Supermodel Kristen McMenamy and British Vogue’s own Sarah Harris are the fashion world’s poster girls for gray—their every Instagram post proof that a head of silver hair isn’t just acceptable, it’s seriously aspirational. But the period post-lockdown has seen the gray hair movement go mainstream. 

Forced to relinquish their regular salon visits due to COVID restrictions, many women chose to embrace their regrowth, rather than run from it. It seems A-listers were no different, and the return of the party circuit (and unfettered access to glam squads) did nothing to quell enthusiasm for this newly liberated approach to beauty. 

After Sarah Jessica Parker proudly showed off pearlescent roots in a viral Sex and the City reunion snap, and Andie MacDowell’s halo of silver curls became the most admired hairstyle on the Cannes red carpet, intentional regrowth is now infiltrating royal circles. Spain’s Queen Letizia arrived in Stockholm for a state visit this week looking characteristically groomed in a camel cape by Carolina Herrera, with natural strands of silver visible in her glossy dark hair.

Letizia, a former journalist and news anchor who married into the Spanish royal family in 2004, is as influential in Spain as the Duchess of Cambridge—whose tacit seal of approval can be worth millions of pounds in sales to a brand—is in Britain. Her relaxed approach to regrowth is further evidence that the rise of gray hair—part of a broader welcome shift towards age positivity—will be perhaps the biggest beauty headline of 2021. Her segue to gray follows that of another royal brunette, Princess Caroline, whose salt and pepper bob is suitably chic for the daughter of style icon Grace Kelly. 

There are a plethora of articles that recommend hairstyles suitable for your face shape, and whilst this is important, we should consider the whole body when choosing a hairstyle bespoke to us.

Imagine different sizes of shoes, bags and accessories – to celebrate your body type, you need to go for something that looks flattering, not awkward. With your hairstyle, it is the same. Read on for tips and suggestions on haircuts, styles and hair colors that will compliment your body.

Hairstyles and Body Shapes

Top tips on selecting a new hairstyle include considering hairstyles for your face shape and hair type. But what about the overall body shape? No matter how beautiful very long hair looks, petit women will not benefit from the style; likewise, no matter how many women seek adding volume to hair, voluminous ‘dos do not always create the right accent.

Here are a few guiding principles to remember if you want your hairstyle to balance your body features:

• Clean-cut lines at the nape and the sides offset a softer, curvy body;
• If you have broad shoulders, bra-length hair with soft curls will help to make the look more feminine;
• Super straight hair accentuates skinny body shape; adding some shape and soft waves will, on the contrary, balance the look;
• Very long hair makes short women look shorter;
• The eye is automatically drawn to the lightest part of the hair – use this to your advantage by cleverly placing your balayage or multi-tonal color.

Here are recommendations for 10 different body types and shapes to help you find the best hairstyle for your figure and learn to balance and show off your body features.

#1: Rectangle or “Banana”

If your waist measurements are about the same as your hip or bust, and your shoulders and hips are about the same width, you have what is called a “banana” or rectangle body type.
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Opt for effortless textures with soft movement like beach waves and multi-tonal shades in a color (not too contrasting). Avoid defined, harsh lines and geometric shapes like box bob. On long hair, ask your stylist for a hairstyle with layers; avoid one-length long haircuts, especially if your hair is thick. Likewise, avoid blunt bangs – curtain bangs or side fringes will be more suitable for this body type. Side partings or asymmetric styles will also be a flattering choice here.

#2: Triangle or “Pear”

With this body type, your shoulders and bust are narrower than your hips. You probably have slim arms and a fairly defined waist. Your waist most likely slopes out to your hips.

To harmonize the look, optically mirror your hips by creating width around your shoulders. Curly hair is great for creating this volume, so you should better nurture any natural types of curls in your hair. Shoulder-length haircuts also do a perfect job here, as well as blunt bangs, one-size blunt haircuts, and graduated cuts. A-line concave bob with longer hair towards the front is your must-try style. As for hair color, a root shadow that is slightly dragged out and eventually blends into a lighter color will be a flattering option.

#3: Spoon

The spoon body type is pretty similar to the triangle or “pear” one. Your hips are larger than your bust or the rest of your body and may have a “shelf”-like appearance against a defined waist. You may also carry some weight in your upper arms and thighs.

This figure looks best with longer hair length, darker colors, and blunt lines. A winning move is to frame the face with feathery curtain bangs. Curves and waves will add volume to your locks and, unlike sleek straight hair, will compliment your curvy body shape.

​#4: Hourglass

If your hips and bust are nearly equal in size and you have a well-defined waist that’s narrower than both, you have an hourglass body type. Your legs and upper body are probably considered proportionate.
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Side parts and sexy flowy hair look great on this body frame. However, feel free to offset the very feminine body type with strong geometrical lines and super short hair that’s clean-cut but sports texture on top.

