The Defining Hair Color Trends of Spring 2021

With spring in the air and summer on the horizon, new hair trends are exploding on social media. As a part of your spring glow-up, a new hairstyle can be the best way to step out for the season. 2021 became synonymous with a messy bun, grown-out roots, or, famously, the fad of the social-distancing head shave.

After a lot of time spent neglecting our hair, 2021 is measuring up to be all about having fun with our appearance, experimenting, and coming back with bold and bright colors. When looking for the right salon to try some of these new trends, be sure to look for cosmetologists that often use color and are familiar with all hair types. Salons like those at PJ’s College of Cosmetology have experience in recreating new styles and are available for bookings throughout the week.

Colored Framing Streaks

One of the most popular trends you will see throughout the season is the colored framing streaks. While the trend initially began with bleached streaks framing the face—often paired with natural hair tones—the updated version plays with different colors. Reds, greens, pink and purple pastels have all been seen to complete this trend. If you like to wear edgy or alternative styles or want to look youthful and vibrant, this is a great option that can easily be recreated at home. Only dyeing the two front strips of hair means this style is a bit more manageable than a full-color session.

Under-Layer Shadow Color

“Under-layer shadows”, or a single color or tone as the underneath layer of hair, is actually a hair trend that has gone through a full life cycle. This style originally became popular in the 2000s with celebrities like Christina Aguilera and Avril Lavigne, but a full comeback has been made. Whereas the 2000s used drastic tone differences and chunky highlights (i.e., platinum hair with a dark shadow), today’s version of this style is slightly more subtle with fewer contrasting colors. For brown or reddish hair colors, a red or purple shadow is popular. Lighter tones often use pastels or a caramel brown.

Caramel and Blonde Balayage

Although the balayage style has almost come to be a standard in recent years—replacing the ombre of the late 2010s—it is still very much in style. Some trends hold up so well that they can even come to represent entire decades. The balayage is one of those styles that will most likely still be popular for several years to come. With this, don’t feel like you are outdated for seeking a balayage specialist in 2021. Balayage itself has become more refined, with some tweaks that have elevated the style to still be highly relevant this year. If you want something that looks effortless, natural, and timeless—a balayage is the trend to request.

Champagne-Colored Hair

Where rose gold has absolutely exploded as a color choice in recent years, champagne tones are the aesthetic for this year. These color palette obsessions often hop over to hair trends—rose gold has been a popular pastel color choice for a couple years. Although the warm pastels are still in, champagne tones down the color a bit, bringing a beige tone with a hint of pink. This subtle color gives a nod to fun, experimental hair colors while remaining sophisticated and refined.

Warm Blonde

In recent years, products for blonde hair were all about knocking out the brassiness and getting as ashen or platinum as possible. However, this spring is the time to drop the purple shampoo and embrace the brass. Warmer and yellow tones are coming back into style for lighter hair colors. Stars like Billie Eilish have been seen ditching their brightly colored hair for a classic warm blonde.

Shadow Roots

Do you like to change your hair color, but maintenance is a concern for you? Getting a shadow root on your next color session can be a reliable solution to avoid the constant need for touch-ups. With the right colorist, any color or shade can have a shadow (slight darkening at the roots) to create an extremely natural-looking fade. However, creating a shadow that does not look blocky or off-tone can be difficult, so it is highly recommended to have a professional cosmetologist create this style for your hair.

Multi-toned, Iridescent, and Rainbow

In general, hair color and styling choices are moving to a very expressive and creative place. In the past, multiple hair colors or alternative cuts were considered unconventional, but that is becoming less and less true over time. Now it is fashionable to incorporate bright colors and patterns into your hairstyle. Color-blocking, half-and-half tones, rainbow patterns, or color highlights mimicking an iridescent hue have all become trendy and editorial.

Color Braids

Color braid extensions were a popular trend in 2019 and 2020 that will continue to be elevated in 2021. With these extensions, any color choice is possible, but pastels, pink, purple, and blue have all been popular colors with influencers and celebrities. This trend has predominately been seen with longer braids with a large plait, but any size or style of braid can work.

This rest of this year will be an exciting time for hairstylists and cosmetologists as more and more artists share their work and create defining styles. It is completely possible to turn your passion for hair into a lifelong career. If you are interested in creating styles like those mentioned above, it is highly recommended to consider enrolling in a cosmetology program. Instructors can help you refine your skills and create your own business. Connect online today or call 800-62-SALON (72566).