MENU
SEARCHIt is a hair coloring technique that creates a halo-effect around the hairline --but is it right for everyone?
An even, bright, and beautiful blonde.
Caitie Kennedy (@caitie.colors) is a Redken Educator, and a color correction and blonding specialist based in Milwaukee, WI. She has a fervent love for the science of hair and hair color, and we appreciated a video she shared responding to a hair color trend that is all over TikTok.
Her video addressed the Scandi or Scandinavian Hairline Trend, which seeks to mimic those natural Nordic Blondes who sprout the whitest and lightest of blonde hair. Kennedy, in her video, said she looked at this and saw it as the “Gen Z version of a base break”—and we wanted her to break it down, even more.
Related: How-to: The Hairline Halo Technique
Caitie Kennedy is a Redken educator and colorist, originally from Minneapolis, lived in Los Angeles, and now finds her home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with her husband, son, and California desert rescue dog Rosie.
MODERN SALON: How would you describe the Scandinavian Hairline Trend and where did it originate?
CAITIE KENNEDY: The modern Scandinavian Hairline Trend is something that has become viral on TikTok. It’s a service where a TINY sliver of baby hair around the hairline is pulled forward onto the forehead and an inch or so of lightener is applied to the regrowth area and processed anywhere from 5-15 minutes.
MS:What client might this be right for? What client do you think this is wrong for?
CK: If you choose to do this technique, it would be for people who are level 7 or above, have healthy hair, and don’t wear tight ponytails or other high-tension styles around the front hairline.
MS:Is the bleach painted right on the skin?
CK: From what I’ve seen on the Tok, yes…which I do not recommend. Our guests and clients use a huge variety of skin care products; the variable of lighteners reacting to retinols, SPFs, AHAs, hydrogen peroxide and more is unknown.
MS: Is this done as part of the full, overall color service or can it be done as a touchup service?
CK: It’s commonly done during the initial service but can absolutely be used to touch up as well.
MS:What is the grow out going to be?
CK: I think the grow out truly varies based on the intensity of the technique. For example, if a stylist uses a wider section of hair around the hair line, with higher intensity developer left to process for longer, you’ll have a harsher brighter line and more stark grow out.
If a stylist utilizes a slower lifting lightener, 10 volume developer, with a fine section of the hairline, it’ll have a very soft grow out.
MS:If clients are coming in and requesting this of stylists, but a stylist is not comfortable or doesn’t think their client is a good fit for this process, how do you suggest they respond?
CK: I ALWAYS suggest refusing service or having supervision from someone in your salon that knows how to do a technique before trying it on a paying customer. This is a delicate service being done on the most fragile parts of the hair-- take models first!
MS: And what are your watchouts and/or concerns with this trend?
CK: My major concern with this trend is the canvas it’s being performed on. We are painting bleach lightener on the most fragile and sensitive parts of the hair. Baby hairs.
My other concern is performing this service on someone with coarser hair or a darker base. More warmth will be exposed.
MS: What do you suggest as an alternative to achieve a similar result?
CK: I would suggest permanent color in its place. I’m a huge lover of permanent clear. Permanent clear will have a gentler lift and a softer effect!
Schwarzkopf Professional Ambassadors Carly Zanoni and Brendnetta Ashley share the express color and treatment services helping stylists deliver great results in under 30 minutes while creating new opportunities for client retention and revenue growth.
As rich red-violet tones continue trending, the brand introduces two new demi shades designed for depth, shine, and dimensional color.
In an industry with so many options and opportunities, we asked artists what made them niche down and select a specialty. Amelia Fugitt (@ameliahairmakeup) says choosing to focus on transformations has transformed her career.
From gray blending to glossing services, stylists are redefining low-maintenance hair color and building more consistent, profitable salon business.
Neutralizing the damaging effects of water benefits the hair from texture to shine to color longevity, and it’s the science behind Malibu C products.
Sponsored by Malibu Wellness
Craft with confidence, challenge your creativity, work from inspiration. Prepare your chair for every canvas with Moroccanoil's expanded color lines and advanced technology.
Sponsored by Moroccanoil
Create a look of quiet luxury with this modern take on ombré, featuring beautiful dimension and depth with strategic pops of blonde around the face and ends. The initial effect is bright and beautiful, with purposefully placed depth creating longevity as the hair grows out.
A master colorist on why great hair color is never “simple.”
Meet the next generation of lightening with cleaner lift, less breakage, and built-in Metal Purifier Technology.
Sponsored by Wella
Oligo Professionnel, the Montreal-based hair color powerhouse, expands beyond the salon with a new routine-driven system designed specifically for blondes and those with highlighted hair.
These stylists practice hairdresser magic, transforming clients into unicorns, mermaids, rainbows and living works of art.
Ahead of the Winter Olympics, Alysa partnered with St. Louis–based color specialist Kelsey Miller to elevate her DIY bleach work into clean, high-contrast halo placements.
PRAVANA Sugarcoated expands the ChromaSilk VIVIDS line with two new pink shades, Juicy and Crush.
Blonde hair is as All-American as baseball, apple pie, and Stars and Stripes forever. And as America approaches her 250th birthday next year, we celebrate the birth of the Global Blonde.
Two reds that get raves, these looks were designed using Alfaparf Milano. Get all the steps, processing, and expert tips to add these recipes to your rotation.
Many colorists and blonde specialists have been enthusiastic about Pantone's 2026 Color of the Year, creating some of the purest platinum looks in celebration of the pick. Check out some of our favorite Cloud Dancer creations and collections.
To kick off the year fresh, actress Emma Roberts has undergone a major 7-hour color transformation going from Copper Red back to her iconic Iridescent Golden Blonde. The transformation was created by Wella Professional Global Ambassador Nikki Lee.