#5: Top Hourglass

As a top hourglass, you have the general hourglass proportion, but your bust measurements are slightly larger than your hips. Consider going with shattered medium-length cuts, that are not too blocky or bulky. Adding face-framing highlights, spotlight color placement, and baby lights can also be used to soften your upper body.

#6: Inverted Triangle or “Apple”

If your shoulders and bust are larger than your relatively narrow hips, you have what’s known as an inverted triangle or an “apple” body type. To create more balance, opt for softer outlines rather than strong blunt styles, especially shoulder-length cuts. Make sure hair doesn’t fall directly on your shoulders as it gives the illusion of width.
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Dimensional color play to your hands, too. Styling can make a lot of change either. For example, half-up half-down styles and ponytails placed on the highest point of your head give the illusion of a lengthened torso.

#7: Round or Oval

​If your bust is larger than the rest of your body, your hips are narrow, and your midsection is fuller, you have what’s usually called a round or oval body type. A flattering choice is wearing clothes with vertical lines and matching these with long, sleek hairstyles. Less width in your hair will visually lengthen your torso.

#8: Diamond

If you have narrow shoulders and bust and a fuller waistline, you have what’s called a diamond body shape. With this type, you may carry a little more weight in your upper legs while having slender arms. Thick hair with volume and texture and big hair with tight curls will add to the balance. Look through hairstyles with width and chin-length short bobs to find a flattering style. Pulling hair back from your face could also help you look more slender.

#9: Tall and Athletic

​If your body is muscular but not particularly curvy, you might have an athletic body type. It works well with almost any type of cut, so your face shape and hair texture will be a better guide this time. Go for long hair or celebrate your strengths with androgynous hairstyles. The only thing to avoid is hair length between a chin and a shoulder. This gap will visually elongate your neck and add to your height, which may overpower your overall look.

#10: Petite

​Bob cuts or various types and lengths is the best choice for petite slim women. A stylist will normally discourage you from long locks that will make you look shorter than you are and very short pixie cuts that can make you look a bit boyish. Opt for sleek styles and avoid hairstyles that are too voluminous and overpower your figure. If you have a rectangular shape lacking curves, add soft waves to your do.

We are all dealing with the gradual return to the pre-Covid normal in different ways. Some are still cautious and are coming out of their shells slowly, and others instead need to make a clean break. Hair, which is always an expression of our mood, is no exception: there are those who got used to long hair during the lockdowns, but others can’t weight to get a haircut. And in this case the paper cut bob is one of the most popular looks to come down the pipeline.
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Also because the bob is so versatile that it can meet everyone’s needs chin-length bob, to the long bob, or lob, from the fringed bob to the French style, the biggest trend for Summer 2021. But there is also another cut that seems made to measure for those seeking a big post-pandemic change: the paper cut bob, with a perimeter cut done with an extremely precise razor. Beyond its elegant and impeccable effect, the paper cut bob offers the advantage of eliminating ends that have been damaged by failed experiments and creating the volume of a thick head of hair, even for those with thin hair.

Edged-out Bob
One great example can be found in this Urbane Collection by the Texpert Collective where color and cut are a perfect combination for this look.

Classic Bob
Rigorous lines, natural color, tone-on-tone highlights for this classic bob that is perfectly representative of this cut.

Pink paper cut Bob
If you prefer to add extra oomph to a classic look, this cut is perfect for some crazy color… Pink, for example, would be perfect.

​Gradient hair color
Always related to crazy color, but a slightly different interpretation, using coloring to create contrasting stripes.

A famous example
The paper cut bob is super popular with celebs. Whether hair is dark or light, or even with a natural color – it becomes a stand-out, eye-catching look.

One of the most exciting aspects of the professional hair industry is the rate at which hair trends come and go. Even amid a pandemic, people enduring global lockdowns turned to social media to stay on top of the latest “it” hairstyles and eagerly requested them once salons began to reopen.

“The 2021 Hair Report” from Cosmetify breaks down the most searched hair trends over the past 12 months.

1. The Mullet. According to the report, the mullet was the most searched hairstyle in the past year, with more than 15.5 million searches, which is a 142% increase from the previous year.
2. Waves. Thought to be the answer to excessive lockdown hair growth, waves received just under 15 million searches, which is a search increase of 16.5% over the previous year.
3. Wings. This haircut, made popular by singer Harry Styles, saw searches grow by 17.5% for a total of 13.1 million searches.  
4. Curtains. Popular for both men and women, searches for curtains increased by more than 50% to reach 12.9 million searches.
5. Extensions. Outranking many natural hairstyles, extensions saw searches increase by 32% to reach 12.8 million searches.

