I know TikTok is kinda famous for its viral dances and genius makeup hacks, but if you haven't found yourself on haircut TikTok yet, you're seriously missing out on major haircut inspo. Like, if you've ever found it hard to convey to your hairstylist what exactly you want, thanks to all of the jargon and lingo, that's where TikTok comes in. Instead of a vague Pinterest photo that shows nothing but one side of the hair, I argue nothing's more effective than a TikTok haircut video that shows the front, back, and all the angles and movement.
So at your next haircut appointment, whip out your phone and pull up saved TikTok hairstyle videos to show your hairdresser the idea you're going for. Don't have any saved yet? We've got a few suggestions for ya below. If you don't want just any old haircut and you're on the search for *THE* haircut, keep scrolling.
Meet the experts:
- Annagjid "Kee" Taylor is a celebrity hairstylist and the owner of the natural haircare salon Deeper Than Hair. Taylor is also the owner of Shear Genius Collection, the creator of popular YouTube channel Deeper Than Hair TV, and the author of All Hair Is Good Hair.
- Priscilla Valles is a celebrity extensionist. Valles had previously spoken to Cosmo on the topic of 2022 hair trends.
- Marwa Bashir is a hairstylist and colorist and R+Co Collective member. Bashir had previously spoken to Cosmo on the topic of 2022 hair trends.
- Weezy is a celebrity hairstylist. Weezy had previously spoken to Cosmo on the topic of 2022 hair trends.
- Meri-Kate O'Connor is an LA-based hairstylist. O'Connor had previously spoken to Cosmo on the topic of cutting your own bangs.
- Leo Izquierdo is a hairstylist and a cofounder of IGK Hair Care and owner of IGK Salons. Izquierdo had previously spoken to Cosmo on the topic of haircuts for thin hair.
1. '90s layers
The year 2022 might as well be the year 2002 with the resurgence of all the Y2K fashion trends, but it's the '90s we can thank for haircuts like the one shown here. Hairstylist Marwa Bashir previously told Cosmo that long '90s layers will be making a strong comeback for 2022, and if TikTok is any indication, that prediction is absolutely correct.
Soft layers throughout give the hair lots of volume, body, and movement à la '90s hair commercials (if you were around to remember those). Minimal layering toward the bottom keeps the ends nice and full and bouncy. Celebrity extensionist Priscilla Valles previously told Cosmo to bring out the jumbo hot rollers to jump in on this trendy blown-out look with thick-looking, layered, medium-length hair.
2. Curtain bangs or bottleneck bangs
The nature of trends is that they go in and out of style, but curtain bangs is one trend is isn't going anywhere any time soon. “I just love how versatile they are, since they work on all the different face shapes and hair types but also add volume and body to the hair,” says hairstylist Annagjid "Kee" Taylor. “I think curtain bangs are so fun because there is so much room to play around with the style and length to really make it your own.”
For instance, curtain bangs have been trending for a while and truly need no introduction, but bottleneck bangs, a slightly different take on TikTok's favorite bangs, might. This '70s bang style splits in the middle, but is shaped to create the look of a bottleneck with longer pieces on the sides and slightly shorter pieces right in the middle to really frame the face.
To style, Taylor suggests blow-drying your curtain bangs with a round brush away from your face. Once they're dry, part and style your hair as you normally would. “Make sure you are using a heat protectant on your hair to keep the moisture sealed in and to prevent frizzing,” Taylor says.
4 top-rated heat-protectant sprays to try ASAP:
Deeper Than Hair Glass Brilliant Shine
IGK Good Behavior Spirulina Protein Smoothing Spray
3. Face-framing layers
Taylor especially likes curtain bangs when paired with face-framing layers, which are pieces in the front that start somewhere around your cheekbones or jaw and gradually get longer. “For my natural girls, don’t be afraid to rock each style with your curls, since they’re versatile cuts, they work for all curl types and textures,” Taylor says. “For face-framing layers, I would suggest to use the same method for a bouncy blow-out, just seal the final look with a bit of hairspray.”
4. U-shape haircut ideas
Don't forget about the back! We typically show our hairstylists inspiration photos from the front, but photos from behind are just as important and another reason why TikTok haircut videos are so helpful for getting exactly the look you want. This U-shape (which means it's longest in the middle of your back and gradually gets shorter toward your shoulders) with long layers in the back, feathered ends, and face-framing pieces is one you'll see all over TikTok for those with longer hair, and we totally understand why.
5. Wispy bangs from TikTok
Unlike curtain bangs, with wispy bangs, the goal is to style your fringe toward your face with a round brush or roller to create lightness and volume. But just like curtain bangs, wispy bangs go perfectly with frace-framing pieces and long layers the back. Izquierdo previously told Cosmo that fringe is great for highlighting facial features and creating more body so your hair doesn't lie flat against your face and can flow more freely.
6. Blunt bob haircut ideas
Valles previously told Cosmo that a thick, short bob with a center part or heavy side part will be a huge hair trend for 2022, so if you're considering going shorter, this is your sign to do so. Layers are clearly having a moment, especially on haircut TikTok, but celeb hairstylist Weezy previously predicted in a Cosmo article that the blunt cut would be huge for 2022, and we couldn't agree more.
As hairstylist Leo Izquierdo previously explained in a Cosmo article, a blunt cut keeps the weight of the hair at the ends, which creates the appearance of thicker, healthier hair as opposed to a highly textured look that makes the hair look thinner towards the ends.
7. The TikTok wolf cut
If you somehow missed it, one of the biggest TikTok hair trends has been giving yourself a shag haircut aka the wolf cut and while we maybe don't recommend trying to cut your hair yourself, we totally agree that is super-choppy haircut with lots of volume and texture is a trend worth trying.
There's a lot that goes into getting the right cut, like cutting on wet hair vs. dry, so make sure to see a pro to get the look you want on the first try. “When hair is wet, it stretches, so if you’re cutting your bangs when they’re wet, you’ll probably end up cutting them too short—and you won’t realize it until they’re dry," hairstylist and colorist Meri Kate O’Connor previously told Cosmo.
Final advice
If you're not ready to make a big change and want to see how the trends play out before doing anything drastic to your hair, Taylor says to try out a wig with the desired look to really see if the style works for you without the commitment. “At the end of the day, as long as you're having fun and expressing yourself, that’s all that matters,” Taylor says. Got it? Good. Now to the salon!
