How to Apply Hair Tinsel, According to Hair Stylists

Chalk it up to either the immense influence of Taylor Swift — we cannot escape Eras Tour content even if we wanted to — or being in the throes of festival season, but hair tinsel seems to be everywhere this summer. Hair tinsel, a.k.a. thin metallic strands that sparkle when light hits, has proven to be the go-to hair accessory of choice for music lovers and concertgoers wanting to add some glitter to their hair.

But how to apply hair tinsel can be trickier than it seems, which is why experts are key. Here, Wella Professionals brand ambassador and hairstylist Zach Mesquit shares his advice for incorporating hair tinsel in your hairstyle so you can shimmer all summer.

How to Apply Hair Tinsel

Hair tinsel is traditionally incorporated into hair by tying one piece around a single section or strand of hair using a special slipknot; this means that the tinsel has a loop where you can weave in a strand and secure it.

However, Mesquit has his own method of applying hair tinsel that he created a few years ago. It involves a similar method to putting on extensions: He first takes a small bundle of tinsel and binds these small clusters to hair using a keratin resin. (Try a hair-extension glue, like Salon Pro 30 Second Bonding Glue.) The payoff? A higher impact from the tinsel's shimmer throughout your hair.

Even better: You don't need any styling product on the tinsel itself. Although it's safe to style your hair tinsel with a curling iron or hair straightener, it won't hold any styling you do to it — and will most likely just stay straight. Keep that in mind when you're plotting out your hairstyle.

How to Remove Hair Tinsel

There are two ways to take out hair tinsel — and the right method depends on how they're put in. If they're tied in with the slipknot method, then your hair tinsel should just slide out of your hair after a few weeks, says Mesquit. But if it's bundled using the keratin adhesive, he says to crush the bond with pliers a few times so that it (and the tinsel) can slide off the hair sans damage.

Bottom line: If you want to sparkle along with your fellow Swifties or take your weekend look to the next level, hair tinsel is an easy way to shine.

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