The Biggest Hair Colour to Try is “Root Play” — and It’s Easy to See Why

We’re constantly on the lookout for new ways to play with our look so it only makes sense that “root play” is something experts predict we’ll be very into this spring. Roots, in general, are always a big topic of conversation – to dye them or not to dye them, that is the question – but this hair colour trend may be the happy medium between grown-out and freshly done colour.

“While balayage will always continue to be a top colour trend, I’m seeing an evolution in terms of starting point for the colour,” celebrity hairstylist Aura Friedman told POPSUGAR. “Balayage colour typically starts around three inches from the root, but I anticipate lifting the colour to about two inches from the root as a way to play up natural root colour for an increased, lived-in contrast.”

You may have rocked this lived-in look in the past without realizing it, but instead of landing there by chance we’ll be seeking it out at the salon as a way to get ahead of the inevitable. The style, which is made to look slightly grown out from the start, is more low-maintenance than dyeing your hair right up to the scalp. Think of it as claiming back your roots.

Whether you play with your natural roots by dyeing the rest of your head a bright or pastel hue or stick to a natural-looking colour story, the root play hair colour trend looks effortlessly cool, which is exactly the type of energy we want to channel in 2021.

Keep scrolling to see more “root play” hair colour ideas.