Believe it or not, 2020 was a big year for haircuts — COVID-19 be damned. We witnessed countless folks, including, but limited to, Bella Hadid, use salon closures as an excuse to play hairstylist, giving themselves bangs, layers, and buzz cuts from their homes. “An external change can be a simple and easy way to signify a transition that is internally more complex and harder to articulate otherwise,” therapist Nikki Nachum explained to Allure. “A new haircut becomes almost like an announcement to both yourself and the outer world that something is changing in your life.”

Now that businesses are opened back up, Nachum's explanation has taken on a whole new meaning. People are sprinting right back to their beloved stylists for both touch-ups and full-blown transformations to signal this new phase of their lives as they re-enter the world. 

Due to the standstill the world was under for nearly a year, several haircut trends from last year poured into 2021, like mullets, shaved heads, and bobs. And now that summer is full force, new haircut trends have officially emerged, such as '90s layers and curly shags. We asked hairstylists across the country to share the summer haircut trends their clients have been requesting the most lately. 

While scrolling through this list, keep in mind what features on your face you want to enhance — instead of your face shape, says hairstylist Wes Sharpton, who works out of New York City's Hairstory Studio. The latter just leads to body shaming, he believes. "You and your stylist can create a game plan to make sure these things are framed in the right way," he adds. "We need to make it a positive experience and celebrate you, which is the most important thing at the end of the day."