Hair Trends Everyone Ditched In 2020

What hair trends did everyone ditch in 2020? While some hairstyles remain in vogue for years or even decades, others come and go with the changing seasons. You probably already know about those classic hairstyles that never seem to go out of fashion — think long wavy layers, a pixie cut, or a even simple bob (via Byrdie). However, when hairstyles cycle in and out of fashion quickly, it can be a little harder to keep up with what trends are actually "in."

As far as hair trends in 2020, it was a year of rapid cycling. Trends were also influenced by the lockdown, which forced a wide variety of people to work or study from home. As you can imagine, the changes to what our idea of "normal" is also led to some significant changes in what styles were considered popular. For a while people even wondered if it was safe to get a haircut.

Want to find out which hair trends were given the boot after 2019? Here are the hair trends everyone ditched in 2020.

2020 seemed like it might be the year of long bangs, thanks to the popularity of Hulu's Normal People, as noted by Vogue. However, as 2020 went on, it became pretty clear that long bangs were not having the heyday everyone had expected. We spoke to Ghanima Abdullah, a hairstylist and cosmetology specialist from Chicago. "Those heavy 2020 bangs that came down to the eyebrows are gone with a capital G," she told The List. She explained that the need to wear a face mask is what caused people to ditch the trend. "Imagine looking like a hairy monster peeking over a mask...not cute," she added.

A good alternative is much shorter bangs, according to Amy Abramite, the creative director of Maxine Salon in Chicago. "Long bangs are being replaced with the short, straight across bangs, à la the French bob," she shared with The List. "They sit well above the eyebrows, open the face, and expose the eyes." That definitely sounds like a good alternative to the "hairy monster" look!

Once something you could only see cartoons, "anime hair" became more and more popular over the years, especially in online settings. What originally began as a niche style for fangirls slowly morphed into a more mainstream look, as All Things Hair pointed out. However, it seems that 2020 saw the once up-and-coming trend going solidly out of fashion. If you're not familiar with anime, here are the best anime movies you can watch on Netflix right now.

We spoke to Amy Abramite and Shelly Aguirre, stylists from Maxine Salon in Chicago, who both expressed their distaste for the look. "Anime hair is based on over-exaggerated cartoon hair and is challenging to accomplish in reality," Abramite told The List. Because the look is so difficult to achieve, it's not exactly a sensible look for a year dominated by lockdown and closed salons! Plus, it's not exactly a natural hairdo. "It's chunky and fun looking on a piece of paper, but not in real life — that can look like you got your hair stuck in a blender," Aguirre explained to The List. No wonder people ditched the trend!

Over the past few years, we saw more and more women opting for hair that's not just one color, but a wide range of bright rainbow colors. The look made the rounds on social media, and wowed viewers thanks to the impressive skill required to pull it off. In 2019, The Guardian explained that the look was taking off, thanks to its uplifting effect on the wearer's mood.

While 2020 definitely dampened many a mood — here are ways to start your day in a good mood, if you need them — multicolored hair hasn't really followed us into the new decade. As Glamour pointed out, in 2020 many women were ditching the trend, and instead opting for bright pops of one or two colors. Amy Abramite, the creative director of Maxine Salon in Chicago explained why the multicolored look didn't survive into 2020. "It's long hours in the salon, and a technical labor of love for a colorist," she revealed to The List. "For those looking to tone down their style, an opal-toned, single process tint can do the trick — and cut down on time and costs."

When it comes to retro looks, it doesn't get more old school than a pompadour combined with flowing locks at the back of the head. For a while, this hair trend seemed to be making a comeback, as we saw women wearing a half up, half down pompadour style, or an elegant, long pompadour updo. Refinery29 noted in 2018, that celebrities like Jessica Biel, Tessa Thompson, and Amber Heard were all sporting the look.

In 2020, it seemed as though this trend was making a comeback — but this time, as a new short style. "The pompadour is the perfect classic look for [those] who want to pull their hair away from their face but still want to be edgy and fun," celebrity hairstylist Raphael Reboh explained to Byrdie. "However, it is not an easy style to pull off for the faint of heart." 

While the short pompadour may be tough to pull off, there's no doubt about it: in 2020, this look completely replaced the old, longer pompadour everyone ditched. So if you're thinking about getting one, may sure you try this more modern, on-trend version of it.

