5 Spring 2021 Hair Trends to Look Out For, According to Top Hairstylists

Spring forward into your next look.

Spring is the ultimate time for renewal—why not start with a fresh new look? We scoured our Instagram feeds and asked top hairstylists from all over the country for the styles they predict will be major for spring 2021 as we emerge from our pandemic cocoons.

Piecey waves

Thanks to the pandemic, which forced us to work and socialize from our living rooms via Zoom, neat and uniform styles are officially out. Professional hairstylist Guy Tang urges you to embrace bed head with piecey, loose waves that jut out here and there. "I love using my Bellami Deepwaver iron to create that specific type of wave," Tang tells Health. "To finish the look, I would recommend using the #mydentity Stardust Shine spray ($28, ulta.com) . It gives the hair a beautiful shiny finish and also helps hold the look and tames flyaways."

RELATED: Jennifer Aniston Swears by the Living Proof Repair Mask That Repairs Damage Strands in 10 Minutes

Wispy fringe
"This spring, I project that we will be seeing a lot of soft waves and wispy work," Nai'Vasha, celebrity hairstylist and founder of Curl Queen, tells Health. If bangs are your thing, this one's for you—wispy bangs transition well as the weather warms up, creating a light and airy look that won't weigh you down. Put down the scissors, though, and leave this look to a professional stylist who can cut the fringe for you.

The modern mullet

This isn't your typical 80's business in front, party in the back mullet. Nai'Vasha predicts that the style will make a modern comeback with shaggy texture for a face-framing look that's as feminine as it is edgy. "I recommend using the T3 Lucea ID Smart Flat Iron ($235, ulta.com) to achieve this look," says Nai'Vasha. "This iron's long plates and beveled edges allow for easy bends and effortless, soft waves."

RELATED: 10 Hairstyles for Women Over 40 to Try in 2021

Little bob
Queen's Gambit fans, you're in luck—this French-inspired take on the bob is making moves as influencers like Taylor LaShae and runway model Barbara Valente rock the look. The key to this cut is hitting right at the cheek or jawbones, so the style feels young but not too girlish. Bonus: It's a blunt-ish cut that grow out beautifully in the hands of a skilled stylist.

Curly bangs

Who says curly girls can't pull off bangs? We're seeing them do it all over the place as the season gears up. "Bangs can transform any hairstyle to fun, classic, and flirty," Cheryl Bergamy, celebrity hairstylist and founder of Contents Haircare, tells Health. "To maintain this style I suggest using Amika Fluxus Touchable Hairspray ($25, sephora.com); it gives the hair a firm hold to keep the style in place followed by a drop of Contents Earth Silk Glossifyer for amazing shine and a healthy look [for curls]."

We're steadfast believers that age is just a number, but there are major positives that tend only to come with getting older.

After turning 40, most women have blossomed and grown into themselves. More often than not, they've ditched chasing trends for an evolved personal style that reflects the self-assured woman they've become: a woman who knows who she is and what she likes. And as the short-haired soccer mom stereotype continues to fade — and let's please retire the bad "mom cut" jokes — we consulted ultra-famous stylists Frédéric Fekkai, Stacey Ciceron, and Michelle Sultan, for their favorite hairstyles for the esteemed 40+ club.

"The only don't for a woman-over-forty-haircut is to get a style that isn't authentic to them," says Ciceron, hairstylist and Oribe educator. "Don't hide from your age because growing older is a privilege."

Read on to learn secrets from the hair maestros for getting a polished cut that works for every hair type and face shape that are anything but stale.

RELATED: The 10 Best Shampoo Bars for Your Hair Type, According to Reviews

Undefined Curly Bob 
"There are no hard-fast rules of what type of hair a woman over 40 should have. She should more so concentrate on what hairstyle suits her lifestyle, her style choice, and most important, her hair type," says Sultan, celebrity hairstylist and creative director for Imbue Curls. "Take someone like Tracee Ellis Ross. She changes her hair with her outfits and always manages to look insanely stylish and never too 'try hard.'"

Sultan's favorite style for a type 3 or 4 hair is a classic bob because it "can be worn curly or blown out and straightened for versatile looks."

To wear your hair's beautiful volume like Tracee, the secret here is to make sure curls are hydrated and moisturized to achieve their very best curl, says Sultan, who recommends a post-shampoo deep moisturizing treatment. She typically reaches for the Imbue Curl Restoring Intensive Mask, followed by a spritz of a nourishing leave-in, finishing with a styling gel or mousse.

RELATED: 8 Real Women Reveal How They Learned to Embrace Their Gray Hair

Megashiny Collarbone Waves 

On the flip side, "this same classic bob can be worn blown out smooth with a round brush, like Michelle Obama's famous inauguration hair, with masses of body and shine." 

To master the presidential glamour, Sultan "highly recommends" the Dyson Airwrap collection for "effortless styling, with a small amount of finishing oil to enhance shine and to reduce frizz and flyaway hair," so nary a strand is out of place, just like Obama.

