What is TikTok’s new hair trend, “Irish Hair”?

Okay yes, we know there are multitudes of hair trends and hacks on TikTok, and we understand that you are constantly inundated with haircare advice (I mean I think that rosemary oil has given us a bit of length at least?). However, this newest strand to the hairtok universe may pique your interest.

“Irish” or “Celtic” hair is the newest trend that has sent a ripple through the TikTok sphere with hundreds of users claiming or realising that they too have Irish hair.

So, what exactly is “Irish hair”? And who knows, maybe you might have it too.

@feralpisces Replying to @Caity Rae maybe the secret is bathing in a lake #irishcurls #celticcurls #wavyhair #hairhelp #gingerhair #hairtok #fypppppppppppppppppppppp #xybca #longhairdontcare #thickhairproblems ♬ original sound – 𝔠𝔞𝔦𝔱

What is Irish Hair

Essentially “Irish hair” refers to the curl pattern of one’s hair. If you have “Irish hair”, you will have a layer of straight hair on top and curls underneath, sound familiar?

@ourshadowselves Irish hair is a thing #irishhair #hairhelp #howtostylehair #wavyhair ♬ Please Please Please – Sabrina Carpenter

One TikTok user LiterarilyLiz explains the alleged Celtic origins of this curl pattern, she says: “The flat hair on top protects the layers underneath from the wind of the moors. The curls around your neck fight off the damp of the mists”.

@literarilyliz I was surprised and yet not to learn I’m of over 80% Irish descent. Genetics are fascinating 🤷🏻‍♀️ The flat hair on top protects the layers underneath from the wind of the moors. The curls around your neck fight off the damp of the mists. To clarify: I only mean its a hair pattern that shows up a lot in people who have Celtic ancestry. Celtic hair knots is a well documented phenomena. I apologize if anyone thought I was saying this was an exclusively “Irish” hair pattern. Or that every person with Irish ancestry has it. My main point was, if you think your hair isnt curly because it isnt coiled or consistent, you may just have multiple textures. 🥰 #irishhair #celtichair #curlyhair #tangles #ancestry #genetics #23andme #fairylocks #knots ♬ original sound – Liz

Styling and managing “Irish hair”

Hairdresser and curly hair stylist, Libby Brenner explains the reality of having and styling “Irish hair” in a recent TikTok video.

In her video, the hairdresser says, “I see this kind of curl pattern all the time in my chair” she then goes on to add layers to her client’s hair to make it less “heavy” and give it “more movement to encourage the waves on the top section”.

@locks.by.libbybrenner Cutting Irish Waves #irishwaves #curlspecialist #curlcut #ohiocurlsalon #curlcommunity #wavyhair #wavyhairtutorial ♬ original sound – Libby Brenner

The hairdresser then goes through the styling routine to show viewers how she makes the curls more prominent. She uses this volume lotion from root to tip before scrunching the hair with a microfiber towel. The next step in the routine is to use a gel to hold the curls in place, Brenner uses this gel. She then advises that you diffuse the hair rather than let it air dry to get the best results out of your waves.

@locks.by.libbybrenner How I Style Irish Waves. #irishtiktok #irishwaves #wavyhairroutine #wavyhairtutorial #wavyhairstyles #ohiocurls ♬ original sound – Libby Brenner

Is “Irish” or “Celtic” hair really that common?

Apparently so, hundreds of people have been uploading videos on the platform expressing relief that they have finally found a name for their specific curl pattern. Users who claim to have “Irish hair” have been flooding TikTok with their tips and tricks to get the most out of these hidden curls.

@laurenlovelessss tutorial for styling irish curls on a non-hairwash day 🤝 #wavyhair #hairtok #irishcurls #fyp ♬ original sound – ╰( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°☆*:・ﾟ𝑬𝒎𝒐𝒍𝒚

If you believe your hair could also be deemed Irish or Celtic and you want to try out some of these new styling techniques, here are a few of the products we have seen during our TikTok investigation.