Your Guide To Wearing Hair Tinsel, Just In Time For The Holidays

From '90s pixie cuts to early aughts bangs, nostalgic hair trends are all-the-rage these days. The latest and, in our opinion, greatest trend to join the ranks is hair tinsel. Also called "holographic highlights" per Allure and "fairy hair" (via PureWow), this sparkly yet subtle style is pretty simple: it's tinsel that goes in your hair. This may remind you of Beyonce back at the 2010 Grammy Awards, and yes –– this trend has cycled back around for 2022. This time, it's just in time to help you get a little bit glam and plenty festive for the holidays.

To see hair tinsel is to love it. This trend is all about fun, but it doesn't require a huge commitment like chopping off length or bleaching your locks. Plus, according to You Probably Need a Haircut, depending on how often you wash your hair, the tinsel lasts about 1-2 weeks, so you can change your colors regularly. You can tailor your tinsel to fit you, and whether you opt for a lot or a little, colorful or monochrome metallic, in the words of the great Taylor Swift, you'll "make the whole place shimmer."

Like most hair trends, you can get your hair tinsel put in by a professional, and this is certainly the most foolproof means of getting the look on the first try. According to Allure, if you choose to get your hair tinsel put in at the salon, they'll simply knot the tinsel right onto your hair. Some people choose to go with just a few pieces of tinsel dispersed throughout their hair for a subtle, shimmery effect. Others, like Kacey Musgraves, opt for a whole head of glittering extensions for added drama. 

Which color you choose for your hair tinsel depends on the vibes you want to give off, as well as how your own hair color coordinates with different tinsel colors. Per Bustle, for folks with darker hair, bronze is your ideal metallic shade, and deep, dark reds and oranges will stand out amidst your strands. For blondies, silver is your hair's best metallic match, and other light colors, especially pastel pinks, will look chic. As for redheads and those who have hopped on the copper hair trend, gold is a great choice, as are warm shades.

If you're the type who's not afraid to cut your own bangs or do your own dramatic dye job at home, DIY-ing your hair tinsel will be a walk in the park for you. If you'd rather DIY your hair tinsel than take a trip to the salon, you can find clip-in and tie-in tinsel extensions online (via Teen Vogue). How to attach the tinsel is pretty straightforward, but #hairtinseltutorial on TikTok has a whopping 26 million views, so there's plenty of help out there for those of us who need it.

Tinsel adds a bit of sparkle to your strands, and we love that all year round. Per Color Wow Hair, tinsel is synonymous with Christmas. So it's safe to say that this trend is a perfect way to accessorize for the holidays. Metallics like silver and gold are neutral and festive for the holiday season and beyond. If you're feeling particularly daring, red, on its own or paired with green, and metallics are sure to make you look and feel in the Christmas spirit. We also love the idea of blues and silvers for the snowy months.

The stars are getting their sparkle on, as well. Last autumn, Katy Perry rocked hair tinsel in an Instagram post. This year, Kacey Musgraves has been all about the tinsel trend both on stage and on the 'gram, and Girls United shared pictures of Megan Thee Stallion on Twitter as she sported the sparkly strands on multiple occasions. As far as we're concerned, if these stylish starlets are ready to bring this trend back, then we're ready to twin with our Christmas tree and get decked out in tinsel in time for the holiday festivities.