‘Irish hair’ and ‘Irish waves’ trending on TikTok

‘Irish hair’ and ‘Irish waves’ have started to trend on TikTok, with a number of people going on the social media platform to share how they deal with this hair type.

According to Allure, the terms describe the dilemma of having waves or curls under a layer of straight hair. 

“When your two main hair textures are noticeably different – stick straight and 2C curls, for instance – that's when things get tricky,” it said. “A slew of people have taken to TikTok to share that exact dilemma: waves or curls hiding under a layer of straight hair. And since a TikTok phenomenon isn’t a TikTok phenomenon until it has a catchy name, they’ve coined this one ‘Irish hair’ or ‘Irish waves’.”

It went on to quote Jacelyn Bautista, a hairstylist at NYC The Team Salon, who confirmed that the Irish hair/waves trend is referencing hair that is more wavy underneath from the occipital bone down, and has more of a smooth texture on top. “It’s commonly seen in those with Irish heritage, though anyone could have a similar curl pattern,” she noted.

With  #irishhair and #irishwaves now emerging as TikTok trends, there are a range of videos on the platform explaining how to wash, cut, style and treat this hair type.