The 'Scandi Hairline' Is The Soft, Sunkissed Blonde That Prolongs Summer

By contrast to the rest of the fashion week carousel, Copenhagen Fashion Week has always centred upon the trends we want to emulate in the every day. Gone are the high-fashion, otherworldly gowns from couture week or the fledgling trends of LFW, and in their place a street-style scene brimming with clever styling hacks, easy tailoring and wearable beauty trends.

The latest of which – a hairstyle coined the 'Scandi hairline' – is yet another easy-to-copy aesthetic that seems to be dominating CPHFW SS26 this season. Along with the sudden infiltration of bandanas (the silk scarf that's being resurrected from the fashion archives), the Scandi hairline has been front and centre of Copenhagen's street-style scene, perfectly exemplifying that effortlessly cool Scandi style we all want to recreate.

What is a 'Scandi hairline'?

Think of it as a soft, natural-looking blonde whereby all the brightness is centred around the face. 'A Scandi hairline is a soft-lightening technique that mimics the natural brightness you could get from spending a summer in Stockholm. By bleaching just the fine baby hairs around your forehead, you create a subtle glow that lifts the whole face, shares celebrity hairstylist, Jason Collier.

'Unlike more structured face-framing highlights, this method softens the entire hairline for a more natural finish and can work both for brunettes and blondes,' he adds.

How to recreate the 'Scandi hairline'

While the term has been circulating on TikTok, with users showing how to recreate the popular trend using at-home dye, any hairstylist worth their salt will tell you that you'll get the best (read: most natural-looking and soft) Scandi hairline at the salon.

'A Scandi hairline is typically created using a free-hand lightening technique, focusing around the hairline. You’re essentially painting a very thin veil of super-blonde colour at the front of the hair. This look can also be achieved using highlights too, such as micro lights,' says Christel Barron-Hough, founder of STIL salon. Her recommendation is to ask your hairdresser for a natural Scandi hairline, which focuses the brightness around the face.

It's also a great way to get more out of your colour. 'You could opt for a Scandi hairline between salon visits to refresh and brighten the hair around the front,' says Barron-Hough. 'This technique will give a pop of brightness around the perimeter, but also if you tie the hair back you also get a lot more colour, allowing you to leave longer between your highlighting or balayage appointments.'

As with any bleached hairstyle, it's important to tend to your hair's health. Highlights and balayage are notorious for rendering once-healthy ends brittle and dry, so ensure you have a line-up of hardworking products that are tailored for colour-treated hair. 'I personally love the Wella Professionals Fusion range because the formulations are designed to hydrate, restore and also rebuild the hair, which is great for maintaining the health and brightness of your Scandi hairline,' shares Barron-Hough.

You can also use a bond-repairing formula, such as L'Oreal Paris' Bond Repair Serum as a leave-in treatment, and a weekly hair mask to keep split ends at bay and ensure your natural, Scandi blonde stays fresh and bright through summer and beyond.

ELLE Collective is a new community of fashion, beauty and culture lovers. For access to exclusive content, events, inspiring advice from our Editors and industry experts, as well the opportunity to meet designers, thought-leaders and stylists, become a member today HERE.

Amelia Bell

Multiplatform Beauty Director

Amelia Bell is the Multiplatform Beauty Director for ELLE UK and Harper’s Bazaar, developing beauty strategy, writing, editing, and commissioning, and leading beauty content across both sites. Amelia has a particular interest in wellness and longevity, exploring the skin-mind connection, and decoding the latest treatments, tweakments and runway trends. She also has bylines for Women's Health, Refinery29, British Vogue, Harrods Magazine, and more.