The Hair Tinsel Trend Shines Again, From KATSEYE's Yoonchae to TikTok

Every once in a while just when you think a trend is gone, it finds a way to return. This time, it's hair tinsel. After fading out in the 2010s, resurfacing in 2018, going viral and earning the nickname “fairy hair” on TikTok in 2022, it’s back to tinsel town.

We've been spotting more and more metallic strands in celebrities' hair this year. It kicked off with Mikey Madison in Anora. While her beauty in the movie turned heads for a number of reasons, her hair tinsel inspired a TikTok trend of its own.

More recently, KATSEYE’s Yoonchae rocked tinsel highlights in the music video for their new song, "Gameboy." The lead hairstylist for the music video, Sully Layo, took to Instagram to post a carousel of images of the members with the caption, “Pierced braids on Lara, Tinsel highlights on Yoonchae 💿💿💿 Always so much fun doing hair for Katseye.”

With celebs giving us this inspo and plenty of fun occasions to get ready for coming up, like the Cowboy Carter tour, it's seems like hair tinsel is getting another shot in the limelight.

Here's everything you need to know about the trend.

The tinsel hair trend is tying a few long metallic strands to the hair, as if they were extensions. But they're typically shiny fashion colors, giving the hair a bit of a pop.

On TikTok, London-based hair stylist Takumi Horiwaki tells Teen Vogue, “It’s a simple, damage-free way to add sparkle and personality to your look.”

“Hair tinsel is one of those things that instantly transforms a look without trying too hard. I love using it to add dimension, shine, and a little bit of mischief to the hair,”adds pro hairstylist, Iggy Rosales who has worked with celebs like Ariana Grande, Kali Uchis, and Alexa Demie, to name a few.

Whether you go to the salon or DIY it, it doesn't have to be complex. Horiwaki says, “I tie each strand of hair tinsel to a small section of hair at the root so it blends in and lasts a few weeks.” Of course hair tinsel comes in other forms such as clip-ins, and in almost every size and color so the possibilities are endless. Rosales has his own brand, Rainbow Koala which he describes started from a “genuine obsession with all things sparkly” and it is “playful, pretty, and doesn’t take itself too seriously – just like good hair should be.”

ICYMI: One of the early sightings of hair tinsel on the red carpet was none other than the iconic Queen B in 2010. Bey sported her tinsel hair on the red carpet at the Grammys, flaunting her subtle shimmer while wearing a beige, mermaid dress. Though memorable at the time, the trend lost mainstream attention for a few years until K-pop stars reintroduced it back in 2018. Heize is just one of the many idols seen rocking hair tinsel (or “holographic highlights” as Allure described it) at the time. That same year, EXO's Chanyeol rocked some himself during the “Love Shot” music video. The likes of BTS's J-Hope, NCT's Doyoung, and Stray Kids' Hyunjin have rocked tinsel strands for various occasions. In late November 2021, Katy Perry posted the ultimate tinsel hair endorsement on Instagram while promoting “Play,” her new Las Vegas residency. From 2022 onwards, the trend went viral on TikTok like it never left.