New Year, New Hair, New Me? Think carefully before making drastic changes in 2022

By Haircare Expert, Nicole Petty at Milk + Blush

We’ve all heard of the expression ‘new hair, new me’ – right?

Well, there’s no better time to refresh your locks than at the start of a new year. According to a recent survey, the average Brit spends £50,000 a year just experimenting with new hair colours over the course of a lifetime. Yet, a new colour is only a fraction of what you could invest in changing up your mane.

Haircare Expert Nicole Petty at Milk + Blush discusses the potential changes people might be considering and the implications of not doing them properly…

New colour

Everyone loves a big change, especially with bold colours back in fashion this year.

However, it would be wise for you to look into using a virtual hair colour changer before committing to the change for good. Apps such as these let you upload your photo and try multiple different shades to find the one that suits your appearance. These are great for anyone looking to experiment with their hair colour but isn’t sure what it will look like on them – avoiding any regretful decisions.

Once you’ve decided what colour you’re looking for, it’s best to visit a professional hairdresser. While box dyes are significantly cheaper, the colours can vary depending on your hair type, so they won’t always turn out the same as they appear on the box.

A hairdresser can mix up the perfect blend of colours for you and ensure they are applied evenly for the best results.

The big chop

Many celebrity hairstylists have predicted that the bob will be back in 2022, whether that’s a mid-length style like Kourtney Kardashian or a blunt cut like Lily James.

And while this is definitely going to be a trend to follow in the new year, remember this decision will be hard to reverse once you’ve had the big chop.

One consideration when cutting your hair short is your face shape. For example, round face shapes can appear rounder with the wrong cut. Generally, oval or round-shaped faces will suit a pixie cut, buzz cut or a long bob, while square and rectangular-shaped faces suit layered lob styles and heart-shaped faces will more likely suit a bob with long side-swept bangs.

Although, if you are unhappy with your cutting choices it can take a month to grow half an inch of hair back – that’s around six inches a year!

So, if you’re going to do it, think long and hard about cutting your hair and get it done by a professional to ensure it’s done properly.

Plus, if you change your mind, extensions are an easy way to fake the length while you wait for it to grow back…

Adding volume and length

If you want long, voluminous locks but don’t want to wait ages for your hair to grow out, look to invest in hair extensions.

Rather than permanent extensions that can be high maintenance and prove costly, a set of clip-ins will be much easier and cheaper. Clip-in hair extensions are incredibly versatile as you can take them in and out as you wish and switch it up with different lengths and colours.

These days hair extension suppliers offer a shade match service to ensure the wefts are an exact match for your hair. Simply send a photo of your hair down, against a plain background, in natural light and provide different angles – we’ll do the rest.

The most popular length for extensions is generally 20″ Classic Extensions, although they can come in 16″ right up to 24”.

To get the right length and volume for you, measure from the middle of your ear downwards. This will show you roughly where the hair extensions will come to on your body and give you an idea of how much longer they’ll be, compared to your natural hair.