Hairstyles That Are Totally Outdated In 2026

If there's one guarantee in life, it's that fashion is going to recycle. And that doesn't just apply to your wardrobe, but to your hair as well. The good news for those who love to revamp their looks and routinely shake up their style is that an unexpected hair trend is always just around the corner, whether it's bold bleach cutouts or the Riviera bob. The not so good news? Trends can also decide that your formerly favorite hairstyle is no longer en vogue. 

According to Amber Reneé, makeup artist and hair and wig expert, there are a number of hair trends that are on their way out in 2026, if they haven't already been kicked to the curb. While the tired looks come in all categories, from color trends to styling to cuts, Reneé notes that there is a connection between them. "Overall, I think the biggest shift in 2026 is that people are prioritizing hairstyles that look healthy and easy to maintain!" she tells Glam exclusively. 

Gen Z-ers are big fans of protecting their peace in life, and it looks like that philosophy has seeped through to the hair world, too. In 2026, we no longer have time for anything — whether that's jobs, dates, or hair — that requires huge investments of energy. So hairstyles that are difficult, expensive, or even uncomfortable to keep up with are being ushered out in favor of all things comfortable and practical. But of course, that doesn't mean we're sacrificing style points, and some of the best low-maintenance haircuts for women over 30 are also super chic. The following hair trends may be out for the time being (sorry, decadent-sounding money piece hair), but as our expert points out, there are plenty of chic replacements to experiment with. 

The simple, sleek bun has been a mainstay for many, whether you have memories of dance class as a child, or you've leaned towards a minimalist aesthetic in your adult years. This style will return to the fore sooner or later — such is its iconic reputation — but in 2026, it feels a little tired, especially when styled with a ton of gel. "The slick, glued-down bun had a HUGE moment over the past few years because it looked super polished and photographed well on social media," Amber Reneé shares exclusively with Glam. "While it's still appropriate for certain occasions, I'm seeing more people move away from the super stiff finish. Instead, I see a lot of women wanting softer, sleek buns with natural texture."

We could have predicted this would happen back in the late 2010s, when Meghan Markle first stepped on the scene and ruffled feathers with her signature messy buns. When her wedding hair featured soft tendrils falling by her face, the world took notes. That romantic-coded style with the pieces falling out is at the top of the hot list, whether it's for a wedding, a night out, or even a day at work. But there are also other low-key bun variations which you can opt for instead of the stiff, slicked look; try a curly bun, or one that puts your natural texture on display. Otherwise, whimsical braided buns or even retro space buns are having a moment this year. 

Demi Moore cemented this trend in July 2026, when she attended the Balenciaga Fall/Winter 2026 Couture show in Paris, France, with what her hairstylist Dimitris Giannetos dubbed a "Ballerina off duty bun." The look featured a simple chignon with relaxed curled tendrils falling out of it.

Iterations of choppy, layered cuts have been rising and falling in popularity for years, whether you've been a fan of the '70s shag, the '80s mullet, or the wolf cut that emerged on the South Korean beauty scene in the '90s and '00s. The latter has been huge in the age of social media, with stars like Miley Cyrus, Keke Palmer, and Jenna Ortega jumping on the bandwagon. But Amber Reneé confirms in our exclusive chat that those days are over, at least for now.

"The dramatic, heavily layered 'wolf cut' you've seen everywhere on TikTok is becoming less requested," she says. "Many people realized these cuts require a lot of styling to look their best, and they don't work for every hair type!" While people have traditionally gone to extreme lengths to obtain trendy hairstyles, from using whole bottles of hairspray to achieve their beehives in the '60s to flattening their hair with hot irons in the '70s, we're now prioritizing comfort and practicality. 

If you like the vintage aspect of the wolf cut, there are lots of 1970s styles that are on-trend in 2026, including anything with long layers and a feathery, wispy finish. Face-framing bottleneck bangs are particularly easy to style for this aesthetic. "I'm seeing a change toward softer, longer layers that create movement," Reneé adds. There are infinite styles that fall under this category, from soft flick bobs to textured bobs with piecey layers to styles with longer layers and curtain bangs. You might also like to try the trending "flippy," hairstyles, which feature bended ends and layers that create the body and movement we're all aspiring to in 2026. It's all good as long as you move away from that harsh, angular effect that the wolf cut creates. 

