The bob (or lob) is the haircut du jour. Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid and Selena Gomez are the leaders of the latest hair trend, championing shorter hairdos in replacement of their luscious long locks of days gone by.
The desire for a short and sleek hairstyle has been tied in with this year's fascination with ‘90s pop culture which has influenced how we dress, the makeup we wear and how we style our hair. (The rising popularity of shorter hair has even been likened to ‘The Rachel’ aka Rachel Green’s blunt-cut shiny hairdo in Friends.) However, is the real reason behind the shift from long hair to short got a lot more to with practicality and upkeep, rather than influence?
WATCH: On-The-Go Beauty Hacks
For so long, Balayage, Tiger Eye hair and ombré have been hairstyles that have lead the trend race; we’ve all rushed to salons and asked our hair to highlighted and lightened with bleach, and that, of course, causes damage.
One good thing about the balayage trend, aside from that it looks great, obviously, is that it only lightens the bottom half of your hair, and generally leaves the roots alone. The parts of your hair that have been bleached, then, become more and more damaged, due to sun exposure, lack of care and split ends. Cue, the chop: the inevitable next step to get damaged hair looking strong and sleek again. The end result? A sleek and shorter hairdo, free of dye.
Models and popstars are constantly being made up and their hair is getting fried by styling tools again and again, and that comes at a price. Take Kim Kardashian – her hair has always looked perfect, even though it has been an array of different styles and colours over the years, but she too is now rocking a much shorter do. Was this because she wanted to rock a shorter do, or did ahe choose to because it was in need of a refresh?
Maybe the trend isn’t about the length, as such, but more about having healthier hair, and this is something we can definitely get on-board with.
READ MORE: All Your Summer Haircare Questions Answered
READ MORE: 25 Celebrities Who Are Rocking A Bob
READ MORE: How To Work A Balayage Bob Like The A-List