14 Summer Hair Trends That Are Unmissable
From cuts to colors, the biggest summer hair trends of 2024 are officially here, giving you and your clients major inspiration for TikTok-ready transformations. There are the summer favorites – think beachy waves, shaggy layers and grown-out bangs – alongside new up-and-comers like soft-serve highlights and vibrant teal tones.
So, let's explore the trending cuts, colors and styles that are set to swarm your feeds. Summer hair has never looked dreamier.
Golden Hour Bronze
Image Credit: @WellaHairUKI
Washes of bronze and amber are taking over this summer, mimicking the warmth and radiance of golden hour when it hits your tresses. If you're creating the look for brunette clients who crave a high summer update, try Golden Hour Bronze, featuring kisses of metallic blonde swept through the lengths and ends of loose waves or curly hair. We love how it's given this brunette mane a whole new level of dimension. Try it by lightening sections with BlondorPlex, our bond-strengthening lightener, and then toning with Koleston Perfect 8/97. After that's been rinsed, a final touch of SHINEFINITY 09/07 will glaze brunette locks to perfection.
Golden Hour Rosé
Image Credit: @nikkiclifford_hair
Bronze isn't the only way to do a Golden Hour Glow. For blonde tones, Golden Hour Rosé bathes lengths in pink and gold accents that can be dialed up or down, depending on your client's goals. We're loving this brighter take by Wella Craft Expert Nikki Clifford, featuring the new SHINEFINITY Rosé Booster, 00/56, on roots and ends, with 09/3 + 08/34 glistening through the mid-section. Try it on shorter hair, or stretch the sections on long, lustrous lengths. Then style locks in effortless waves with ULTIMATE REPAIR Protective Leave-In – a must for heat styling – and a wide-barrelled tong to create a bend.
Bold Teal Hair
Look Credit: @dereqc
If you're looking for a color that segues seamlessly from summer to fall, teal hair is your go-to. The blue-green hue is bright enough for warm-weather days, yet deep enough to nod to dipping temperatures. An ideal choice for dark-haired clients craving an injection of brightness, team it with the color block trend by painting on a teal accent using Koleston Perfect 0/28. You can also achieve the shade with our semi-permanent hair color, Color Fresh CREATE in Super Petrol. Whichever product you choose, pre-lighten sections of hair with BlondorPlex for the base first, and then paint on teal tones.
Baby Bangs
Image Credit: @nathendinatale
Baby bangs are having a moment. Straight, blunt and (ultra) short, they can be cut straight across the forehead or tapered at the sides for a bottleneck effect. Clients working this look need a strong hair care routine to keep short, wispy bangs split end-free, so make sure they don't leave the salon without a nourishing shampoo and conditioner to hand. ULTIMATE REPAIR Shampoo and ULTIMATE REPAIR Conditioner are our picks for repairing and preventing damage. Teamed with ULTIMATE REPAIR Miracle Hair Rescue, they give you 99% less breakage*; ideal for maintaining this bang style all season long.
90s Vibe Layers
Image Credit: @thehairwaytoheaven
It may have been the decade of 'the Rachel', but choppy layers weren't the only style to cut in the 90s. Long, supermodel-inspired chandelier layers with gentle feathering were also popular. And one glance at TikTok says they're making a comeback, this time softer and bouncier than ever before. So, if your clients are asking for volume or shaping with a modern twist, snip in a longer layer through the back and feather the front, then blow dry hair with plenty of movement. Oh, and if you're as obsessed with this burnt copper hue as we are, peep the formula. It's a Color Touch creation, featuring 8/43 + 6/47 + 1.9%.
70s Shag
Image Credit: @brianacisneros
It wouldn't be festival season without a take on the classic shag, and this year it's going seventies-style with lots of layers and a wind-swept, sultry fringe. Swap blunt accents for a soft, razor-like finish on the ends, and center part those wispy bangs to give locks that 'I'm with the band' effect. The final touch? A sun-kissed scattering of golden blonde highlights, as if shaggy layers have been basking under the California rays. We'll be reaching for SHINEFINITY to complete this look. Warm shades such as 09/3 and 09/73 deliver just the right level of radiance when used to tone Blondor-ed foilyage.
'Mob' Bob Haircut With Bangs
Image Credit: @brianacisneros
Mob wife bobs are still going strong, and this banged bob has us truly hooked on the trend. Because, honestly, have you seen anything chicer?! The update on a classic style is putting the focus on shine, so even if your client doesn't want a color service, you can still suggest adding a clear flash glaze to their appointment for megawatt radiance. Try it with SHINEFINITY 00/00. Simply mix the clear tone 1:1 with the Brush & Bowl Activator, apply it at the sink, let it develop for 10 minutes, and rinse for an express injection of shine.
