What will be hot in 2018?

So long, long hair – predicted by Chris Merrick, Blue Tit Crouch Hill, and Steve Rowbottom, Westrow. 
“The Moschino pixie cut is very indicative of the growing trend for short styles. Short cuts were particularly noticeable at Milan Fashion Week, where most of the styles sported on the runway were lobe-length or shorter. Think blunt finishes at Christiano Burani, bowl cuts at Giorgio Armani, choppy boyish locks at Missoni and masculine close cuts at Fendi.” Tomboy hair is a surprisingly easy trend to dip into for clients, according to Steve Rowbottom. “They can either go the whole way and opt for one of the many shorter styles dominating the catwalks, or pick out a boyish feature, such as a choppy, cropped fringe,” he says.

Fringed bobs – predicted by Hooker & Young
“The more undone, tousled the fringe, the more on trend the woman will look, so we’ll be avoiding a heavy blunt fringe. A lighter, longer fringe can help keep the style versatile as well as easier to grow out if your client decides they want to change. Cropped, one length, undone bobs also help to thicken and texturise the hair.”

‘80s glam – predicted by Tegan Robertson, Not Another Salon
“When predicting trends you have to understand Zeitgeist, which means ‘spirit of the time’. It’s a dominant set of ideas that motivates and inspires. In this case, we’re talking about these ideas will influence hair. We’re currently living in a Netflix -obsessed world and I think we’ll see this come through in hair trends in 2018.

“Two of the most popular series have been GLOW and Stranger Things, both set in the ’80s. Due to this, we’re seeing a massive rise in retro cuts and styles. Bouffant/beehives were used in Chanel’s latest collection and slicked-back hair in Jason Wu’s show, not to mention the massive rise in popularity of mullets (yes really), big, curly blowouts and perms on the salon floor. I think it’s safe to say we’ve moved away from ’90s grunge and we’ve moved on to ’80s glam.”

Bring on the perm – predicted by Sarah Bowron, Aesthetics and Gary Taylor, Edward & Co 
“The ’80s are having a serious moment,” says Sarah Bowron. “Lady Gaga sealed the deal when she paid homage to Madonna at the American Music Awards in November with a real deal perm, so 2018 is definitely the year for curly girls. With our obsession for texture and waves in 2017, it’s only natural we want bigger and better for 2018.” Gary Taylor agrees: “Beach waves have been and gone and now it’s all about big, tight curls – the unrulier the better!”

Petrol blue and forest green – predicted by Paul Callaghan, Crazy Color and Sarah Black, Linton & Mac.
“With Sam McKnight showcasing petrol blue shades at the Fendi S/S18 show on models such as Bella Hadid and Kendal Jenner, it was sure to be a sure shade for 2018,” says Paul Callaghan. “Blue hues have been popular for a while, but the use of bright blue on the Fendi catwalk saw a new take on this trend. Oil-slick inspired toned with an almost green edge can be expected everywhere for 2018.”

Sarah Black believes the azure shades that we saw last year are back, but have taken on an inkier, grittier hue. “Think chunky side fringes tinted with petrol blue and forest green. The mossy green shade is actually very similar to my winning colour at the 2017 L’Oréal Colour Trophy Award. While it isn’t the most wearable of shades for everyday, I predict that these attention-grabbing inky colours will come in to their own at this year’s festivals.”

Melloy yellow – predicted by Sarah Black, Linton & Mac and Suzie McGill, Rainbow Room International
“While millennial pink ranged from beige with a touch of blush, to a vibrant peachy-salmon hybrid, we’re now welcoming an influx of yellow,” says Linton & Mac’s Sarah. “Jeremy Scott’s S/S18 show was heavy on the yellow hues and we predict an influx of requests for this sunshine shade. We’ll be leaving the juicy vibrant yellow hair trend of 2017 behind though; this spring/summer yellow is much more mellow.”

“Meadowlark is a very brave colour to go for and looks great on a short, spiky cut for added edge,” adds Suzie McGill. “Warm tones will be big, especially golden blonde.”

Softer shades – predicted by Dean Jones, Dean Jones Hairdressing
“With balayage and ombre styles remaining popular throughout 2017, clients have become accustomed to softer colour. Often they like the option of allowing their natural colour to grow in-between appointments without that harsh root effect. Smudging allows you to achieve that flawless blend of colour when working a darker root into lighter ends. Once the hair has been highlighted, applying a toner or gloss to the roots using a brush to blend the line between the root and the colour will create that stunning ‘smudged’ effect. This tends to work best for those who want to go a shade or two lighter and should be popular with your clients in 2018.”