With #hairtrends2022 gaining 92.6m views on TikTok¹, hair inspiration online is more popular than ever. But how many of these styles are actually damaging your hair and lead to hair loss?

Following a 300% increase in interest for ‘2022 hair styles’² online in the UK, we’re delving into six of the most popular hair trends that you should actually consider avoiding in order to take better care of your hair:

Slick back bun

One of the most frequently seen hairstyles of 2022 is the slick back bun. This style involves tightly pulling your hair back and tying it into a ponytail, before twisting and securing it into a tight bun. As seen regularly on popular TV shows like Love Island, this hair trend doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. 

Tutorials recommend using products such as hairspray and gel to secure down any flyaway hairs and to create a ‘sleek’ finish all over. On Tiktok, #slickbackbun has been viewed by a staggering 26.6m people³, and with ‘women’s hair gel’ increasing in interest by 3,700% over the past year⁴, viewers are liking what they see. 

A tight bun in this style may look the part but causes extreme strain to your hair strands from the root and can lead to breakage and hair loss. We recommend tying your hair loosely in a low bun so that you’re not pulling the strands away from the natural direction. We also recommend using a thin bobble or silk scrunchie instead of tight hair ties.

Half up, half down

There are many ways to wear your hair half up and half down, from one ponytail to braids and space buns. However, none are particularly healthy for your hair. Ponytails and other high-up, tight do’s can cause follicle damage, splitting strands, and leading to permanent hair loss. 

Many of these styles can also require products like hair gels, mousses, and other items that aren’t beneficial for your hair and can cause you to wash your hair frequently. Interestingly, online searches for ‘overwashing’ have increased by a huge 82% in the past year⁵,  this practice actually causes hair to split and can lead to hair loss, so we would recommend reducing your use of products and the number of times you wash your hair in a week if possible. 

Bouncy blow dry 

As every girl obsesses over the famous 90’s blow dry, the need to perfect the look is essential! With over 125.8m views for #blowdrytutorial on Tiktok⁶; users post videos, go on Tiktok lives, and share step-by-step guides on how to get the Rachel-inspired hairdo. While many want to achieve this look, we would be concerned about the damage that the excessive heat from regular blow dry’s can cause your hair.

Exposure to high heat changes the shape of your hair’s keratin strands, eventually leading to weaker hair that loses elasticity and becomes more prone to damage. Split ends, dryness, and potential hair loss are all side effects of overheating your hair. 

Surfer-inspired beachy waves

With ‘new trending haircut for men’ gaining 68.7M views⁷ on TikTok, the beachy waves look is certainly one to watch. From a perm and use of hair mousse to mini straighteners, there’s a lot involved in trying to achieve the surfer-boy aesthetic. 

Whilst we all love a wavey hairdo, for hair that is naturally straight, this is not a healthy style to try. The hair perming process can leave hair extremely dry and weak, causing damage to hair follicles. If you’re using mini straighteners to achieve this look, we recommend a high-strength heat protectant and hair oil to replenish your strands. 

Excessive use of hair accessories

Common hair accessories for men in 2022 include baseball caps and headbands. Whilst these may make your hair look great, excessive use can cause long-term damage. Hats don’t tend to pull the hair like other damaging hairstyles, but the frequent wearing of tight caps can result in traction alopecia. The pressure on the scalp can cause scarring and stress on the hair follicles. The same can be said for headbands, made popular in 2021/22 by footballer Jack Grealish. 

Our team recommends men review their use of these common hair accessories and consider how often they choose this look. 

At-home highlights

While bleaching your hair has always been a popular hair trend, over the past year, highlighting your hair from home is something that has spiked in interest (5,200%)⁸. Different methods have been tried and tested online, including cutting small holes in a swimming cap, pulling the strands through, and applying bleach. While some of these results may look nice, taking part in at-home bleaching is actually terrible for your hair health.

Bleaching strips your hair of its natural oils and damages the bonds in each strand, forcing them to weaken and break. Bleach affects the hair internally, making it split and possibly snap. Ultimately, this can result in extreme hair loss. We do not advise bleaching at home and recommend instead heading to a professional salon with better quality products and aftercare if you’re wanting to achieve this look. 

How is hair loss caused and what treatments are there?

Platforms like Tiktok have definitely been inspiring the beauty industry, with influencers and public figures constantly sharing the products they use and how to achieve certain looks, it’s a great way to create and share trends. 

Whilst it’s great to see young people taking inspiration from one another, these public figures usually don’t have the expertise or specialist knowledge about what they’re recommending, so it’s important to research trends before you try them. 

Hair loss can be caused by a number of factors, affecting your entire body or in many cases just your scalp. Whether hereditary, due to stress, shifts in hormone levels, damaging hair products, and styles, or the result of an illness, although losing your hair isn’t something that you need to be concerned about from a medical point of view, it can affect a person’s self-confidence day-to-day.

If you’re experiencing hair loss, there are treatments available such as PRP (platelet-rich plasma), tablets and hair serums, laser therapy, or SMP (scalp micro pigmentation). Please contact us and book a consultation, we can then see which treatment is best suited for your hair.

Sources

1. Tiktok statistics for the hashtag ‘#hairtrends2022’ are correct as of August 2022.
2. Google trends data for the term ‘2022 hair styles’ is correct as of August 2022.
3. Tiktok statistics for the hashtag ‘#slickbackbun’ are correct as of August 2022.
4. Google trends data for the term ‘women’s hair gel’ is correct as of August 2022.
5. Google trends data for the term ‘‘overwashing’’ correct as of August 2022. 
6. Tiktok statistics for the hashtag ‘#blowdrytutorial’ are correct as of August 2022.
7. Tiktok statistics for the search ‘ ‘New trending haircut for men’’ are correct as of August 2022.

About the Author

Dr Anny Choudhry

Dr Choudhry, also commonly known as Dr Anny, is trained in a variety of medical and surgical specialities including Dermatology and Plastic Surgery in London and East of England Deanery.

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