Autumn hairstyles

September always brings the same scene. You're at the bathroom mirror, a strand between your fingers, and the question asks itself: do I cut it, or let it grow? On one side, the urge for something fresh, a clean nape to start over with. On the other, that little bit of growth you've spent months earning and don't want to sacrifice. What if, this year, we stopped splitting the difference?

Because for a long time, the halfway option was a bit of an escape hatch: neither properly short nor properly long, an in-between that looked like nothing. Good news — this season finally makes room for both directions, as long as you know which one suits you.

Long hair, the lived-in version

Long hair is back, but not the perfectly sleek shop-window kind that looks like it's been through a straightener. What makes the difference is the texture: something supple, wavy or curly, with movement and a touch of controlled mess. In other words, lived-in length, not tamed length. And in practice, the gesture that changes everything stays surprisingly simple: air-drying, a dollop of leave-in conditioner through the lengths, and then leave it alone. You'll also notice that the time you free up in the morning is not the least of the benefits.

If growing it out feels endless — and let's be honest, some days it really is — extensions remain an option. On one condition, though: accepting the regular upkeep and the budget we'll get to below. A word too on tone: a light balayage is often enough to reveal waves, whereas an over-uniform colour flattens them. More on that shortly.

The bob and short cuts

The bob, though, isn't done yet. This season, the point isn't the cut but the styling: a deliberately undone look, roots with movement, ends a little freer. You can work it with a hairdryer and a round brush for a sharper fall, or let it dry on its own with a little texturising powder if you prefer effortless mornings. Either way, we're after movement, not stiffness.

The bob is also the cut that forgives the widest range of face shapes — which is why it comes back every autumn, in fact. With a shorter cut, more radical, the nape sets the tone: layered, it shapes the neckline while the top keeps volume, which avoids a helmet effect. Easier to wear than you'd think, as long as you're back in the salon every four to six weeks. That's the real price of a short cut: cheap to keep in products, far less so in appointments.

Platinum or natural

Here we reach the real divide of the season, because the two camps have a very different relationship with time. Very bright platinum blonde means a root touch-up every five to eight weeks and regular protein treatments to keep the fibre from breaking. And if you're starting from dark brown, expect several sessions: you don't go from black to platinum in one go — patience is part of the result.

The other camp is natural: warm tones, blended balayage, roots left visible. It's the easiest to maintain day to day, and there's something quite restful about letting your roots live their own life. One useful point, though: a plant-based henna dye (Lawsonia inermis) gives warm tones but lightens nothing, and hair that's already been hennaed lightens very poorly. If you're ever thinking of going blonde, know this beforehand.

On the product front

To wash without weighing hair down, solid shampoo or a refill already cuts down on plastic. Though you still need to read what's behind it: scan the ingredient list and, if a label is displayed, check what it really guarantees. COSMOS and Ecocert mainly set the rules on formula and the share of natural or organic ingredients; their packaging criteria do exist, but need checking case by case. The real win is the refill or the solid format, not the word "natural" printed on the bottle.

With treatments it's the same logic: a well-measured leave-in is often enough to tame length, and the technique matters as much as the product. A little through the lengths, more on the ends, none on the roots. Nothing extraordinary, but it's what stops that heavy, coated feeling after three days.

Budget

These are ballpark figures, not a quote — I'm not selling you anything here.

A salon cut lands around £20 to £60, depending on the city and the stylist's experience; a blow-dry or simple styling, £18 to £40. For colour and balayage, allow £45 to £130, more for platinum, with a root touch-up every five to eight weeks. A treatment at the basin runs between £10 and £22.

At home, products cost between £7 and £22 on the high street, up to £35 in a beauty hall. And for extensions, the range is wide: £170 to £700 depending on the technique and length. What moves the number? The city, hair length, the range you choose and upkeep over time. You'll find all of this in the salon, in a beauty hall, at the supermarket or online — and in every case, ask for a quote before you settle into the chair; that's where the gaps really open up.

Sources

• European Commission — Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products, labelling and safety assessment.
• FEBEA (French Federation of Beauty Companies) — public data on the French hair care market, annual figures.