"It's so important — at whatever age — your hair should be healthy and be in its best condition," says Sultan. "This to me exudes age and gives a new level of confidence."

RELATED: 2021 Hair Color Trends: 5 Hair Colors Everyone Will Be Wearing

Traditional Chin-Length Bob 

"There are many haircuts that are powerful and daring," says the legendary Fekkai, the go-to stylist to countless catwalkers, actresses, heiresses, and even politicians (hi, Hillary Clinton!) as well as founder of FEKKAI Brands. 

"I like a sharp chin length bob. Use a straightening balm and blow dry hair pointing the nose of the hairdryer down and slide a round or flat brush downward." Finish by applying FEKKAI Brilliant Gloss cream, or another high-gloss product, to nail the sleek, shiny look.

RELATED: 2021 Hair Trends: 7 Hairstyles to Look Out for, According to Top Hairstylists

Choppy Pixie

"Women with shorter hair after 40 usually exhibit confidence and a secure situation both professionally and emotionally," explains Fekkai. "Also, after many years of coloring or bleaching their hair, a good cut that is shaped, sophisticated and alluring is the way to go."

Enhance the piecey strands of a traditional cropped pixie by mixing a medium hold gel with a glossing cream together in your hands then swishing through from side to side for an undone look.

RELATED: A Celebrity Stylist Shows You How to Recreate This '90s Inspired Hairstyle Worn by Top Supermodels

Modern One-Length 

Sultan calls a sleek, one-length style "ageless" and "super slick." Plus, this chop works great with hair types 3 and 4, as rocked by Kerry Washington.

"A cute ear tuck can look youthful and show beautiful angles on an 'older' face," says Sultan. "Hiding behind the hair is not an option here, hold your head high and show them who is boss!"

Grown-Out Pixie

Fekkai loves a longer pixie cut because it's an easy wash-and-wear look with very minimal styling needed. With the innumerable amount of styles and lengths, Fekkai says that a pixie will work with many women, once the texture of the hair is taken into consideration. Plus, he says: "pixie cuts are always timeless and effortless, truly."

Just mix a medium strength styling gel or cream with a gloss or a lightweight oil together to enhance the cut's layers and bring out the texture with a glossy, satin-looking finish.

https://shf.instructure.com/eportfolios/120/Home/__2021HD_
https://tea.instructure.com/eportfolios/113/Home/Godzilla_vs_Kong_2021__HD
https://jfox.instructure.com/eportfolios/109/Home/4k
https://mcook.instructure.com/eportfolios/272/Home/TW__2021HD_
https://polytechnic.instructure.com/eportfolios/144/Home/_HDGodzilla_vs_Kong2021

Coily Fauxhawk 

This edgy pixie redux style is a total dream for those with tight, springy curls by cutting the sides and back, leaving the length on top. 

"Type 4s look incredible with this style, as the volume looks really cool when it stands up high," says Sultan. "You could also use color to create extra dimension throughout the haircut and color can make curls pop and look more defined. This is the time of life you know who you are and you definitely shouldn't be afraid to show it off!"

Layered Bob with Fringe

"A good haircut is all about the client's personality, her features, and her hair texture," explains Fekkai. "For a long oval shaped face, a bob style is very well suited, from chin length to shoulder length, with a fringe, adding some layers for wavy curly hair." 

For a spunky personality like the fun-loving Tyra Banks, the soft fringe and faux-wet cascading waves are playful twists on a classic bob silhouette.

Adventurous Asymmetry

"It's always lovely to see a customer over 40 sporting a creative style," says Fekkai. "It's a hairstyle that shows character, personality, elegance and confidence."

Dare to take a page from Charlize Theron's book by rocking a sleek, beautiful asymmetric bob, with one short side and the other extending to chin length or beyond. And for Ciceron, there's nothing she loves more than a little push to get her clients out of a rut.

"I think if you haven't tried something by 40, it might be time to give it a shot," she says. "Pushing clients out of their comfort zone can be anything they haven't done before, like getting bangs, a new cut, or trying out some bold colors. Wild and adventurous is different for everyone."

As high glam as this sultry style is, just know before you chop that if your hair texture is not type 1, it will take a bit of work to nail the pin-straight sleekness. 

Lion Cut 

"I'm loving the lion cut for curly hair, which is when the hair is cut to frame the face, mostly using bangs to create the drama and masses of layering through the top and sides to create a really cool shape that is very sexy," says Sultan. "Just because you are over 40, you definitely shouldn't settle for what the world tells you that you should have. Keep pushing boundaries — older doesn't equal boring, so don't hesitate to try new, adventurous styles."

Boost your curl shape by combing a hydration serum, like the cult-classic gloss from Kérastase, through hair with your fingers to add volume and definition to lackluster curls and waves, taking inspo from the always striking Zendaya. "For me, it's a bit like Botox for my curls," jokes Sultan. "It always makes my curl instantly look and feel sexier."
2021 will be a year of renewal—so why not make your debut in January with a fresh new hai