The XEX Blog

Start the New Year with a Bang: A Guide to The Best Hair Services for the New Year

February 22, 2023 · Posted in: Salon News
Sheena Da Cunha

With the year in full swing and spring right around the corner, many of us are still deciding what kind of hair to rock in 2023. Maybe you’re stuck in your old ways and want something new, or maybe you’re looking to add a fun color or a cool new style to the mix. Whether a big change or little, its hard to know where to start. From colors and cuts to styling and treatments, here’s a list of the best hair services we are recommending in 2023. 

Coloring 

Highlights 

Highlights are a classic technique that easily adds depth to your hair by selectively lightening hairpieces. It’s been around for years, and most hairstylists learn how to do this technique in training. If you go to older salons, only a few stylists will likely be versed in balayage, but it’s a given they will all know how to provide you with highlights. 

According to JohnFrida.com (a pinnacle brand in salon and haircare), highlights are “ created using aluminum foil to help saturate precise strands of hair from root to tip for a more intense lightening effect. In this technique, strands of hair are precisely sectioned out by weaving a pick through small subsections and wrapping the separated strands in aluminum foil. The effect? A more pronounced contrast between the lightened strands and your base color frames your face and adds a beautiful dimension to your mane. Highlights follow a more structured pattern and will need to be touched up more often to combat that obvious root grow-out look” 

Balayage 

This trendy hair technique is named after the French word for sweeping and has emerged in the last few years around the world as the superior method for sprucing up your hair. Kicking regular highlights to the curb, the Balayage technique is an easy way to lighten your hair without compromising your natural color. 

It is painted brighter around the face and done mostly on the body of your hair, while blending your roots. The hand-painted process guarantees a naturally lightened look without the chunky-ness that highlights can sometimes produce. 

Most often used without foils, Balayage breaks the mold on how traditional hairdressers learned to lighten hair and produce a naturally multi-tonal look. The vertical sweeping motion of the application helps create the sun-kissed, effortlessly light look that Balayage is famous for. The look mimics the style of the technique, creative and natural. 

This technique works well for people with darker hair to achieve dimension easily. Balayage can create caramel and mocha tones, lightening it without having to bleach or dye your hair completely. Every style and texture of hair can be Balayaged, and some stylists even prefer to work on curly hair because they can pick out specific curls to highlight based on how they fall and decide which look will be the best for you.

 Lavender and other pastels

If you’re looking for a  simple solution to a complex problem, an all-over color like lavender and other pastels, is trendy, all over social media, and the statement hair you deserve. Geekycraze.com says a “TikToker blended two […] Semi Permanent Hair ColSemi-Permanent], to create this vibrant lavender hue.” Now the video has gone viral. If you want it done the most healthy way for your hair, we recommend visiting a salon so you don’t ruin or damage your hair.

Ombre 

Instead of going from lighter brown to darker brown and vise versa with ombre, try going from brown to blue, pink, or orange. Try accenting your natural color with an unnatural color. Ombre is the perfect vehicle to add color to your hair without dyeing everything. Therighthairstyles.com says that “Just because you want to keep your roots dark does not mean you have to stick to boring black or brown for your blue ombre look. In fact, purple and blue hair is a fantastic idea, as the contrasting colors complement each other. Show off your roots with a cute mini bun”. 

Style 

The trends emerging this year is shorter hair and even shorter layers. In the last few years, we’ve seen the style of the 70’s make a hard comeback, showing up in tons of clothing and accessories and decorating styles. It’s finally making its way to hair trends and emerging as a shag cut. 

According to bustle.com, here are some upcoming hairstyles for Winter and Spring of 2023. 

Pumpkin Spice Blonde: This style  “has very warm and rich tones but isn’t overly highlighted, either. It’s OK to look sun-bleached, but that look combined with the dryness in winter just doesn’t sync. So I’ve been reducing over-blonde ends and warming up dark root areas.” The end result is a pumpkin-y hue reminiscent of the season’s favorite latte flavor.” 

Deep Dark Roots: “Rich, auburn hues are at the forefront of fashion right now. Skin tends to be more dry and muted due to the lack of sunlight in the winter, so […] clients feel like they need something to brighten them up.” 

Classic and Curly Mullets: Would you believe the mullet is back in style? “Expect to see them in all different lengths, textures, and colors. One especially trendy take on the classic coiffeur is the curly mullet, or at least “an interpretation of it,” […] noting you’ll be seeing a hybrid between a mullet and shag.”

Treatments

Brazilian blowouts

The main goal of Brazilian blowouts is to smooth, shine, and protect hair. It is often used to de-frizz frizzy hair and add protection to your hair where it may lose it over time. As your hair grows without being cut, it’s subjected to the natural elements and the damage we do to our hair. 

Using heat products like curlers and straighteners damages our hair over time and extended periods in the sun, cold, or extreme moisture. Your hair develops holes in its natural protein, making it more brittle and easier to break. 

This treatment essentially puts the natural protein back into your hair to fill in the ‘holes’ caused by various lifestyle factors. Brazilian blowouts are great for people looking to bring some moisture back into their hair and restore it to its natural, healthy beauty.