Hairstylists On TikTok Are Making Art With Temporary Hair Tattoos

Sydney-based hair artist Linda (@HairWithLinda on Instagram) sparked a trend when she first posted a video in June where she applied a temporary dragon tattoo on a blonde wig to create hair art. The video immediately took off, with other creators asking questions about how they could recreate the look with their own hair tattoos. Early this spooky season on October 9, in the lead-up to Halloween, beauty content creator Matthew Newman, also known as @mattloveshair on Instagram and TikTok, created his own hair tattoo tutorial inspired by Linda’s original video. He’s now creating a series of Halloween-inspired hair ideas.

“@hairwithlinda used a #temporarytattoo on a wig and i RAN to try this out myself!! Could be a really fun Halloween hair moment,” Matt wrote as the caption on his Instagram tutorial. In the video, Matt uses a short wig to test out what he calls “wig tattoos”. Choosing an edgy snake and rose design, he applied the temporary tattoo smoothly to the wig using a wet sponge. He then gently pulled back the backing of the temporary tattoo to reveal the design perfectly placed on the blonde wig, with the black design creating a high contrast look.

“I did zero prep and used a synthetic wig which doesn’t get frizzy or soaked from the water,” he shared with NYLON. “Afterwards, it peeled right off and didn’t seem to rip any hairs.” Matt recommends the hack for cute Halloween looks but does not recommend trying the hack on your real hair. “I’m not sure you could do it on your normal hair,” he says, as natural hair doesn’t lay and stay as flat as synthetic hair.

Matt and Linda aren’t the only hair stylists experimenting with hair tattoos and painterly hair looks. Elsewhere on the internet, hair painting is having a major moment right now, especially using the blank slate of a bleached buzzcut to create artistic designs. Whether you’re looking for a creative Halloween hairstyle (we love these buzzcut bats) or something more permanently punk, this trend is a much-needed reminder that we don’t need to only color in between the lines when it comes to hair. Just as tattoos (even temporary) can decorate your skin, our hair can also be a canvas. Just make sure to use a synthetic wig if you want to avoid unnecessary mess.