Pastel Hair Trends for Men

Award-winning men's hairdresser, Jim Shaw, shares his comments on this season's pastel hair colour trends for men…

With us now in spring, pastels are one of the biggest trends we are seeing this season. Pastels come back on trend year after year in springtime, however, for 2023 pastels have a more contemporary and stylish update! Below are some of my favourite on-trend ways for male clients to wear pastels this year.

For men, a great way to wear pastels this spring is by teaming their chosen pastel tone with their natural shade, particularly if they have a haircut that is longer on the top and shorter on the sides. I love to cut my clients hair right down at the sides, revealing their natural hair colour, and then bleach and tone the top, longer section of hair. This creates a super cool and quirky contrast. I particularly love this look with a steel grey tone on the top or a blue. This is a great way for male clients to update their look with colour without opting for too much of a bold/statement hue. 

Adding an opulent/pearlescent toner is another way for male clients to give their pastel hue an up-to-date finish for 2023. By giving the hair an opulent, pearlescent finish instead of the ordinary soft pastel, this will give the hair a more expensive, luxurious, and high shine look.

Ashy/silver blondes have been on trend for some time but as we come into the warmer months, we will see hair colours becoming a lot warmer. Now is the time for men to go blonde and if they’re feeling bold and adventurous – to try yellow! A pastel yellow/blonde hue can look great when teamed with the right cut. I think this looks particularly stylish with a crew cut. It’s such a fun, playful colour, and a perfect match for men with bubbly personalities!

With the Barbie movie coming out soon, pink being a huge trend on the catwalks for both woman and men and the ‘barbiecore’ trend surging across social media, it’s inevitable that pastel pink hues will be one of the most popular pastel shades for men this year. Pastel pinks look fantastic on men who are already blonde (if brunette they will need to have their hair pre-lightened first) and fade out of the hair seamlessly. Pinks are also always a popular choice, as they work well on all skin tones.

For those feeling daring and adventurous, pairing two or three pastel tones together is another modern way for male clients to wear their pastel hair for 2023. By teaming shades of blue, pink, and green together, this will create an incredible rainbow inspired hue that will have heads turning.

The key to keeping pastel hair colour looking its best and long-lasting? Hair care! Clients should be advised to use a good quality, professional shampoo and conditioner that’s for coloured hair. They should also consider using a hair mask once per week to keep their hair in optimum condition and colour sealed in. Heated styling tools can of course lead to colour fade, so it's important that clients are aware that should they need to use heated styling, to always protect their hair with a heat protection spray first.