How to Get a New Look Without Cutting Your Hair

Everyone goes through a hair rut. No matter how much you love your signature style, sometimes the feminine urge to get a new look whenever you’re bored is irresistible. The problem is that a haircut can feel a bit too permanent. Sure, it grows back eventually, but what if you don’t have the patience?

Luckily, you don’t need a complete overhaul just to have a new look. Follow these handy hacks to reinvent your hairstyle minus the snip!

Bangs can transform your face shape and make you feel like a brand new gal. But once you’ve cut them, you’ve reached the point of no return – for a few weeks, at least. If you want the same dramatic effect sans the potential regret, fake bangs are your best second option. These clip-ins look so realistic that even celebrity hairstylists have used them on their clients (check out Emily Ratajkowski’s faux micro bangs).

If you don’t want to spend any money on clip-in hair, pull your locks into a top knot and pin down the ends so they resemble a blunt fringe. You can also fake side bangs by tucking a small section of hair to the side and putting it in place with bobby pins.

Changing the direction of your hair part is a good place to start when experimenting with a new look. It gives you a slight boost of volume at the roots, plays up your facial features, and helps protect your scalp from getting damaged. So, if you’ve had middle-parted hair for as long as you can remember, you should switch it up once every month for a healthier-looking mane.

Anyone with a cowlick or widow’s peak can confirm that altering your hair parting is easier said than done. You need to train your strands to fall in a new direction when they’re still wet. Blow-dry them in a low heat setting and point the nozzle downwards. When they’re dry, brush and use hair clips to set them.

Feeling impulsive? Break out from your natural hair color with temporary hair dyes. These at-home solutions are cheaper and require less commitment. On top of that, they come in many formats, from waxes to sprays, that you can pick depending on the kind of look you’re going for. Think of them as makeup for your hair; you can add and wash them off whenever you like.

Before you start painting away, make sure you have a squeaky-clean base. Wash your locks with Sunsilk Strong & Long Shampoo. It deeply nourishes your hair with a blend of biotin, aloe vera, and castor oil, which helps protect it against breakage. After shampooing, apply a small amount of dye to your dried hair. A comb can help distribute the pigment more evenly.

Ponytails are really the Mariah Carey of hairstyles – they’ve got range! But even the most iconic pony needs a new look from time to time. The fix? Braids.

Braiding hair can elevate a humble ponytail, a bun, a half updo, and practically every other hairstyle imaginable to new heights. Best of all, it works on all hair textures. You can start with a traditional three-strand plait, then level up to more complex ones like the French braid.

The number one enemy of braids is tangled hair. Condition your strands with Cream Silk Vitamin Boost Standout Straight to make them more manageable. This formula has Pro-Vitamin B5, argan, and marula oils for 10X straighter and 3X smoother hair.

Get out of the habit of styling your hair the way you used to do. What worked in the past may no longer reflect your current personality. But that's not a bad thing! Now is the time to workshop some new looks with hair accessories you may not have considered using before.

Decide on what aesthetic you’re in the mood for. Headbands are great for those who are into the clean or quiet luxury vibe. If you’re a sporty chick at heart, reach for baseball hats. What about the coquette girls? Pile on the ribbons, bows, and cutesy barrettes.

It’s entirely possible to flaunt a new look without stepping foot in a salon, as these hacks have shown. Let your imagination run wild and push the boundaries! Above all, remember that hair TLC is key, whether you’re going for subtle changes or a bold transformation.