Haircuts You'll Be Asking For This Summer

Are you counting down the days until summer? Each year, we look to June 21, the first — and longest — day of the year's warmest season, and wonder what kind of weather we'll get.

According to Farmers' Almanac and their "time-tested, 200-year-old weather formula," we can expect a hotter-than-normal summer for 2018. While the northwest region of the United States may get some cool breezes, the rest of the country will feel the sun's wrath. This is especially true if you live in the middle or western areas of the U.S. — the forecast shows some sizzling temperatures headed your way. Those in the southeast will feel the heat too, but they'll also have to deal with harsh humidity.

No matter where you live, summer weather has a reputation for wreaking havoc on your hair. So, you have a couple options. You can either fight against the temps or you can roll with the punches. The List chatted with hair experts, salon owners, and stylists to get their opinions on the hottest haircuts of the summer season and — good news, ladies! — they'll also keep you cool. Here are some options for your next hair appointment.

If there's one hairstyle that could fit every face, it would have to be the lob, or long bob. Not too short, not too long — it's essentially the Goldilocks equivalent of, well, locks. Krissy Johnson, a modern millennial stylist and owner of Alexander's by Krissy in Los Angeles, California, said this haircut is getting even more popular as the summer season rolls around. Why? "People want to cool off and lighten up!" Johnson explained. 

She added, "Collar bone length up to just above the shoulders, angled higher in the back or not, looks great with beachy waves." This style comes quite close to being effortless. When the heat of the summer hits and it feels too hot to even move, you'll be happy you chose a style that can be worn without being blow-dried or flat-ironed. Also, if you opt for a lob with a short angled back, you won't have to deal with sweaty neck syndrome that is all to common in the summer months. It's a win-win.

There's no denying the adorability of bangs. Zooey Deschanel has certainly proved that. How Deschanel survives the summer, however, is another story altogether. Fred Connors, renowned stylist and owner of FRED.nyc, located in Manhattan, New York, said his clients are looking to grow out their bangs this summer to, as he put it, "help beat the inevitability of a sweaty forehead." If you've ever had bangs, you know he speaks the truth.

Growing out your bangs can be a tedious process, to say the least. In fact, it takes about three months to fully grow them out, so if you want to avoid a dewy forehead and stringy bangs, you better get started. When speaking to Cosmopolitan, celebrity stylist Cash Lawless recommended cutting only the center of your bangs while the rest should be left to grow. "Cutting them in the center only will help the outer corners blend in with the rest of the layers in your hair cut as they grow, so you'll end up with a style that's sweepable to either side." Of course, cutting the center of your bangs also enables you to actually see so, that's a definite plus. 

In addition to clients of FRED.nyc growing out their forehead fringe, owner and stylist Fred Conners says the shag is back — and it's back in a big way. Luckily, the modern shag is quite a bit different than Jane Fonda's signature do of the early '70s. You also don't have to be Jane Fonda to pull off the layered haircut these days — phew!

"The shaggy version of any haircut is on people's radar," Conners told The List. It just so happens that this look is also a perfect style for unforgiving temperatures. "Shags, short and long, work best with humidity and are forgiving in the summer when hair tends to frizz," Conners explained, "A little frizz actually helps rock a shag." That's right — your old enemy frizz may actually end up becoming your bestie this summer. If you're going to go everywhere together anyway, you may as well get along, right? 

If you're not sold on the summer shag, the shake is another retro trend to try. Master stylist of Spa on Penn in Kansas City, Missouri, Andrew DeShon gave the The List all the deets about this refashioned look from the '70s and '80s. "[It's] a very layered, soft haircut. ... This cut is not necessarily designed to give you a lot of volume, but a lot of movement."

If you're worried about being able to pull it off, don't be. "It's an ideal cut for a lot of face shapes because of all the customization you can put into it," DeShon added. From short fringe to long layers, this look can adapt to your haircut of choice. And if you're thinking this cut also requires a new color this summer, please note that silver is so last season. "We are going back to buttery-blonde and a more healthy blonde look and beige tone," DeShon explained. This is good news for your skin tone as these hues won't wash you out.

The '90s called. They said we can borrow their haircuts. And shouldn't we? After all, the '90s was a pretty phenomenal time for hair — big hair. Think: "'90s supermodel beach hair," says Fred Conners. He explained that these "big, bouncy, textured cuts with long layers" look best with "extra volume." The Cindy Crawford-esque do is certainly making a comeback, Conners confirmed. 

For those of you who aren't into cutting your hair just because this summer's going to be a scorcher, you can definitely embrace this "go big or go home" hair motto. One of the great things about these voluminous styles is how great they also look pulled back. Plus, if you really want to rock the '90s look to the max, fear not: scrunchies are also on their way back. Model Bella Hadid sported the statement hair-tie in the summer of 2017, which means we'll likely see even more this summer.

If playing it safe isn't your thing, bold hair never goes out of style. Keala Archie, master stylist and owner of Revelations Beauty Boutique in Central Valley, California, recommends trying a mohawk this summer. That is, for those of you who are looking for an "edgy yet playful look," Archie explained. 

Aside from getting a buzz cut, it would be hard to beat the cooling effect a mohawk would have during the sticky summer months. This partially shaven look may be considered a risky endeavor, but it's also one that many women of many ethnicities can pull off. Nikki Brown of Essence wrote, "There isn't a hairstyle Black women can't pull off. The mohawk is one of them."

There are also tons of different ways to style a mohawk and, if you're nervous about taking the leap, you can even try out a faux-hawk in the meantime. 

This summer may just be the season to rework some great trends of decades past. The afro, which was most popular in the mid- to late-1970s, is starting to make a resurgence. 

