Do you need a new look for the new year? Are you bored of your tired old tresses and ready for a more glamorous new you? Then you’re in the right place. In this article, we’ll run you through how you can decide on the perfect hairstyle for 2022 and throw in some tips on keeping your hair looking fantastic for good measure. Read on to discover the new you!
Finding the perfect hairstyle
Before you even think about starting to cut or color, it’s time for some inspiration. There are plenty of ways in which you can come across the perfect hairstyle. From the latest movies to the glossy fashion magazines, everyday life is packed full of celebrities sporting stunning hair. Social media sites such as Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok are also great places to visit if you’re looking for hair-related inspiration.
Many specialist hair-related websites also feature regular roundups of what’s in fashion. For example, All Things Hair recently featured some of the most exciting hairstyle trends for 2022, providing plenty of inspiration for the year ahead. Top of the list? Textured layers.
It’s worth having a conversation with your hairdresser, who will be familiar with the latest styles and trends, as well as reaching out to your more fashionable friends. You can also play around with a hairstyle app; there are various options that you can use for free. Generally, these allow you to upload a photo and then merge that with different hairstyles to get an idea of how you might look with each of them.
Being able to visualize what you might look like with each of the styles you’re considering is a really important part of the process. It’s important to consider what will suit you, taking into account factors such as your size, your coloring, the shape of your face and the style and color of the clothes you like to wear. The same haircut can look very different on different people, hence it being so important to understand what it might look like on you.
What’s important to you?
It’s also good to think about what’s important to you when it comes to a new hairstyle. Do you have just a few minutes to get ready in the mornings or limitless time in which to perfect your style? If time is of the essence, then opting for a style that’s easy to maintain makes a lot more sense then something more intricate. Or perhaps you could go for a style that doesn’t take too much maintenance during the week but that you can transform into something altogether more glamorous at the weekend when you have more time on your hands.
Whatever you choose, be realistic about the time commitment involved as you don’t want to end up never being able to recreate what the hairdresser delivered simply due to lack of time!
Another consideration is whether your desired style would be suitable for a professional setting, as well as being one that you are happy to sport in your personal life. Soft, wavy, blue and green mermaid-style tresses may look incredibly beautiful, but if you work in a conservative, suited and booted environment, they may make you stand out for all the wrong reasons.
Consider the cost of the upkeep
Cost is another key aspect of choosing a new style. Not just the cost of the initial restyle, but any ongoing maintenance for which you need to return to the salon. For example, a Pixie cut that will need to be trimmed regularly to keep it the perfect length, or a stunning, bleached blonde look that will see you returning to the salon frequently to deal with your roots as your natural color grows through.
All of this is fine if you have the time and the budget to maintain your chosen style. Just be aware from the outset that you’re committing to something that requires regular maintenance.
Of course, that’s not to say that you need to head back to the salon for everything. If you’re comfortable with applying color to your roots, giving your fringe a regular trim or dusting your hair for split ends, then you can undertake these tasks at home with minimal hassle and with less expense than a trip to the salon entails.
You may also want to factor in the cost of any styling products that you will be using to maintain your new look, from heat protector sprays and blow dry sprays to curl cream and volumizer. Will you also need a new shampoo and conditioner? These may well be advisable if you’ve colored your hair, in which case choosing the right products can help to maintain the color and shine for longer. A weekly intensive conditioning mask also wouldn’t go amiss no matter which style you choose, as it will help you to protect your hair’s health over the longer term.
You may also need to purchase new styling tools to keep your new hairstyle looking perfect. You can be guided by whichever tools your hairdresser used to create the style in the first place, whether straighteners, curling tongs or anything else. If you haven’t used them before, you can ask your hairdresser for advice or look online for video tutorials (of which there are plenty).
Find joy in experimentation
Our final tip to help you decide on the perfect hairstyle for 2022 is to enjoy the process of doing so. The wonderful thing about hairstyles is that they are relatively easy to change. This takes the pressure off when it comes to deciding on a new style. After all, if you really don’t like it, you can always change it again. So, relax and have fun finding the perfect style to suit you. And remember to take before and after pictures, so that you have a record for future of how your restyle looked. Having a photograph can also be handy when it comes to creating precisely what the hairdresser achieved after that nerve-wracking first post-restyle hair wash!