Back in early 2019, the retro shag haircut was to beauty [1] what TikTok is to Instagram: a fun new means of self-expression looming everywhere you look. You couldn't scroll for a second before spotting someone wearing the trend [2], but it soon slowed down as the year wrapped up. Now, this recent lockdown period has breathed new life into the choppy, layered look [3] — and the shag haircut is getting a second wind . . . even if unintentionally.

"During this time of quarantine, we had people who gave themselves DIY cuts [4], either a bob and chopped all their hair off [5]," Michael Dueñas [6], celebrity hairstylist and co-founder of Support Creatives [7], told POPSUGAR. "Something about the pandemic fuelled us to chop our hair [8] for a different look and sense of change. Now, those bobs will be growing out into shags, and a lot of those shags will have bangs that are going to be swept to the side."

That's one reason the shag haircut will be trending this summer [9], but the style itself has staying power, too. "A shag is a great way to grow your hair out and look cool," he said. "Shags have a lot of short layers and still some length to them. They can look undone but still styled. This is perfect for people right now, because no one really wants to have to do their hair."

Check out a few of our favourite takes on the post-lockdown hair trend ahead, just in case groovy inspiration strikes.