Dee Carrington, a hairstylist in Florida, explained to Ebony, "I'd venture to say the Afro is the cornerstone of the [natural hair] movement, but it has emerged as something more unique as it relates to each individual." She went on to add, "Now we have so many different Afro shapes and sizes."

De L'isle, co-founder and hair whisperer of Happy Curls, Happy Girls, a line of nearly all-natural hair products for natural hair, told The List, "2018 will definitely belong to the TWA [Teeny Weeny Afro]." Perfect for women with curly hair, L'isle explained that tapered afros or TWAs enable the wearer to "enjoy all the volume and glory of curly hair without too much hassle." This is definitely a perfect look for summer.

Long hair — whether it's fashioned into a lob or not — is expected to keep on keepin' on this summer. If you're willing to rock bangs throughout the hot summer months — kudos! — it may just pay off. Julien Farel, renowned celebrity stylist and owner of Restore Salon, Spa, & Fitness at Loews Regency Hotel in Manhattan, New York, said his clients have started requesting bangs with their long lobs. "In the summer, people are showing more skin, wearing less clothing so this hairstyle helps give them a boost of confidence and security because everything looks softer," he said in an interview with The List. 

Even if you're not into summer bangs, you can still pull off the summery long locks. While your instinct may not be to associate lengthy tresses with summer cuts, the key may just be in the color. "I am hearing women request much brighter colors," Farel said, "with more sunkissed highlights." These soft, natural-looking streaks will definitely add a bit of summer fun to your locks while enabling you to maintain your length. 

If there's one hairstyle people regret having donned, it's likely the mullet. It's hard to imagine a comeback for the unisex cut aptly described as "business in the front, party in the back" by David Spade's character in Joe Dirt. Nevertheless, anything can happen in 2018. Fabio Scalia, a sought-after stylist for New York and London Fashion Weeks and the owner of two eponymous salons in New York City, told The List, "what we used to call the mullet" or "oddly longer hair in the back" is making its return.

Of course, the mullet of today looks vastly different than the ones we remember or, rather, the ones we have nightmares about. John Vial, Revlon-affiliated stylist and co-founder of Salon Sloane in London, has created what may very well become the mullet of the future. He shared the work of art on Instagram with the hashtag "#mulletrevival."

In an interview with Bustle, Vial explained the mullet masterpiece, saying, "The idea was that it would look three-dimensional and aerodynamic. It's a haircut within a haircut and a shape within a shape." That, folks, is mullet inception.

While reclaiming the mullet may be a little too fashion-forward for most of us, Shaun Surething, stylist and owner of Seagull Hair Salon in New York City, knows just the thing we should try. "The most anticipated haircut for summer is the choppy, bed-head bob," he told The List, "The length is above the shoulders not much shorter than the chin. It's more texturized and less layered." Humidity can't even wreck this look. According to Surething, it can actually even help by "amplify[ing] natural texture." 

If you're sick of having your hair in your face, Surething says you can just tuck your beachy hair behind your ears. It'll still look great. What's even better about this look is that you literally have to do nothing to it. "Since the wet look is coming back in anyway, just leave the house with damp hair and let the sun and heat do the work." Deal!

Short hair and summertime are a good combination, but just how short should you go? Maritza Mendez, a licensed stylist with Supercuts in Hartford, Connecticut, has already spotted a major warm-weather trend among her clients: the pixie cut.

"This haircut is a commitment," she clarified to The List, "but it keeps you cool during the hot summer months, and it is so manageable!" Are you a candidate for the classic cut? Mendez said she recommends the style to women who aren't into spending copious amounts of time coiffing their hair each day, "but who also don't want to throw their hair in a ponytail or a bun." If that sounds like you, then the pixie may just be your best bet this summer.

From Twiggy to Rihanna, celebrities throughout the ages have been known to sport this look. Thankfully, with the pixie being such a timeless style, there's no shortage of inspiration for you to peruse.

While bobs are always a stellar go-to do, especially in the summer, undercuts will take the bob to a whole new level. Maritza Mendez told The List why bobs with undercuts are such a great trend, saying, "[they] reduce the amount of bulk in the hair. That makes it easier to manage and keeps you cooler since the hair isn't sticking to your neck." Ahem, sweaty neck syndrome. Not only will the hairstyle keep you cool, your personal cool factor may just go up too, especially if you opt for an undercut with some pizzazz. "More and more women are even adding designs or coloring their undercut to add a pop of personality to their look," Mendez explained, "Summer is about having fun, and this is a great cut to add versatility and personality to your style!"

Unlike a mohawk, the undercut is a bold style that can be displayed — or hidden — at will. Mendez said many women are embracing this trend because they can wear their hair down for work, essentially covering up their edgy undercut, and then, on the weekends, pull their hair up, flaunting the playful buzz. Best of both worlds.

Blunt cuts were popularized in the '90s, but they've resurfaced recently and are a definite yes for coming summer months. Walter Kenneth O'Dowd, stylist and owner of Brick & Mason salon in San Diego, California, has been predicting hair trends for over nine years. When speaking with The List, he dubbed "blunt cuts with extremely textured layers" one of the main hair trends to expect as we approach the steamy summer season. "It's chic yet edgy, and will make a fun statement during the summer," he said in an interview with The List. 

If you're looking to up your blunt bob game, experimenting with some color is never a bad idea. "Balayage and blondes are always on trend!" O'Dowd explained. If you're in search of some celebrity inspiration, why not go for Emilia Clarke's bleached blonde blunt bob? Though, we'll warn you, you may get a little tongue-tied when asking your stylist for this look.