Hair trends are in for a shakeup this spring and summer, as Koreans seek a new look as limits on private gatherings are eased.

More daring colors and hairstyles will likely headline spring-summer 2022, with local experts predicting vivid coloring, layered haircuts and braided styling to lead the trend.

One of the easiest changes both men and women can make to their hair is a new color. Ash-brown was once loved by many as a way to show a refined look, but the trend has shifted to vivid colors, such as orange, red and bright olive, experts said.

“As the Y2K era fashion -- the trend from the late 1990s and early-to-mid 2000s with vivid and primary-colored outfits -- dominates the fashion trend from this spring, natural brown-colored hair may look unnatural. People tend to prioritize color uniformity of hair and outfits rather than personal colors,” Chahong Ardor Dosan branch’s top stylist Kim Woo-ri told The Korea Herald.

In contrast to matching hair and clothes with stand-out colors, another dye option is cool colors, including midnight black, Kim said. Doing this can can highlight facial features, she added.
 If you want to freshen up your look beyond dyeing, layered haircuts are in vogue. Yoon Seo-ha, a hair artist at the Soonsoo Cheongdam main branch, told The Korea Herald that layered haircuts will be another trend for women, focusing more on hairlines than facial lines.

Kim of Chahong Ardor also forecast that the hush cut -- a mix of a shaggy cut and “wolf cut” -- will likely be popular for women. The medium-length layered hairdo naturally covers the neck and chest lines, which helps flatter the face. Depending on the length of the hair, it can be called a paper cut for shorter hair or sand cut for longer hair, she said.

For men’s hairstyles, Yoon foresaw a slicked back undercut -- shaving the sides and brushing the longer top toward the back -- as well as a guile haircut, with a one-sided floppy fringe that exposes the face, as major summer trends amid the possibility of an end to mask mandates.

On the other hand, Kim suggested two different trends in men’s hairstyles: a long layered haircut with a curly perm and unbalanced fringe with a half cut.
In line with the Y2K trend, braided hair will continue to be loved by women with long hair. It is the easiest way to get variety without cutting or coloring, they said.

“While retro has always been popular, braided hairstyles awaken far-back memories. It was also revived as a recent trend, following recognition of dancers who appeared on Mnet’s ‘Street Woman Fighter,’” Kim said. “In addition to braided hair, materials such as scarves, knitting yarn and hoop earrings can be used together to show one’s uniqueness.”

“With just one end difference, a braided hairstyle can be changed into many different styles. Tying various colored hair pieces into braided hair can express a cooler image, especially in summer. Hairpins can also go well with braided hairstyles to exude a kitsch vibe. ... Braided hairstyles will constantly be loved since they generate different images from being girly to trendy,” Yoon said.