5 Spring Hair Color Trends You’ll See in 2022

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1. Copper balayage

Copper hair started trending on TikTok last spring—and it’s still a top request at salons for this upcoming season. Supermodel copper locks and the bubbling ‘70s style revival are two of the biggest influences on this trend. Again, you’ll want to ask for multi-dimensional color, leaning into a warmer red at the roots with copper balayage through the mid-lengths and ends.

The only caveat to this look is you’ll need root touch-ups and a gloss about every six weeks. “Reds are always the unicorns,” says Ruszczyk. And magic takes work.

2. Expensive brunette

Blonde is a lot of maintenance—and during lockdowns, we really felt that. Now, brunettes are embracing their natural, lower maintenance hair color in rich, glossy hues of chestnut, mocha, and a honey brown à la the character Rachel Green in the early days of “Friends.” The focus is on dimension, shine, and richness—that’s why it’s called “expensive brunette,” because it looks luxe, not because it’s super pricey. 

Talk to your stylist and find the best brown shades to work with your undertones. They’ll know exactly what you want when you mention the “expensive brunette” trend. Tell them you’re looking for dimensional, multi-tonal color (so they don’t veer monochromatic), but make sure to agree on the lightest and darkest tones in the mix.

3. Warm blonde

Bright blonde isn’t high on the request log right now, but warm blonde is filling up the books. “It’s all about Hailey Bieber,” says Kimberly Ruszczyk, a master colorist at Brush salon in New York City. “A lot of clients want their natural brown shade, with just a few pieces of warm blonde, not too much.” For warm blonde inspiration, think Cher from the movie Clueless. 

4. Color-blocking

“Color-blocking is a good way to show your creative side, both for clients and stylists,” says Sami Barry, hairstylist at Craft/Collective in Denver, Colorado. “It allows pops of color without doing your full head. You can make it more subtle with natural colors, or go bold with vivid colors. Just have fun with it.” 

One of the color-blocking trends from last season that’s still kicking is the “money piece,” which is a superhero-esque streak of colored hair. You can do one or two sections in the front, as well as add a peekaboo underlight section, as seen on the money piece specialist herself, Nat Does Hair, above.

5. Underlights

Underlights have been around for a while. They went viral in the form of “peekaboo hair” and “rainbow hair” in the twenty-teens. Underlights in 2022 are high contrast and precision painted. Opt for a fun pop of blue or purple for Y2K girl vibes, or go stark and chic like the stunning jet black and silver combo above. 

For platinum blondes, dark brown or black underlights can give you that glam rocker style that has been made famous again. And thanks to the fact that the color is underneath your hair and the roots don’t show as much, underlights require fewer touch-ups than regular highlights.