Back-To-School and Fall Hair Trends for All Ages By Mary Jo McGinnity, Fantastic Sams Trend Expert

Long or short?

Curly, straight or spikey?

Bangs or no bangs?

Trying to agree on answers to these questions with the kids before school starts can be, well, hairy! Parents want their kids to like their hairstyle and feel confident heading back to school, but they also want a style that is realistic. At Fantastic Sams, we see it all the time. A great example is a mom who brought her 10-year-old daughter in for a back-to-school haircut. The girl wanted longer side bangs, but the mom complained the bangs would just hang in her daughter’s face. That’s where the stylist stepped in with the perfect solution: side bangs that would stay out of the girl’s eyes and be easy to style. The Fantastic Sams’ stylist even gave the girl a lesson on how to style her new look. The result was a very happy mom and daughter.

This scenario is very common at Fantastic Sams. Parents and kids disagree about length, styling products, trends and so much more. It’s also common for boys. Right now faux hawks and spikes are popular. Both looks require styling products to create and maintain. That’s where the problem arises. Boys often overuse or misuse product resulting in sticky or greasy looking hair. At Fantastic Sams, we work with younger clients to help them recreate the look on their own. Moms and dads love that!

Fantastic Sams' stylists are also on top of trends for children, tweens, teens and adults. This season the top three celebrity female cuts are Miley Cyrus’ edgy androgynous short cut, Juliana Hough’s long layered bob and Demi Lovato’s tousled layers and somber shading.

The top three male celebrity cuts are Zac Efron and his top heavy bedhead approach, Bradley Cooper’s tousled texture and Channing Tatum’s close crop.

Both the women and men celebrity cuts above feature the common trends that translate for all ages. Those trends include:

·         The classic bob updated and layered

·         Long layers or mid-length layers to add versatility

·         Eye grazing fringe

·         Color with tones and depth

·         Styles that require product

·         Bangs return as a complimenting staple to any length or style

·         Younger age girls typically wear shorter styles as they are fuss-free and easier to maintain

·         Grade school girls prefer longer locks will sport simple styles this fall

·         Teen girls like cuts that incorporate layers to add styling versatility

·         Mid length styles offer feminine looks with a trendy approach.

·         For the little men, styles are often linear and curvy to compliment the child’s round face and head

·         Shorter, spikey styles emerge as a trend for teenage guys

·         Male styles with a variety of directions, moving forward or upward or converging toward the center top of the head

Whether emulating a pop star or just going for a look that is easy to maintain, the experts at Fantastic Sams can help your child (and you!) find and learn how to maintain a look that will make a big impact this year.