A Trend Forecaster Says These 11 Hair Looks Will Dominate 2025

Now we're in the full swing of 2025, I'm currently wondering what hair trends we'll see for the rest of the year. Short haircuts and bob hair trends were no doubt the standout hair moments last year, as well as expensive-looking hair colours such as clean girl brunette and sunflower blonde that we saw popularised by celebrities such as Hailey Bieber and Zendaya. So, what lies in store for the rest of this year?

Tom Smith, hairstylist and international artist in residence at Billi Currie, shared his exclusive insights with Who What Wear UK about the trends set to dominate. Known for his spot-on predictions, Smith has a proven track record of identifying the next big thing in hair. If he says a certain haircut, hairstyle or hair colour is about to trend, you can bet it’ll be seen on countless celebrities soon after. So, what’s his forecast for 2025?

"A macro theme in beauty that celebrates simplicity, loud minimalism will be interpreted into a focus on super healthy hair, meaning longer, thicker lengths and simple, global, glossy hair colours," says Smith. There's a reason why we're seeing hair glosses everywhere right now.

We can also expect to see more innovation for textured hair. "Texture-based innovation allows natural hair patterns to be refined and polished and we’ll see more movement and texture in mid-length (think shoulder-length with layers) and very long hair in particular," he says. And if you're thinking of getting a fringe, they'll also be in the for spotlight in 2025. "Think softly shapes fringes and bangs that frame the eyes, brow-bone and cheekbones," he says.

The wider TikTok trend of high vs low contrast is also playing a role in hair trends for 2025. "With lots of talk around ‘contrast’ in beauty when it comes to makeup, brows and hair colour, 2025 will include extremes of very low contrast—hair similar in depth and tone to the skin, and also very high contrast—very dark hair on fair skin tones and bright platinums on deeper skin tones," predicts Smith. "We’re also likely to see interesting plays with texture within colours such as a return of sun-kissed balayage and potentially even more block panels and bold contrast within the same head of hair," he adds.

Ready to discover the hair trends for 2025? Scroll ahead for the hairstyles, haircuts and hair colours that are about to be everywhere over the next 12 months.

10 Chic Hair Trends to Try in 2025:

1. Raffia Blonde

A huge spring hair colour trend we're going to see in the coming months and throughout the year is raffia blonde, and it's set to be 2025's most expensive-looking blonde hair colour. "Unlike the monochromatic looks we had last year, or the super high contrast of the year prior, this time bronde is a melted and subtly multi-tonal offering that has a woven texture and an intricate nature," says Smith.

He says this hair colour is perfect for those who want to evolve their hair colour throughout the year, as the bronde tone allows you to lean more blonde of brunette through the seasons. "Keep hair strong and healthy if oscillating between various levels of bronde and be sure to keep heat use minimal and use nourishing masks and good quality shampoos to keep the delicate nuances clear and toned," he says.

2. Micro Braids

From Zoë Kravitz to Beyoncé and Doechii to Cynthia Erivo wearing them for her role in Wicked, micro braid hairstyles have been everywhere lately and are set to be a huge hair trend for 2025. "Micro braids have steadily been taken on by more and more notable personalities. Similar to box braids but tinier, this can be regarded as a protective style and they behave in a similar way to straight hair with an added depth of texture," says Smith.

"Worn with a middle parting micro braids can be a very easy to wear look that can be tied up, secured in a bun or twisted further into various ornate styles. While the initial installation and take down process can be long, its worth it," he says. "Be sure to wear a silk bonnet to sleep to protect the braids from friction during the night and consider a scalp oil if needed."

3. The Midi Flick

"Last seen going viral in 2022 and thanks to the virality of last year's bell bottom bob, we’re going to see flicky and textured mid-length shapes lead the way for bob and mid length trends in 2025," says Smith.

If you're thinking of going for a mid-length haircut, Smith has some advice. "Ask your stylist for a textured and layered shape that sits around your collarbone," he says. "Best styled with soft, messy waves or your natural curls if you have them, use a texture spray to modernise and add volume to the result."

4. Anti-Fringe

The fringe certainly isn't over for 2025. However, we can expect to see longer face-framing layers dominate next year as a contrasting trend to the influx of fringes we've seen lately. "We’ve had so much interest in fringe and bang shapes over the last few years 2025 is going to invite in a counter in the form of elongated face-framing," says Smith. "No distinguishable layers or fringe shaping around the face, but lengths that sit longer than the chin and beyond, providing a minimalistic shape around the face and versatility in styling straight, with texture, tucked behind the ears or totally up away from the face," he says.

"Ask your hairstylist to allow any shorter face-framing lengths to grow out," adds Smith. "Patience may be required here as your hair grows about an inch every two months, so be sure to keep the ends strong and avoid splitting by turning down the heat on your tools, using Olaplex No.3 (£28) and focusing it around the weaker hairline areas and being gentle with up-do styles and brushing," he says.

5. Brow-Bone Contouring

"Fringes have become a mini hairstyle in their own right and we’ll see a variety of fusions of previously popular fringe styles," says Smith. "Birkin bangs, bottleneck bangs, curtain bangs, micro fringes and various other brow and cheekbone-skimming lengths with be customised to frame the eyes with softly textured and choppy lengths," he says.