​5 styles with the biggest search increase

1. Curtain bangs
2. The new pixie
3. Layered locks
4. Modern mullet
5. Middle parting

Our hair is one of the most important areas of our bodies, and also one that takes the most care to maintain. As such, hair care products and brands are big business. In fact, the global hair care industry is estimated to be worth $94.92 billion in 2021.
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With hundreds of huge hair care brands out there, the 2021 Hair Report will reveal the biggest brands right now, as well as the hottest hairstyle trends across the world and the most popular ‘hairfluencers’ on social media.

Our hair texture, density and thickness vary just like our facial features and body shapes do. Although coarse hair is often described as “difficult” and “challenging”, the main issue is knowing how to look after this kind of hair structure.

Indeed, styling coarse hair requires some effort – from detangling the knots to the potentially longer drying process. While this can sound like a lot to handle, these struggles aren’t harder than styling fine and flat hair; it’s all about learning some tricks and embracing the unique features of your hair.

What is Coarse Hair?

​Coarse and thick hair are often used interchangeably. However, hair thickness is defined by the number of the strands, their density, while coarse hair is hair with a bigger diameter of each individual strand. You can easily check if you have coarse hair by taking a bunch of hair and rubbing it between your fingers: if you can define separate strands and they feel and look like threads, you have coarse hair.
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​The main downside is that this hair structure is more prone to dryness; consequently, it can easily become knotty, wiry, and uncontrollable. On the positive side, coarse hair is very good at holding styles and volume and it doesn’t require too frequent washing. Hence, using good quality hydrating and restoring products, you can easily make coarse hair your best friend.
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Both straight and curly hair can be coarse and fine, as well as thin and thick. On the hair type chart, 1C, 2C, 3C and 4C types are often on the coarse side. While coarse hair structure is mainly determined by genetics, hair often becomes coarser when graying.

7 Tips for Coarse Hair Treatment

Here are 7 tips and tricks that will help you cater to the unique needs of your hair structure. Amend your routine, learn to deal with the challenges, and your hair is sure to be your source of pride and confidence.

#1: Start with the Haircare Products for Coarse Hair
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A healthy hair care routine is the ultimate base needed for good-looking locks, and for coarse hair the key point is moisturizing. The best hair products for coarse hair are those without parabens, sulphates, and other drying ingredients.

While you might not be ready to switch to completely natural hair products, try using weekly coconut oil masks – it will noticeably soften and smooth your hair. Shea Butter Deep Treatment Mask and the whole moisture retention collection is also a good choice for deep hydration of coarse hair. Even though finding products that are right for you can be a bit of a journey, it will soon pay back with healthy and lustrous tresses.

As mentioned before, coarse hair tends to tangle. For detangling, use a nylon paddle brush: firm and smooth bristles penetrate the strands and glide through the hair without causing any damage, while an air cushion protects and massages your scalp. Ideally, brush your hair when it’s semi-dry – it is not as fragile as soaking wet strands and not as knotty as they become when they dry out completely.

A ceramic round brush with longer nylon bristles is a great choice for blow-drying your hair – it retains heat, thus speeds up the process. For a smoother finish, always use cold air in the end.
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#3: Straighten Hair with a Hairdryer Instead of a Flat Iron

It is certainly healthier to blow dry your hair rather than use straighteners or other hot tools. Follow these easy steps to achieve a sleek, salon-worthy blow out:

#4: Choose the Right Temperature
​While you are in process of advancing your blow-drying technique, straighteners are understandably a handy and quick option. Try to reduce the heat to 350F: it is quite likely that this temperature will be absolutely enough to straighten or curl your hair.

Important note: if you apply a heat protecting spray before curlers or straighteners, always make sure the product dries out before you use the hot tools. Applying heat on wet hair literally fries them, which causes immense damage.

#5: Pick the Best Hair Styling Products for Coarse Hair
Think smoothing creams and shine sprays to get a sleek, polished, and frizz-free look. If you like reading ingredients as much as we do, bear in mind that ideally, silicones shouldn’t be listed as the first three in the list on the bottle. Although silicones create a protective layer around hair shafts, this ingredient can also create buildup which causes hair breakage and a dull look.

Briogeo Farewell Frizz silicon-free leave-in conditioner would be a great option that smoothes hair, boosts shine, and eases detangling. Unfortunately, sea salt sprays aren’t made for you – those are making hair rougher and drier – certainly, not the outcome that you are looking for.

#6: Choose the Haircut That Works for Coarse Hair
A graduated bob or long layers are the best options for coarse hair. These shapes won’t look bulky on thicker hair and will show off the beauty of coarse hair: it’s natural volume.

#7: Love Your Coarse Hair
Embrace your natural hair texture and appreciate its advantages like full-body, ability to hold curls and any other styles.

We hope these pieces of advice were useful and you will implement some of them in your day-to-day hair care routine to achieve the best styling results for your coarse hair.

From The Right Hairstyles