Hair Today...

As we know, a New Year brings new changes, and for many of us, it also brings a new hairstyle. So Niamh Mceneaney finds out the top five hair trends of 2024 and how best to achieve them...

The Newyear is a time of reflection and change. And with 2024 well and truly started, many of us will be saying goodbye to some of last year’s beloved hairstyles to make way for new trends. Alice Dawkins, Hair Expert at leading hair extension supplier Milk + Blush analysed Google search data to predict the rising and falling hair styles which are set to make waves in 2024.

Here, she talks us through the top five and gives her advice on how best to achieve them...

1. The Butterfly Bob

Surging ahead with a 515% jump in search volume between August and October last year is the butterfly bob.

This style combines the voluminous layers of the Tiktok-famous butterfly haircut with the chicness of a classic bob, attracting the attention of celebs including Zendaya, pictured right, and Jenna Ortega.

While the butterfly cut — the butterfly bob’s more unruly younger sister —may have gained notoriety on social media thanks to it being ‘easy’ to DIY at home, you’ll need an expert stylist to properly execute the butterfly bob thanks to its complex layering.

Consult your stylist about tailoring the layers and face-framing pieces to best suit your hair type and face shape.

However, while the butterfly bob can be cut to suit almost anyone, this style will require you to have plenty of hair to get the layered look without sparse ends. So, consider investing in a set of filler hair extensions to amp up your hair’s volume.

2. Bardot Bangs

The iconic fringe may have first appeared in the 1960s, but this style still looks just as chic and modern today as it did 60 years ago.

Versatile and timeless, these bangs add a touch of femininity and retro allure, making them a popular choice for those seeking a stylish yet adaptable hairstyle.

Just look to Dakota Johnson, pictured, Hailey Bieber or even the OG influence herself, Brigitte Bardot, for inspiration. Searches for Bardot bangs began taking off in October, averaging 1,300 monthly searches, nearly doubling its August search volume at just 720.

As the face-framing pieces can be customised, most people will be able to pull off Bardot bangs.

However, those with a round face should be wary of making the fringe too heavy as this will emphasise any roundness. Squareshaped faces will need to play with the length of the bangs to elongate the face and avoid making the face appear too rounded.

3. Hair Accessories

With vintage hairstyles cropping up again, so too are hair accessories, with hair ribbons one such trend that’s here to stay.

Searches for hair ribbons jumped 53% over the last three months.

It’s something we’re certainly seeing take social media platforms by storm.

#Hairribbon has over 8.4 million views on Tiktok, with younger generations eager to try out the cutesy style.

It’s a trend that’s also been picked up by celebrities. From the oversized bows seen on the likes of Sarah Jessica Parker, pictured, and Sydney Sweeney to the miniature ribbons as worn by Nicola Coughlan and Hailey Bieber, there’s a wide variety of ways to incorporate hair accessories into your daily looks.

4. Textured Pixie

Next up is the textured pixie cut, which saw a 51% rise in searches over the three-month period.

It is a shortlength chop, flattering most women’s face shapes and loved by the likes of

Zoe Kravitz, pictured, and Olivia Colman.

It adopts an array of looks from chic and flirty

To achieve the wet look, you need to know what products to use and how to use them to lock in the style.

For starters, determine your hair type. How you get the wet look will differ if you have textured hair or not, it’s not one-sizefits-all.you should also consider length.

Shorter hair will work the products from root to tip, whereas medium-length and longer hairstyles will concentrate the products on the roots to the middle of the hair shaft.

You can do a middle part, a side part, or even the very 90s-inspired zig-zag part or for a more traditional wet hair look, comb it back in a sleek, slicked-back look.

If you have a strong curl pattern or a tight kink, use a very strong-hold gel and hair oil on damp, towel-dried hair.

Take these two products and blend them together in your hand, and use a fine-tooth comb to work them into your hair as you comb it to your desired style.

Other hair types can coat dry hair that’s already been styled in a lightweight oil and gel from roots to end for a sleek, oily finish.

Then spritz hair from roots to midlength with a stronghold hairspray. ■