Vivid Roots
Image Credit: @augustoallencar
They were big last summer and now they're back with a bang. Get ready to experiment with vivid roots; the cool girl route to bold tones that call for your most vibrant colors. You can fuse the trend with color blocking and create a short ombre face frame like this, or you can paint the full root section as a standout feature against natural hues on the lengths. As long as the roots are drenched in your brightest hues, you've got the trend down. Try it with Color Fresh CREATE Infinite Orange and melt into Ultra Purple lengths to paint the look a la Augusto Allencar.
Soft Serve Highlights
Image Credit: @dereqc
Ice cream-inspired blonde hair colors are as delicious as they sound. Just look at this soft serve look, giving brown hair a glow via root-to-tip, chunky highlights. If you needed proof that traditional 'lights are just as popular as balayage right now, this is it. Go for a vanilla shade with a creamy, golden finish, and you've got this season's most decadent blonde. Want in? Lift hair with BlondorPlex in foils first, before toning with Illumina Color 10/38 + 8/38. Once dried and styled, elevate with EIMI Glam Mist, a shine-booster that also protects hair from UV rays and humidity.
Low-Slung Ponies
Image Credit: @michaelgrayhair
If your client has long hair and they want it off their neck on hot days, summer's low-slung ponytail has it covered. For an ultra-chic style, use a wide-barrelled curling iron to add soft curls to the mid-lengths and ends of hair first, and then gently loosen with a boar-bristle flat brush and a drop of Oil Reflections Luminous Smoothing Oil to tame frizz. Gather and tie hair at the nape of the neck with a fine elastic, before taking a two-centimeter section of hair from the pony and wrapping it around the base so it covers the hairband. Finish with another drop of oil if needed, plus a spritz of EIMI Flexible Finish to keep hair smooth and secure all day. Elegant and easy – no wonder it's a summer staple.
Beachy Waves
Image Credit: @marianiliehair
Summer temps and beach waves pretty much go hand in hand, but styling the look can be tricky if you want to avoid hair that looks too 'done' (which you do). So, if your client is wanting this trend, encourage them to embrace air-dried waves with an effortless vibe. They can do this by misting clean, damp hair with EIMI Sugar Lift, a texturizing spray for tousled, natural movement. Then, their best trick is to section off and style their damp locks in braids while they dry. The tighter the plait the tighter the wave, so they can mix it up depending on the look they're going for. And if this sun-kissed honey blonde also looks tempting, you can create it with an Illumina Color 6/ root shadow and a Color Touch 10/73 toner for the lengths and ends.
Popping Face Frames
Image Credit: @giadagalassi
Give the face-framing layers a pop with weighty sweeps of bold or pastel tones. Any bright color will work, but we're loving this pinky tone against strawberry blonde lengths. Start by taking a slice of hair from the front and lifting with Blondor Soft Blonde Cream, which is ideal for gentle lightening on prone-to-breakage face frames. Once you've reached the desired undertone, pick your pink product. Two of our favorite options are SHINEFINITY 00/56, or Color Fresh CREATE in High Magenta + Tomorrow Clear (to pastelize).
Expensive Hair
Image Credit: @jhonyveiga
Warm and rich is the aim when you're creating expensive hair, whether you're mixing up a blonde, red or deep brunette. What's more, the product you choose is just as crucial as the shade, as shine and luster are key. That's why the vibrancy of demi-permanent Color Touch is one of the best tools for this look. Case in point: Wella Artist Jhony Veiga's bronzed take on the expensive brunette trend, which harnesses Blondor Freelights for the balayage and Color Touch 7/73+ 6/37 for the toner. Highlights should be soft, seamless and almost invisible, so you achieve a subtle booster in dimension that looks entirely natural.
Grown-Out Fringes
Image Credit: @e_medz
Great for adding movement to the face frame, the grown-out fringe (AKA 'gringe') frames your client's features flawlessly while drawing attention to their cheekbones. (And who doesn't want that?!) Plus it's an easy gateway to bangs if they're nervous to take the plunge, allowing them to play with shaping around the face and see how they like it. Best of all, gringes work with so many other trending cuts of the season, from beachy waves to the shag to long 90s layers. Team with everything from expensive brunette color to sun-kissed blondes or pastel tones. As trending cuts go, this one is seriously versatile.
Now you've got the full lowdown on the summer hair trends for 2024, get creating in the salon. Don't forget to share your looks with us by tagging @WellaHairUSA on Instagram.
*When using ULTIMATE REPAIR Miracle Hair Rescue instrumental test vs. non-conditioning Shampoo.
