Teal hair—I never really thought it was a commonly worn hair color, but boy, was I wrong. I assume it'd be a hard color to miss if it was trending, given how vibrant of a shade it is, but once I started paying attention I saw it everywhere on each end of the color spectrum, from turquoise blue to sea foam green and all the aquamarine hues in between. I saw women with teal hair on the subway and passing me on the street in my Brooklyn neighborhood. Even my cashier at Whole Foods was wearing teal-colored braid extensions—and they were beautiful. When I opened Instagram, I realized that #tealhairdontcare is very much happening, and somehow, I'd almost missed it.
How can you pull off this colorful and cool shade? Celebrity colorist Reece Walker says that most people will require a bleach process first to achieve the right hue of teal. "I would pretty much always pre-lighten the hair to a pale yellow before putting a teal over it," he says. "If you don’t pre-lighten or bleach it, you could be left with a a very dull, dusty result."
Meet the Expert
- Reece Walker is a bicoastal colorist, stylist, and hair extension expert for his celebrity clientele like Victoria Beckham, Miranda Kerr, and Caroline Vreeland.
Teal Hair Color
Choosing a shade: "Creative fashion colors, like teal, do not work on natural hair colors unless you’re a natural very light blonde—like the blonde that young kids have," Walker says. "I would always suggest going to a salon when bleaching is required, but it’s not essential. You can definitely refresh the teal at home once the bleaching is done."
Maintenance level: "I would say every five to seven weeks you will need to touch up the regrowth if you want to keep it all one color—otherwise, if you like your natural color coming through at the root, that can look cool too," Walker explains.
Goes great with: Neutral makeup tones so it doesn't compete with your hair color. A soft, rosy lip gloss will pair well with teal.
Similar shades: Blue ombré, dark blue
Price: The price will vary depending on whether you are doing allover color or small sections of highlights. Talk with your stylist to get an idea of what it will cost beforehand.
Ready to try out the teal trend? Check out these teal hair color looks you'll want to show your colorist immediately.
Casual Ponytail
A casual ponytail becomes next-level when you add some teal strands and a red lip.
Baby Bangs
We love the way the natural base here seamlessly transitions to teal at the same eye line as the baby bangs.
Ditch the Blonde
Hilary Duff hasn't had too many distinct changes in hair color, so we were surprised when she ditched the blonde for teal.
Classic Ombré
A classic teal ombré, indeed. The fact that such a bright color can fall from a deep, dark base color is simply impressive.
Green and Teal Ombré
A seriously fun, Lisa Frank-inspired 'do, this blue to green ombré will have heads turning for sure.
Princess Braids
This princess warrior braid situation nicely highlights the subtle variation of blues and greens hidden throughout her long, teal hair.
More Than Just a Hair Color
For Kylie Jenner, teal isn't just a hair color—it's a whole look. The reality star showed off this cool look with her ends dipped in the perfect shade of teal.
Byrdie Tip
If you do an allover color of teal, you can let it grow out to also achieve this look. To keep the color vibrant, however, you may need your colorist to touch up the ends.
Rainbow Lights
Sprinkle teal hair with some shimmery rainbow highlights and what you'll get is pure magic.
Water Color
If a bright hair color isn't your jam, try watering it down a bit like this washed-out shade of teal.
Teal Braids
Let's not forget that getting braids is a fun opportunity to throw another color into the mix. We absolutely love these extra-long teal braids, as seen on Amandla Stenberg.
Cornrows
Cornrow designs will only amp up your teal game. We love how the shade matches these cool tinted sunglasses.
Billie Eilish
In the early days of her career, Billie Eilish was most often sporting some shade of blue or gray, and we're quite partial to this vibrant hue.
Around the Edges
Replacing those face-framing blonde highlights with a color like teal will surely add even more drama.
Gaga for Teal
Lady Gaga wears teal locks so well, it looks like they're basically her natural color.
All Mixed Up
A purposeful mixup of teals and blues is best achieved by a color expert like Lena Ott. Talk with your stylist about your color goals to see where your creativity as a team can go.
