How to Create a Reverse Ombré Wig Like the Ones That Are Popping Up All Over Instagram — Expert Tips

The last year has been a particularly strong one for hair color experimentation. Pink was the hue of 2020, as evidenced by the various rosy shades that popped up on celebrities like Demi Lovato, Ciara, and Kate Hudson. With 2021 came an update to the ’80s mullet, this one reimagined in dueling hues and sometimes with rainbow bangs. Now, the latest hair-color trend on our social media feeds comes from wig lovers who put their games down, flip it, and reverse it with inverted ombré dye jobs. 

Reverse ombrés are exactly what they sound like: They start out at the root with a light color that transitions into a darker hue as you travel the length of the hair. While reverse ombrés aren’t exactly new, we have seen quite a few stylists customizing wigs with this technique as of late. Bobs and super-long units alike are getting the treatment. 

These wigs often have a platinum blonde or light pastel color at the roots and a bright shade at the ends. In April, Cardi B debuted her take on the trend with a lace unit that fades beautifully from a light gray to a turquoise hue and then a deeper cobalt blue. 

If the Candyland colors aren’t your thing, a reverse ombré also looks cute in neutral hues. Atlanta-based hairstylist Tevin Washington constructed this sleek, middle part wig below, which starts with a light-but-not-quite-platinum blonde at the roots then fades to black at the ends. His nickname for the trend is “sunset ombré,” because just like the natural phenomena, “the colors below are normally darker than the ones above,” he explains to Allure.