"Great for those who want a low-commitment style, these softer fringe/bang styles grow out gently and at angles, meaning they don’t require regular trimming," says Smith.

"Ask your stylist to suggest what would flatter your face best when it comes to customising your fringe area," he says. "Consider the size of your forehead, whether you want to show off your eyebrows or cheekbone and ensure you’re willing to tweak them every morning—you’l need to reset this area of your hair every day so while it can be done quickly, it does require some daily maintenance."

6. XXL Curls

New innovations in products for different hair textures means that we'll see more more expression in curly hair types in 2025. "With new texture specific innovation such as Olaplex Bond Shaper (£21) allowing more people to embrace and enjoy their natural texture without irregularities and natural hair patterns can be healthier and more refined than ever," says Smith. "This means we’re likely to see longer, thicker and more statement-making styles that celebrate texture and movement of all types," he says.

"If you’ve embraced your natural texture, work on keeping it strong and healthy as it grows out longer. New curl products such as Olaplex No.10 Curl Defining Gel (£28) might sound intimidating if you’re not used to gels—but rest assured this beautifully formulated product wont leave your hair crispy if you massage it once its fully dried in," he says.

7. Muted Auburn

"Soft coppers are a fully-fledged salon staple now, and while bolder coppers were trending for the latter part of last year, we’ll surely see a return of the natural-looking strawberry blondes, chestnuts and auburns in 2025," predicts Smith. While it copper hues might be considered a dated hair colour trend to some, they're firmly back on the agenda with a softer edge this time around. "These can be relatively low maintenance since they fade in a soft, sun-kissed looking way and flatter a variety of skin tones," he says.

The most common question with red is: 'Will red suit me?' "If you feel good in yellow or rose gold jewellery, that’s a good sign you’ll suit this trend," says Smith. "Consider whether you prefer your hair lighter or darker and ask your stylist to add soft, natural-looking copper, caramel and auburn tones to your hair," he says. "Natural-looking coppers are always multi-tonal, so be open-minded to highlights or soft balayage with soft copper toners too."

8. Modern Goldilocks

"Sunflower blonde was the number one colour trend of last year and golden tones are likely to sustain throughout 2025, but in more varied forms," says Smith. "While single global shades (see minimalist shades next) are also going to be trending, the modern Goldilocks is bringing blondes back to classic highlights with a new update on tone," he says.

Previously, many blondes have wanted to avoid golden tones, but this time around we're embracing them. "Historically warm tones ought to be banished, but thanks to the appeal of golden sunny reflects, we’ll be seeing these in a variety of softer blonde designs that also grow out softly," says Smith, who says it's easy to update during your usual blonding appointment. "Ask for a golden toner rather than your usual purple shampoo—warm tones will make the hair healthier looking and shinier and make you feel brighter and sunnier all year round," he says.

9. Minimalist Shades

"With so much detail in technique for both blondes and brunettes available in salons now, we’ll be seeing a movement towards monochromatic simplicity—this is a single global shade coloured from root to tip, whether in fairer or deeper, warmer or cooler shades,' says Smith. "With a real focus on shine and gloss and super healthy hair, this is a stripped-back minimalist approach for even, glossy hair."

Ask your stylist to use the gentlest colour possible to tone your hair all one shade, he recommends. "For deeper hair colours this will be easy and you’l get super high shine—for those with lighter hair you may need multiple steps, but there’s beauty in the simplicity of one shade root to tip. The more different your target shade is than your natural colour the more often you should expect to need your roots touched up," he says.

"Avoid using permanent colour to refresh your ends each time—instead demi- or semi-permanent will help add more shine and if your hair is already close to your target level, they can even last longer than permanent thanks to their more gentle formulations minimising the porosity of your hair," says Smith.

10. Hyper-Natural Hair Colour

"Balayage and freehand painted techniques will return for those who are looking for lower-maintenance and more textural colour results," says Smith. Think soft dimension that looks like your natural hair colour. "Adding detail and interest to darker hair, and multi-tones to blonde, soft copper and even naturally grey hair, the sun-kissed blended highlights will return and provide natural looking results that don’t require regular appointments to maintain. It’s natural-looking, but better," says Smith.

"Ask your stylist to hand paint naturally blended balayage highlights, focusing on the top and around the face, where the sun would naturally hit," he says. "This technique will typically provide a warm result, so be mindful if you prefer cool tones in your hair this may not be for you."

11. Ghost Waves

One trend we're seeing everywhere right now is ghost waves—think soft curls and piecey waves. "Think barely-there waves that undulate in a soft ‘S’ shape rather than spirals or coils," says Smith. "It's an unexpectedly relaxed style that can also be achieved with one’s natural texture if it falls into waves rather than coils. This is a style that can be ideal for daytime and casual events, but can also add an edge of cool to a glamorous outfit or event," he says.

If you're blessed with natural waves, then air-drying is the way to go. "Air-dry the hair with a supporting cream based product to minimize fluff or generate these waves using a mermaid waver," says Smith. "Be sure to use heat protection and brush through using a very wide tooth comb—not a brush."