For 2026, we’re not ghosting—we’re ghost roots-ing.
So, we’re used to thinking about dyeing our hair—and focusing on our roots—as a corrective, routine treatment to cover gray hair. But there’s a dual shift that’s been happening in the world of hair color: We’ve been embracing natural grays and we’ve been experimenting in shades beyond blonde, brunette, ebony, and auburn. Looking forward to 2026, the edgiest hair trend to get to know? Ghost roots.
While a monthly trip to the hairdresser to cover regrowth can feel mechanical, the ghost roots trend bucks that, subverting and reinterpreting roots as a form of fun self-expression. Alternative It girls have long been embracing the ghost roots: Check Billie Eilish at the 2024 Golden Globes and Grammys, where she sported intense red and neon green roots respectively, a sharp contrast to her raven hair. Others have embraced acid pink, pastel blue, and peroxide blonde. A more recent example? Rosalia and her bleached halo hair.
Embracing the ghost roots hair trend
Ghost roots aren’t new: It recalls the angel ring hairstyle that’s been enduringly popular in Japan, and you’ll have seen them on emo kids of the early ’00s and anime characters—but now, it’s getting a higher-fashion, more chic refresh. Looking back, it was Sam McKnight that first brought the colorful roots to the runways, in 2020, for Dries Van Noten.
Legendary hairstylist McKnight bleached the roots in the center of the head and the lengths immediately above the ear and hairline to create a stark contrast, one that both frames and lights up the face. It totally coordinated with the colorful collection, inspired by the nocturnal glamour of the 1980s. Rather than dyeing the models’ hair, though, McKnight applied neon-colored synthetic feathers to the roots, applied with gel and brushed in with a comb. What came a few years later? Billie Eilish’s own sharp green ghost roots.
Ghost roots: What the experts say
The cult spot driving the ghost roots trend? OOO-ing Studio in Taiwan, which specializes in vibrant coloring and cutting-edge hairstyles. Models could be characters straight out of Tekken or Final Fantasy, but beyond the gaming universe, OOO-ing Studio’s core philosophy is to celebrate alternative style and self-expression.
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In Milan, there’s Halle Milano, run by Davide Omizzolo. Here, they experiment wildly with colors, cuts, subversive shades, and big transformations. Ghost roots have become a go-to signature style for the team.
The It girls wearing ghost roots
Billie Eilish first hopped on the style in 2020, playing the long game with trend forecasting. Since then, we’ve seen more celebrities test out ghost roots with their own aesthetic twists. Take Rosalía and her celestially bleached blonde halo—by hairstylist Evanie Frausto—that she’s been wearing through her Lux era. While it’s not exactly in keeping with the ghost roots vibe, it’s adjacent. Then, there’s makeup artist Isamaya Ffrench—a strong figure for experimental beauty: She wears warm ghost roots through her raven-dark lengths. Avant-pop singer Caroline Polachek has also experimented with blocky blonde sections through her mid-lengths—ghost super-roots.
So why should you embrace the ghost roots when we’re next back in the salon chairs in 2026? It’s an easy, low-stakes way to experiment without the full slog of a hair transformation, and offers endless possibilities of color, shape, and aesthetic vibe to play with. Happy ghosting!
