If 2022 was all about going for the chop and experimenting with styles we’d never considered before, what will be the biggest hair trends in 2023?
Well, first thing’s first, we’ll be taking that same playful approach to our hair into the new year, trying out new cuts, colours, styling tricks, formulas and accessories on a quest to reinvent ourselves somewhat. In the spirit of inspiration, Vogue speaks to some of the world’s top hairstylists to learn what hair trends they predict will be big in 2023. Mood boards at the ready.
Slick artistry
Artistry is back and hairstylists are getting their creative juices flowing again.
“For so long, it’s just been about the haircut, but we’re starting to see a return to styling again,” says Luke Hersheson.
“Now the question is more about how you wear your hair up without it feeling too old fashioned… which is why very slick, gelled up-dos are a big trend right now.” Whether top knots, ballet buns and Croydon face-lift ponytails, or gelled kiss curls and more ornate and architectural shapes – the latter as seen on Lily James at the British Fashion Awards recently – it’s time to really go there with your up-do.
Hersheson’s tip on how to make the look work for you? “Concentrate on bringing the sides of your hair up in line with your cheekbones,” he says. “Generally these kinds of styles are easier to do when the hair is wetter as it’s a bit more malleable – load up on Almost Everything Cream to add hold.” For extra detail, get creative with your edges, too.
Crown care
It might not be the most exciting trend in the books, but looking after your scalp is integral to healthy hair. “The importance of scalp health is catching on,” says Jen Atkin, whose newly-launched Ouai Anti-Dandruff Shampoo contains salicylic acid to reduce flaking and soothe inflammation. “Scalp care is essential to achieving shiny, healthy hair.”
With searches for the term “scalp treatment for dry scalp” up 70 per cent on Pinterest, it seems we’re all on the hunt for formulas that work. Kérastase’s soon-to-launch Symbiose range combines piroctone olamine, salicylic acid and bifidus to dissolve flakes while maintaining a balanced microbiome and scalp skin barrier. Try the Micro-Peeling Cellulaire, which contains salicylic acid to gently exfoliate sensitive scalps.
The box bob
Bobs are still very much in vogue, and Syd Hayes predicts that the “box” style will be one of the most popular for 2023. “It’s an extremely classic Vidal Sassoon bob,” says Hayes.
“A sharp shape, that’s striking – less about the layers and more about straight lines and angles.”
It’s the epitome of a power haircut. His advice on how best to create a graphic silhouette is to straighten the hair using BaByliss’s 9000 Cordless Straighteners.
Elsewhere, Nai’Vasha forecasts that we won’t see the end of the bob next year. “My biggest tip with the bob is not to overthink it… or underestimate its power,” she says.
Luxurious long hair
Whether thanks to hair extensions or good old-fashioned growth, hair is getting longer by the day. The difference is that instead of leaving hair to air dry for an undone feel (which still has its place in many of our routines, it’s worth noting), Hersheson says we’re moving towards a more styled aesthetic.
That might be a classic blowout or big voluminous waves, but whatever it is, it’s an antidote to the last couple of years in which our obsession with short hairstyles left us less room for experimentation.
Side partings
“I tend to favour a middle part, but it feels like a good time to flip the parting deep onto the side,” says George Northwood.
“It suddenly makes things feel fresh and new, especially with a bob.”
He name-checks Emma Corrin in Lady Chatterley’s Lover, for reference. They “went from a deep, side-parted marcel wave into a very textured, undone bob with the same parting”.
Both looks, he says, worked with their fine features and highlighted how a bob can move from elegant to sensual with just a little tweak. Another good example of the side parting in action is Alexa Chung, whose latest looks feature a number of side partings; she adds an embellished barrette for extra dazzle.
The wet look
“Ultra glossy, impossibly shiny, wet-look hair is a 2023 trend that is set to be everywhere,”
says Northwood, who created a luminous wet look on Alicia Vikander at Cannes Film Festival this year. “On the catwalk, Chanel and Saint Laurent showed us how to wear this style at any length, whether it be centre parted, with a deep side part, down or textured.” A great way to take a daytime look into the evening, it can also work on any hair type. “We offer a texture release and silk press in order to achieve the look, and we really focus on hydrating the hair,” says Charlotte Mensah. “The result is really glossy hair that’s also healthy.”
Sculptural braids
“We’ll see more braided styles crafted to look like sculptures,” reveals Mensah.
Seek out inspiration from celebrities like Gabrielle Union, who recently sported a sculptural braid flower up-do at the Strange World premiere, or Yara Shahidi and Lupita Nyong’o, who regularly experiment with towering braids on the red carpet.
Seventies bangs
They’re really not going anywhere, according to Hersheson, who says they are one of the most requested styles in salon.
“There are nuances to them though – they can be Stevie Nicks-style and really obvious or a bit more grown out. Either way, they’re the epitome of cool-girl hair,”
he says. As versatile as they come, you can switch up how you style them: blow them out so they’re super fluffy or wear them beachier and undone.
Noughties mullets
The divisive mullet made a comeback this year, and at Larry King’s salon, hairstylist Lilli Bridger created a Noughties take on the trend for Mia Regan. “It was really reminiscent of the short style that Paris Hilton wore at that time,” he says.
“It embraces those flicky ends that were key back then – it’s a style of hairdressing that will be big in 2023.”
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Article written by Hannah Coates for Vogue UK