When you're browsing through TikTok or Instagram and a video stops your scroll entirely, it's rather telling about what's on your screen. Case in point: the Scandinavian hairline color technique, which caught our attention as a colorist painted bleach along their client's hairline. with absolutely no foils in view.
Shockingly, this was intentional - and the natural-looking, ultra-bright blonde results that followed were definitely intriguing. Also called the "Scandi hairline," the trending treatment aims to create a seamless, bright halo around your face as if you were a Nordic god or goddess (who never gets dark roots and regrowth).
Sure, highlights and balayage can bump up your base, but getting right down to the root is another thing. And blonde bombshells all over are on board: The #scandinavianhairline tag currently has more than 50 million views on TikTok. The results are undeniably vibrant but still raise red flags when it comes to safety.
Here, experts share if this coloring technique is, in fact, a bright idea for going blonde and blonder.
Meet the experts:
This coloring technique is a shortcut - and optical illusion - to make your hair appear lighter without spending hours and hours in the salon.
The concept of the Scandinavian hairline brings to mind the money piece - remember the viral, Y2K-inspired blonde trend of the past few years? - but the two are like sisters, not twins. "This [Scandi] technique is usually done by either painting or foiling really small sections of hair close together," shares hairstylist Rachel Bodt, owner of Homecoming Hair Salon in New York City. "By doing it this way it's not chunky like a money piece, but more of a delicate [yet] bold ribbon of brightness around the face."
As the final step during a color service, your colorist will paint bleach on the hair directly around your face, namely your hairline. "Lightening only the baby hairs around the face allows for a super bright and seamless hairline," explains Kennedy Sands, a hairstylist at Eggie Salon Studio in Baton Rouge, LA whose tutorial is trending on TikTok. "I love the way that it looks like your hair has been naturally lightened from the sun."
No matter your current blonde status - highlights, balayage, or all-over color - the Scandi hairline technique can be added to your service right at the shampoo bowl. "Since the hairs around your face are the finest, they lighten much quicker than the rest, making this technique doable in a short amount of time," says Sands. Most colorists prefer to paint directly on the hairline versus using foils to get the cleanest application. "I take a comb and lightly brush all baby hairs toward the face. This allows me to get close to the scalp, which is why it's appealing to blondes who love a bright hairline," says Sands.
Bleach is nothing to scoff at; if you've ever sat through a blonding service, you may have noticed a tingly sensation as the bleach gets to work lifting your color. And anyone who has undergone a full double-process bleach and tone service knows that it can also itch, burn and even leave sores on your scalp and hairline if it's left on too long.
"Some chemicals in hair bleaches, including ethyl alcohol, ammonium persulfate, and hydrogen peroxide, are highly toxic and harmful to your health and can be extremely caustic or irritating to the skin, causing redness, itching, and burns," says Dr. Shari Marchbein, MD, a New York City board-certified dermatologist, hence why she cautions against any technique that paints bleach on the skin. "You can have systemic toxicity from absorption through the skin including difficulty breathing. I would only apply hair bleaching products to the hair itself and avoid contact with the scalp and face," Dr. Marchbein adds.
Dr. Caren Campbell, MD, a board-certified dermatologist, expressed similar concerns, warning that chemical burns and irritant contact dermatitis could all result from this application method. She suggests always using a protective barrier between your skin and the bleach.
With this in mind, it's important to leave this technique to professionals. Besides the concern of bleach irritating the skin, it's also important to consider the health of your hair. In particular, if you have damaged hair, proceed with caution and consult with your stylist. "Doing this technique too much can cause breakage, especially on that part of your hairline as it is already fragile," shares celebrity colorist Rita Hazan. If you're going to try it, Hazan suggests doing so "sparingly, a few times a year."
Keep scrolling to see the Scandinavian hairline color technique in action.
Read more stories about going blonde.
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