If we had to sum up fashion and beauty in the 2020s, "'90s influence" would be one of the most accurate descriptors. Money piece highlights, which feature brightening in the face-framing temple area, were huge again in the early part of the decade. But as tends to be the case with maximalist crazes, It-girls have grown tired of this look already. "Bold blond money pieces framing the face were really popular for a while, but a lot of women are now choosing more blended color placement," Amber Reneé explains exclusively to Glam. "The trend has changed to seamless dimension, and softer face-framing highlights!"

When it comes to the color of your highlights, you have a lot of freedom to settle on a palette that works for you. Caramel highlights are particularly trendy in 2026, as are creamy blond. But the difference is these brightened pieces should integrate naturally with the rest of your hair, since money pieces are a hair trend that is woefully outdated in 2026. Balayage is big this year too, but you could just as easily rock a single-toned block color. Expensive-looking brond is taking Hollywood by storm, as demonstrated by the likes of Taylor Swift and Gigi Hadid, while cool chocolate brown is equally alluring. On the red front, light, airy copper is also rising in popularity.

If you prefer the chunky, statement-making effect of money pieces, you could try the 2026 alternative: bleach cut outs. Thanks to Alysa Liu, who competed at the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics at the start of the year, these thick, bold highlights are also trending. The difference is they aren't used to frame the face like money pieces, but rather offer a louder, artistic finish that catches the light. 

When you consider the overall shift in hair trends from sleek and polished to softer, lower-maintenance styles, it's not surprising that straight, flat hair isn't the goal in 2026. That's not to say that people with naturally straight hair have to start waving and curling their locks or else, but we are moving away from the flat, lifeless look that all but sticks to the scalp. "Super flat-ironed hair with no volume is becoming less common," Amber Reneé tells Glam exclusively. "People are gravitating toward healthier-looking hair with movement, bounce, and body. Blowout-inspired styles, and voluminous layers are replacing the flat finish because they look more effortless!"

This might not be good news if your thing is bone-straight hair, but there are lots and lots of styles to choose from if you're looking for a makeover. Anything that features movement and body is a green flag, and that applies to cuts of all lengths. For those with shorter hair, think soft bobs and tapered lobs which have messier finishes, choppier layers, and natural texture that creates a "lived in" finish. The goal is to look like you're enjoying life without stopping every two seconds to think about your hair, rather than looking like you've just come from the salon. 

If you have longer hair, you can create a bit of volume with cutting techniques, like V cuts, which create an A-line, diagonal edge. You can also create body with face-framing layers or wispy, piecey bangs. Curtain bangs are a great choice for moving towards a soft aesthetic rather than the harsh, bone-straight style. You can create loose waves with a flat iron or curling iron, as these styles work wonders on straight hair, which doesn't have to be boring.

Now that we've lived a certain number of years with social media, we're (hopefully) beginning to wisen up to its tricks. The introduction of the 'Gram created an environment where people felt the need to curate polished content and look perfect at all times, but now we're questioning that charade and instead embracing realness and transparency. That absolutely extends to hair trends, which is why any look that is overly pristine and refined, including "not a hair out of place" structured waves, is out. 

"The perfectly uniform curling iron waves that took over Instagram are changing to more natural styling," Amber Reneé shares in our exclusive chat. While glossy barrel waves certainly had their moment, now we prefer waved and curled looks where there are in fact hairs out of place. "Clients want hair that looks lived-in and not overly styled," Reneé confirms. "Loose bends and '90s-inspired blowouts make a more modern look." The simple way to make the transition, if you're a fan of the structured barrel curl, is to style your hair in the same way and then rough it up a bit with a sea salt texturizing spray. You could also break up the uniformity by flipping over the top section, or even adding a wispy fringe and face-framing layers. 

For inspiration, look no further than "Friends" protagonist Rachel Green, who inspired one of the most iconic haircuts ever. The layered, blow-dried style was always on the messier side — kind of like the character herself — so it's a good stepping stone away from robot-perfect hair. Otherwise, when you're creating waves, think textured, casual, and soft styles that have variation. When it comes to hair in 2026, you want to be able to say, "I woke up like this."