How to Style a Shag Haircut, According to Hairstylists

Finally booked that appointment, said a hail Mary, and took the shag-haircut plunge? Yeah, you and everybody else. Nothing, and we do mean nothing, has spurred more of a hair frenzy since the the lob first made an appearance circa 2014 quite like the shag style haircut has in recent years — and it’s showing no signs of slowing down soon.

How to style a shag haircut, however, is an entirely separate matter. “For the shag, you have to let go of conventional styling techniques that we have all been doing for the last decade,” Devin Toth, hairstylist at Salon SCK in NYC, tells PS. “You wouldn’t do a perfect, bouncy, round-brush blowout, styled section by section, and then create loose waves, set by a large curling iron.”

Erm, so what should you do, then? Celebrity hairstylist Rebekah Forecast says the three things that differentiate the shag haircut from any other style are “the strong fringe, the straightness of the ends, and the volume at the root.” For the former, you’ll want to cut your bangs regularly to maintain the blunt effect. Beyond that, it’s all about picking the right products and using them correctly.

Because no one should have to maneuver this retro haircut trend alone, ahead we’ve asked the pros to break down the exact tools and techniques that’ll keep your new shag looking groovy, baby.