The long in the front, short in the back hair look has definitely had its day. While the look has been losing popularity for a few years, in 2020 we saw the hair trend go completely out of fashion. Vice described the notorious haircut as the "can I speak to your manager?" in 2018. After that, the infamous "Karen" character became wildly popular online, popping up in memes to describe white women with this entitled attitude, as explained by the New York Post. Needless to say, it's not exactly cool to have "Karen" hair this year!

As Amy Abramite of Maxine Salon in Chicago explained to The List, the look isn't really that flattering either. "This [style] feels weighty and can drag the face down," she said. Abramite went on to explain that the French bob is a much more modern style that tends to look more attractive as an alternative. "For a change in movement, a French bob sits at the jawline and swings back and forth with a horizontal design line," she added.

The undershave has always been a super edgy hair trend. For many, it can be a great alternative to the more dramatic half-shaved look that Natalie Dormer famously sported in The Hunger Games franchise (via The Independent). In 2017, the style was described by Glamour as the ideal spring look for the "unexpected badass."

However, as of 2020, the standard undershave look has fallen out of fashion, according to Amy Abramite of Maxine Salon in Chicago. "The shaved area on an undercut is done with an electric clipper and can look harsh, bald, and stubbly." Yikes, definitely not a great look when we're all having a harder time getting to the salon! 

Instead of opting for a razor-sharp undershave, Abramite recommended a more feminine style. "To soften the look, the undercut portion can be cut with scissors for a longer length, adding a wispy, grown-out feeling to the look for femininity." Wondering which option is best for you? Here a list of the undercut hairstyles you'll be asking for all 2020.

Few hair trends took us by surprise more than sporting silver locks. After decades of women using hair dye to get rid of pesky grey hairs, starting in 2010, more and more women opted for a full head of silver hair. In 2014, Vogue pointed out that everyone from Rihanna to Kylie Jenner seemed to be going prematurely grey.

However, according to Ghanima Abdullah, a hair stylist and consultant from Chicago, grey hair is no longer on trend. "Silver and white tresses were lovely last year with a beautifully made-up face," she explained to The List. But, because 2020 found us in the middle of a pandemic, healthy-looking hair became much more popular. "Now, compared to the picture perfect look of health we all want, grey seems old and sickly," Abdullah added. Rather than going silver, she recommends choosing a bright, bold color instead.

In addition to being out of style, it turns out the look can actually do serious damage to your hair; Bustle explained that hair needs to be lightened before being dyed silver, which can harm your locks. Here's what hydrogen peroxide really does to your hair.

Layers are one of those looks that always seem to be in style, especially for women with long hair. However, the last few years had seen many women ditching the layers for a blunt, straight, all-one-length style. But according to Vincent De Marco, the hair stylist behind Vincent Hair Artistry, the blunt look was getting pretty tired in 2020. "Perfectly blunt chopped haircuts, unless they descend to a slightly longer length in the front and are pressed really, really straight, they're just done," he told The List. "We've been looking at them way too long."

Shelly Aguirre, a stylist from Maxine Salon in Chicago, agrees with De Marco's assessment. "Blunt straight hair can look like a broomstick and have zero movement," she revealed to The List. Instead, she recommended getting a few layers around the face to give more movement to the hair. 

According to Glamour, Aguirre has a point. It seems that 2020 is all about the effortless, flowing invisible layers look, rather than the dated, blunt cut style.

One of the more surprising trends to come out of the 2010s was space buns. This festival-friendly look consists of two buns at the top of the head, like a modern day Princess Leia! While this style definitely looks pretty childish, lots of celebrities and even a few stylists endorsed the look (via StyleCaster). However, as of 2020, we think it's safe to say that space buns are no longer in style.

That's the consensus at Maxine Salon in Chicago, say stylists Amy Abramite and Shelly Aguirre. "Without concerts to go to, the look has simplified into one top knot to get your hair off your neck for summer," Abramite explained to The List. "Bedsides, all concerts are streamed now, and no one sees you." Aguirre commented that the look should probably be left in the past, or with the younger generation. "Space buns should be only allowed if you're shooting a video for MTV," she shared with The List. "Or if you're 8." We have to say, she has a good point! So instead of space buns, here are the top teen hairstyles you're going to be seeing in 2020.

