Cara O’Connell
Special to In Motion
Since the dawn of civilization, hairstyle trends have been forever changing. Males and females alike are constantly adjusting their looks to keep up with the latest trend.
Kayla Billingsley/In Motion
Like most things in the world, hairstyles are gender specific. Women tend to change their style far more often than men. Gay reckons that in 2015, customers are leaving straight, flat hair behind and reviving volume and curls. The late ‘80s and ‘90s are definitely back in full swing.
“Short hair is really in,” says cosmetologist Jordan Flint of current female hair trends.
Asymmetric and pixie cuts (think Vidal Sassoon and 1960s model Twiggy) are taking the world by storm again, with celebrities like Miley Cyrus, ShaileneWoodly and Rihanna saying goodbye to their luscious locks and hello to a far edgier look. Sassoon, a hairstylist who popularized the shorter, more angular haircuts on women, 40 years ago, is to thank for this. He often said he found his inspiration in modern architecture. Today, the Sassoon technique lives on in schools and salons headquartered in London and Santa Monica, Calif. Although he died three years ago, the famed British hair designer’s motto lives on: “If you don’t look good, we don’t look good.”
Men and boys are not left out when it comes to hair trends. A very popular look currently is the “Schorem” or “scumbag boogie,” as Gay calls it. This hairstyle includes a long top but shaved sides and back. Another made popular, thanks to Will Smith, is the “Gumby.” Current male hair styles fall under three basic trends: barbershop; shaved parts; or pompadour.
Facial hair is also very big in male fashion. Men everywhere grow their beards and mustaches out for more than just Movember, the no-shave month calling attention to prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health issues. Facial hair is no longer seen as unprofessional and instead is acceptable and fashionable.
Coloring hair is another very big trend no matter the age or gender of a person. Girls and boys alike will always be coloring their hair darker in the fall and winter and lighter in the spring and summer, but what about those unnatural colors like neon blue or bright pink?
“The naturals will always be a classic, but people are less afraid now,” Flint says. “Whether it is an accent or the whole head, people are going for it.”
Unnatural hair colors have been made acceptable by celebrities like Kelly Osborne, Hayley Williams, Perez Hilton and Katy Perry. A very on-trend color is chrome, the silvers and dusty blues and purples. People left and right also are bleaching their hair platinum, perhaps in homage to Hollywood icons such as Jean Harlow. Pastel colors are always very in and a year ‘round trend. These colors, like the naturals, can be darkened for the colder months and lightened for warmer weather.
Coloring hair can be a pretty expensive fad. The prices at a retail salon for a single application color can be $45-plus, a full head bleaching $60 to $80-plus and full head highlights $75 and up. At the Daytona State Cosmetology Salon all of these coloring processes are far less expensive. A single application color is $20, a full head bleaching is $40 with $30 for bleach touch-ups and full head highlights are $45. Appointments can be made at the Daytona State Cosmetology Salon Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. On Mondays and Wednesdays, there are extended outs from 6 to 9 p.m. Call 386-506-3319 for an appointment. For a complete list of services, go to http://daytonastate.edu/cosmetology
A more recent fad buzzing around is girls coloring body hair pastel colors. Girls have been growing out their underarm hair, bleaching it and coloring it pastel colors, usually matching their head colors. Another trend that isn’t as popular as the underarm coloring is called “Pretty Betty.” This includes coloring your nether regions a pastel color, again usually matching the head color.
Both Gay and Flint have agreed that they will not be participating in these trends, but think it’s a fun idea.