research & Development Director at THG Labs, about how to get the look at home.
"Smooth, well hydrated hair will reflect lots of light back giving a 'mirror' like gloss. If you're wondering how to achieve this super smooth finish, the answer lies in well matched and balanced shampoos and conditioners."
We also recommend using a shine spray such as the Color Wow Dream Coat Supernatural Spray, for a little extra oomph.
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10. Curtain bangs
Curtain bangs are back with a bang (pardon the pun). We saw this trend arrive onto the hair scene at the end of 2022, with searches up a whopping 50% in December compared to the previous month, and it doesn't look like it's disappearing anytime soon.
These bangs are different to your everyday fringe as they have more length on the sides, and are often styled with a slight curl for added volume. It doesn't matter whether you have short, mid-length or long hair, this trend is easy to recreate. Although many people are taking to TikTok to see how to cut curtain bangs themselves, we recommend taking a quick trip to the hairdressers and picking up a good blow dry brush to get that voluminous look at home.
