By Kiana Tipton for NaturallyCurly
The NaturallyCurly guide to #HairTok, from 2022 trends to 2023 predictions.
From perfect heatless curls to red hair without bleach, natural hair TikTok brought trends and hacks into the palm of our hands all 2022. Rather than scraping the interwebs and Pinterest boards for natural hair inspiration — HairTok always seemed to arrive right on time. Thanks to natural hairfluencers discovering underrated products or sharing bizarre but effective styling techniques, naturals and curlies experimented with their hair more than ever in 2022, bringing both chaos and invention to our timelines.
DIY HairTok braids, cuts, bangs, and bleaches overflowed in 2022. And with countless clips and multiple angles of each unique style and hack already tested by fellow naturals on HairTok, if you missed trying out last year’s trends but are feeling more adventurous this year, keep scrolling. I’ve rounded up the best TikTok natural hair trends of 2022 for your styling convenience, and natural hair predictions in 2023.
2022 Natural Hair Trends
Warm Shades of Red hair: Embed TikTok auburn hair video
From Sza to Zendaya, red hair seemed to hit the red carpet monthly in 2022. And while red hair has never been out of style, warm shades of red like auburn, copper and strawberry blonde were particularly popular. These shades tend to fade quickly though, so opt for a tinted conditioner, like this one from Overtone to keep the color strong.
Y2K Hairstyles: Embed TikTok Y2k hairstyles
2022’s flair for Y2K styles definitely extended to hair. Zig Zag parts, two-toned hair, funky accessories, and braided tendrils were all TikTok go-tos, with billions of views on the app. If you passed up the #curlyy2k trends last year, start small with some fun, colorful clips or leaving out two face framing braids the next time you wear your hair up.
TikTok Viral Hair Cuts & Trims: Curly Wolf Cut
Another pandemic era trend that grew legs in 2022 is DIY hair cuts and trims, including the #CurlyWolfCut and #CurlyButterflyCut. With costs of curly and natural hair cuts at all-time highs, there’s never been a better time to try out an at-home, DIY cut. And with thousands of videos of other curlies trying out trending DIY cuts first, what is there to lose!
Heatless Curls : Heatless Curls on Natural Hair TikTok
When you want all the ringlets and none of the damage, turn to one of the biggest trends on TikTok in 2022— heatless curls. A versatile and widely accessible trend, you probably already have everything you need to try this out. On TikTok, curlies have achieved heatless curls using a long sock, t-shirt, and robe straps. The key to success with any of these methods is to ensure that the hair is thoroughly moisturized before attempting the style, as dry hair will not hold curls as well.
Bleached eyebrows: Bleached Brows and Afro TikTok
Technically this is a hair trend. And in many ways, it’s an extension of the DIY trend we saw takeover our feeds in 2022. I love the contrast of dark natural hair and bleached brows, truly unmatched.
DIY Braids and Protective Styles: Doing My Hair Until I’m Booked and Busy TikTok
During the pandemic, many curlies turned to TikTok and YouTube to learn how do their own feed-in braids and protective styles. In the midst of lockdowns and zooms, we still wanted to mix up our look and give our hair a break from daily manipulation, so we tried our hand at simpler styles like jumbo feed-in braids, crochet styles, and twists. As always, make sure your hair is moisturized and clean before installing a new style to promote growth and prevent unnecessary breakage.
2023 Natural Hair Predictions
If there was a bigger trend than red hair in 2022 it had to be going red, without bleach. Leading us to 2023 natural hair predictions: A greater focus on hair health, with an emphasis on protecting and nourishing natural hair, no matter the trend. Here are a few 2023 Hair predictions based on popular natural hair trends last year.
Development of more advanced hair-care technology, like hair steaming and heatless styling using TikTok trends like the sock hack, t-shirts, and rollers.
An increase in use of low-manipulation hairstyles, such as wash-and-go, protective styles, and braids, as people seek to reduce the amount of heat and styling they use on their hair.
Greater investment in research and development of hair care products that prevent breakage like K18, and are made for people with natural hair like Pattern Beauty, leading to new brands tailored to naturally curly and coily hair.
Continued interest in slicked back styles, ballet-core buns and long extension ponytails, often referred to as “clean girl aesthetic” on TikTok, but we know who really owns this.
Greater representation of different natural hairstyles and textures in mainstream media.
More hairfluencers experimenting with soft cuts over angular shaped curly cuts, including curly bangs, more wolf and butterfly cuts and lots of face framing layers.
What do you hope to see more of in 2023?