A 6 Salon Stylist Shares the Hair Trends We’ll See This Summer

From lived-in texture and bright blondes to bangs and blowouts
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6 Salon hairstylist Emily Kling says bright blonde, as seen on her client pictured above, is a top summer hair trend. // Photograph courtesy of Emily Kling

With the official start of summer upon us, now is the time to touch up those highlights, hone in on your signature warm-weather look, or completely step out of the box with your hair.

Emily Kling has been doing hair at 6 Salon in Birmingham and Royal Oak for six years, starting out when she was just 17. The salon is a previous winner in our reader-voted Best of Detroit contest — it took home first-place wins in this year’s Best Hair Salon, Best Barber Shop, Best Blowouts, Best Eyebrow Specialist, Best Lash Specialist, and Best Threading categories. Kling works as a color, blonding, and extension specialist at the salon and is certified in Brazilian blowouts and extensions.

As things heat up outside, she weighs in on the summer hair trends that we can expect to see this year.

 Layered and Banging

“As for haircuts, we’re seeing a lot of curtain bangs, straight across bangs, and a lot of layers,” Kling says. “Even short cuts have bangs now.” These layers add a more tousled, relaxed look to the hair. Kling recommends using the Shu Uemura Wata Wave Dry Texturizing Hair Spray ($42, at Sephora) to add a lived-in texture to the layered hair. The curtain bang trend has gained popularity on Instagram and TikTok over the past year, with many posters trimming them themselves. Put down the shears and head to your stylist for a more blended, ready-to-wear style as seen on stars like Selena Gomez and Carey Mulligan.

Brighten Up

Despite darker shades having their moment this past fall/winter, Kling says that brighter, blonder hues will be back in this summer. “Bronze balayage or a super bright blonde that carries a more neutral tone, almost beige-ish, are really in style right now.” Light highlights framing the face, often referred to as “money pieces,” allow for a dimensional look without needing to bleach the entire head of hair. See this trend in action on celebrities like Ciara and Heidi Klum.

Bouncy Blowouts

It’s important to know how to style your hair, especially with these layered looks. “A lot of layered cuts look best styled with a blowout,” Kling says. “You can set the blowout with Velcro rollers, or try out hot rollers if you’re feeling adventurous.” Giving yourself a salon-level blowout can seem daunting, but blow dry brushes can cut your styling time in half and keep you from an unintentional arm workout. To achieve a “’90s-inspired blowout,” Kling suggests using the Kerastase’s Mousse Bouffante Hair Mousse ($32, at Sephora) at the root and bangs before-blow drying, and the Color Wow Dream Coat Supernatural Spray and Anti-Frizz Treatment ($28, at Sephora) to protect your hair.

Accessorize!

“As far as accessories go, the claw clip is huge right now,” Kling says. Claw clips have been making a serious comeback since 2020, and the trend shows no signs of slowing down. The versatile accessory can be used for fancy up-dos, casual half-up half-down looks, or just pulling your hair back for a workout. The plastic or metal designs don’t tug on your hair like most hair-ties do, creating less damage and breakage. “A bonus accessory is a silk pillowcase,” Kling says. “It helps keep the hair’s cuticle intact and will keep your style lasting longer.”