Whether you've watched Friends or not, you're probably familiar with the show's most famous haircut: "The Rachel." The look came into fashion after it was worn by Jennifer Aniston on the sitcom. Even though the actress thought the style was "the ugliest haircut [she'd] ever seen," as she told Allure, the hair trend took off and became a look that millions imitated. To this day, it's still being worn (via The Telegraph).

However, as Amy Abramite and Shelly Aguirre of Maxine Salon explained, the day has finally come: it's time to ditch the iconic hair trend. "There are variations of that cut that are much more current and complimentary," Aguirre shared with The List. "Plus, look at the clothes that were worn back then — very '90s, which was cute — in the '90s!"

Furthermore, the look doesn't exactly allow for versatility. "Even when you don't want 'The Rachel' to flip, no amount of styling technique will stop it from flipping," Abramite revealed to The List. "It's permanently cut into the style." Interestingly enough, the haircut Jennifer Aniston regrets the most isn't what you think.

While most of us assume that having exposed roots is an accidental look that occurs when color begins to grow out, over the past few years, some women have begun to sport them on purpose! In 2015, Refinery29 explained that exposed roots were on trend, noting that Rhianna, Rita Ora, Shailene Woodley, and Kate Hudson had all adopted the look. While it may sound like the ideal, effortless look for the year when salons were closed for months on end, it turns out that trendsetters have said a firm goodbye to exposed roots in 2020.

Vincent De Marco, the hair stylist behind Vincent Hair Artistry, told The List that dark roots under blonde hair is no longer on trend. "Three inches of black roots, under beige blonde? Over, let it go," he said decisively. "Have your roots blurred," he suggested, "or tone the blonde down darker."

Shelly Aguirre, a stylist from Maxine Salon in Chicago, also weighed in on the topic. "Since we have to wear masks all the time, at the very least we can do our hair!" We have to say, Aguirre makes a great point!

Back in the '80s, one hair accessory became the ultimate fashion statement: the scrunchie. The look lost popularity in the '90s and early 2000s, but as NPR pointed out, they became trendy once more in 2019. In fact, scrunchies sold eight times faster than other hair accessory products that year. Teen Vogue even named them the "biggest fashion trend" of 2019!

However, in 2020, it may be time to ditch this antiquated hair trend. As Shelly Aguirre from Maxine Salon in Chicago said, while scrunchies can be useful and cute at home, they aren't really a fashionable look in public these days. "The scrunchie should be reserved for when you wash your face or when you go to bed," she explained to The List. 

Aguirre added that a satin scrunchie can actually be super healthy for your hair, but it's not for date night, that's for sure. "It's not cute out and about," she continued. "If you wore it in the '80s the first time, please don't wear it for fashion now!"

The poodle perm is characterized by super tight, kinky curls. While you may think that the poodle perm went out of style years ago in the '80s, according to Glamour, the look made a comeback in the 2010s. In 2019, The Guardian also noted that tight curls were becoming more and more popular once again.

However, in 2020, the poodle perm was toned down to a more modern and beachy look. Amy Abramite, the creative director of Maxine Salon in Chicago, told The List that the "outdated perm [rod] technique will fuzz out, and kink or crimp when brushed." Instead of using rods to create voluminous curls, Abramite suggests using larger perm rods to create a "beach wave effect." This look is called a body wave perm. Sounds like this more subtle option is here to stay, while poodle perms have definitely had their day.

2020 became a year of self-styling for many hair enthusiasts. Thanks to the lockdown, the vast majority of salons closed their doors for months on end, so for a while DIY hair became fashionable. The Cut highlighted a few DIY hair success stories, including a series of brightly colored buzz cuts. As Vogue noted in April of 2020, the buzz cut was trending!

While this look may have been popular and practical during a global pandemic, it's unlikely that this hair trend will last beyond 2020, according to Amy Abramite, creative director of Maxine Salon in Chicago. "A self-cut quarantine style is not going to last the long haul," she shared with The List. "It was only meant to get you over the hump until you could visit the salon." 

It sounds like the buzz cut may be making a comeback in 2020, but once all salons fully reopen, people will once again grow out their tresses.