Peek-A-Boo
Not to fear—nothing scary here. It's just a fun splash of teal to surprise passersby.
Textured Blue Bangs
A choppy set of micro bangs on teal blue hair works beautifully alongside a diamond face shape and a smudged orange lip.
Pin-Up
Katy Perry wears her teal bound up in a beehive with a bubblegum pink lip and Bettie Page-inspired bangs for a classic pinup girl look.
Teal Lob
Teal can look great on any hair length, and we love the way the bright shade highlights this shiny, healthy lob.
Natural Waves
Wearing a bright color like teal with your natural hair texture can create a supernatural effect.
Blue Bob
A chic bob colored in an ocean-sprayed teal will give off vacation vibes all year 'round, as seen here on Katy Perry.
Hiding Rainbows
If you're going to incorporate rainbow strands into your 'do, make sure the rainbow ends—teal, in this case—are the same shade as the rest of your locks for an effortless look.
GOT Style
If Daenerys Stormborn of the House Targaryen dyed her icy blonde strands teal, it'd probably look a little something like this. You'll feel like a breaker of chains and trends.
Just The Tips
Try adding a pinch of teal, as seen here on Fergie, on just the very ends to keep your hair in maximum good health. This is also a great look if you want a more subtle hint of color.
Teal Twins
Friends that go teal together stay together. If you're both looking to have fun with your hair, we think this is an excellent way to coordinate.
Layered Blowout
These blown-out, long layers on sea foam colored hair mimic the ocean waves.
Icy Blend
An ashy, silver base color with teal highlights will leave you with an icy blend sans brain freeze.
Sea Foam Dreams
Having a dark natural base or preexisting color in your hair should never stop you from fulfilling your sea foam hair dreams. We love the deep, alluring feel that the darker shade creates.
Perfect Pixie
Just when we thought teal couldn't get any better on its own, we found it on this perfectly textured pixie.
Teal Highlights
This look proves that highlights can make any pop of color seem super casual. With the balayage technique, we bet it grows out like a dream, too.
Byrdie Tip
To copy this look without the commitment, clip in a few strands of teal hair extensions ($9) to spice up your look.
Tinted Top
Halsey and her teal-tinted cropped chop are so laissez-faire. If you have a short haircut with a longer top, this is a great way to highlight the contrast.
Teal-Green with Envy
For bright, enviable color like this, you'll want to reapply your favorite vibrant shade about every three months.
Undercut
This style makes a huge impact all over and hidden underneath.
Soft Waves
To get soft waves like actress Jaime King, use a mixed-bristle round brush instead of a metal or ceramic round brush or curling iron. A boar bristle combo is going to be gentler on your color-treated strands too—a major plus.
Mermaid Vibes
These waves and that color? Total mermaid vibes.
Pastel Teal
Teal can come in a pastel shade, too, with more of a turquoise tinge to it than a pastel blue.
Teal Pixie
Close crops look incredible with a bold color. If you're feeling bold, go all out by matching your eyebrows to the hair on your head.
Teal Ombré
Ombrés are always a great decision when you don't want high-maintenance color. This low-hanging teal ombré will grow out nicely into teal-tipped ends.
Instagram Worthy
Singer Karol G turns heads with her long, teal waves. To copy her look, part your hair down the middle and use a 1.5-inch curling iron to add in some soft waves.
Teal Melt
This look takes a teal base color and melts it into a frosty silver finish.
Knot Average
Seriously, how cute is this knotted half-up style on these teal strands? This style proves teal is a versatile shade that's fun whether you wear it curly, wavy, or silky straight.
Straight and to the Point
Here, naturally straight hair has been dip-dyed with teal pointed ends.
Light Hair Not Required
Even the darkest of bases can go full-on and high-impact with teal, thanks to expert techniques as well as at-home brands like Overtone.
Marbled Lob
This straightened teal lob is so clean and sleek that it has a marbleized effect, showcasing all of teal's tones and subtleties.