5 Haircuts That Will Replace the Lob in 2018

Whether or not you think following the "New Year, New You" mantra is cheesy, there's no better opportunity than the start of another year to break out of your hair rut by starting off fresh with a new cut.

If 2017 has taught us anything, it's that the lob isn't going anywhere—for good reason. The shoulder-grazing length is universally flattering for every face shape and a number of hair textures, too. But, if your relationship with your lob is starting to feel stale, there's a handful of cuts to consider that are about to become 2018's biggest hair trends.

A dramatic or subtle hair change is up to you, but the cuts we've been tracking on red carpet have all the bases covered. Katie Holmes's layered pixie, and Kerry Washington's blunt bob and bangs are just a few of the styles that you're going to see everywhere in the new year.

1. BLUNT BOB WITH BANGS 

The natural progression of the lob is taking your length up an inch or two into a bob. If you want to change your look even more drastically, add a set of blunt bangs like Kerry Washington's full fringe. 

When you're at the salon, ask your stylist for blunt bob with a few long layers, and that your bangs be slightly layered and longer on the sides. If you're regularly reaching for your hot tools to get a flyaway-free finish.

2. CURTAIN BANGS 

We're calling it: Curtain bangs like Kirsten Dunst's are going to be to 2018 like side-swept bangs are to the early 2000's. Need to be convinced? The style is up 600 percent in search on Pinterest. If you're not ready to part with your current cut just yet, this versatile fringe style is a simple way to update your look. Don't let these retro bangs intimidate you: Since curtain bangs are parted down the center and longer to begin with, it'll be easier to avoid any awkward stages when you decide to grow them out. 

3. GROWN-OUT SHAG 

The beginning of 2017 saw the return of the shag, and now it's all grown up going into the new year. Jessica Biel's long, shaggy layers with long, center-parted bangs that are blended into the rest of her layers proof that you can grow out the cut gracefully as an intentional style. 

The haircut you’ll be opting for this summer according to your face shape

Warmer months call for a switch up in your beauty routine, serving as the perfect time to experiment with a new look – and what better place to start than with your strands

Going in for a chop or change isn’t as simple as pointing to a picture and wishing your way to stardom status hair. In fact, your face shape is the true determinant when it comes to picking the perfect hairstyle. But what works best for your face shape? Voguesought out to answer your every hair query from celebrity hair stylist, Anthony Nader, ahead of summer to ensure your next chop is your best one yet. 

The tip? “Because of its symmetry and balance, the oval face shape is your ultimate goal to reaching when thinking about your new haircut,” says Nader. 

Click through to discover the style you’ll be opting for the next time you hit the salon. 

Long face shape 

“Longer face shapes allow for more experimentation around the higher forehead region,” says Nader. “This is where you and your hairdresser can be more strategic about which parts of your face you wish to highlight or soften.” 

For example, Nader tells us, “Creating a diagonal angle on your face will help keep people’s eyes focused on your centre features – like your eyes, and lips – rather than on your forehead or lower parts of your face.” 

“This summer think 60s Woodstock era. Keep your tresses long and at one length.” 

Alternatively, “Shake it up and make sure you create shorter triggers around your face, allowing for the overall style to blend through to the base line length.” 

Opal hair is the new unicorn hair

Opal hair might be void of rainbows, but it still makes a big impact. 

If pastel-perfect hair sounds like something you’re interested in, this latest hair trend might be the perfect mid-summer beauty look. Enter, opal hair. 

Perfected and pioneered by Mike Lowenstein and his wife, Melody, of US-based salon Ross Michaels Salon, opal “Hollywood” hair, as it’s dubbed by the stylists, is the perfect mix of pastel colouring and classic styling. 

In other words, it’s opal-esque coloured hair with gorgeous old-school curls. 

“We cancel the undertones by applying a heavily diluted violet-based toner, then custom mix a variety of pastel direct dyes,” Lowenstein told Allure of the process, which sees hair first dyed platinum blonde before being lightly coloured. 

Taking off on Instagram, the trend has officially been dubbed the next unicorn hair, albeit a little more subtle, with the pretty peach and lavender undertones putting Ross Michaels Salon on the international radar. 

What you need to know about Japanese and Brazilian straightening treatments

The facts to read up on. 

In our current times, technology has a quick fix for everything so it’s not surprising the hair world got in on this in various ways. The trouble is quick fixes can be just that, quick, and potentially damaging (in irreversible ways) if you don’t get clued-up on what you’re doing. Japanese and Brazilian treatments that claim to permanently straighten or smooth hair have attracted a degree of controversy so we sifted through the facts and consulted the experts to find out what’s worth it, and what’s definitely not. 

If you battle with wiry, frizzy or unmanageable curls and are seeking a permanent solution, it’s possible you’ve looked into Japanese straightening. The technique uses a round of chemicals to breakdown the bonds of the hair, followed by heat straightening to shift strands from curled to pin straight. The costly and time-consuming process is not offered at many salons, and some say for good reason. “The problem with this is your hair becomes so sensitive, you can not colour it after this service,” says Jaye Edwards of Sydney salon Edwards and Co. “Colour does the same thing to hair, it changes the bonds but on a much milder scale.” 

If you’re tempted, make sure you ask all the right questions of your hairdresser including, how unhealthy will my hair be post-treatment? And how will it come out? The latter brings us to an important point; this treatment does not wash out gradually, you will have to grow it out meaning, like regrowth, there will be an aesthetically abrupt difference between your pre- and post- treatment hair. Picture curly roots with straight lengths.

Another more popular option is a Brazilian keratin treatment. Some hairdressers still avoid this as it does wear on the hair, however Edwards is a supporter. “It can be very beneficial for the client,” he explains. “The hair gets coated in a protein, it is then dried and straightened with a straightener. From the heat the protein coating acts like a glad wrap that has been melted onto the hair and smooths the hair out.”

The things to be aware of: this will not completely straighten your hair, rather smooth it and it’s difficult to colour your hair after this is done as colour can corrode the protein, Edwards says. It’s also not advisable to do too frequently as the heat used can damage hair. “It definitely is not something I recommend to everyone. I advise to have one every five months,” Edwards says. 

If all this scares you off, there are a plethora of other options out there as Anthony Nader of Raw salon explains. “When you’re at the salon next, don’t be afraid to get to the nitty gritty about your hair concerns with your hairstylist,” Nader explains, adding that a hair cut can reduce bulk and make the most of your natural curls or waves. “Leaving your hair one length is a way to control your hair [and stop it] from flying around your face,” says Nader. “The more weight you can promote to your hairstyle, the less work it will be.”

Nader says another option is an in-salon moisturising treatment, which works like an intense version of the hair masks you do at home, or an oil treatment that will add lustre. He also advises reducing heat whenever possible from hot tools and overly warm showers. “When you’re giving your hair a final rinse, turn down the temperature to the coolest you can stand as this closes the hair scales which then gives your hair more sheen and more control throughout the day.” It can be that easy.