Vivid Hair Color in 2025: Why It's Not Just for the Teens Anymore

Vivid hair is everywhere in 2025—and no, it’s not just for teens or TikTok stars anymore. More professionals than ever are stepping outside the norm, using bold color as a way to express personality, confidence, and individuality. I’ve had nurse practitioner clients tell me that their hair is the one area they can make personal, and that it actually helps them connect with their patients. One even said her bright hair made her seem more approachable, which really stuck with me.

I’ve also had an established lawyer come in for a subtle blue streak. Nothing wild, just a little detail that said, “I know who I am.” When done well, these placements don’t feel out of place—they feel intentional. It’s a signal that you don’t need to shrink yourself to be taken seriously. If anything, it says you’re so confident in your skillset, you can afford to push a few boundaries.

So with that in mind, here’s what we’re seeing both behind the chair and across the industry:

Animal Prints and Bold Patterns

Raccoon tails, leopard spots, feather designs—these looks are having a serious moment. We’ve done them in everything from natural black and brown to bold neons like hot pink. The beauty of this trend is how customizable it is: go all in with high-contrast placements or keep it subtle, hidden under layers and only revealed when the hair’s pulled up.

We actually hosted a class on this recently, where our stylist Jasmine showcased a full range of these patterns on one model using purple, blue, and pink hues. It was an incredible demo of how versatile and artistic this trend can be.

Artistic Hair Color Design

Hair as art isn’t new, but in 2025 it’s fully embraced. Artists like Kayla Hardcore are doing wild things—multi-tonal prisms, painted stars, green leopard prints, spirals. She’s actually teaching a class at Capybara Hair Lounge on June 23, where she’ll be demoing two creative placements on live models. If you’re a stylist who wants to push their color work, this is one to catch.

Chunky Highlights (But Make It Modern)

Yes—those early 2000s chunky highlights are back, but they’ve been reimagined. We’re seeing “calico” placements, and mixes of vivid tones that create that same bold blockiness but with a softer, more dimensional finish. Bright pink is really having a moment in this style.

Ghost Roots

Ghost roots are all about contrast. The root area is intentionally lightened or brightened, creating a sharp difference from the mid-shaft to ends. It’s bold but polished. Billie Eilish helped bring the look mainstream with her neon green roots and black lengths, and more recently, our stylist Evette nailed a cobalt blue with icy white roots that completely turned heads.

Dyed Tips

Dyed tips are a fun, low-commitment way to play with vivid color. Since the color is concentrated just on the ends, it's perfect for first-timers, younger clients, or anyone wanting to experiment without a full transformation. And when you're ready to move on, you can simply trim them off.

Halo Color Placement

This is one of our favorites for clients with bangs or strong fringes. The color wraps around the middle or underneath sections of the hair, giving a really dramatic effect when styled but growing out with almost no maintenance.

If you've been thinking about trying vivid color, or you're a stylist ready to level up your color placement game, this is your moment.

For potential clients, please fill out our new client inquiry form to get started.

Interested in the Kayla Hardcore class? Reserve your spot here — space is limited.