Purple hair has always had its moment. However, in 2026, it’s gone mainstream in a whole new way. Ube hair, inspired by the vivid violet-purple hue of the Filipino yam, has taken over salon floors and social feeds, becoming one of the most requested colour trends of the season.
From deep indigos and rich amethysts to soft lilacs and creamy pastels, ube hair isn’t a single shade. Instead, it’s a family of purple-adjacent tones that colourists are making their own. We asked some of the industry’s top colour experts to break down the trend, including how to wear it, how to apply it, and how to keep it looking its best.
What Makes Ube Hair Different from Regular Purple Hair
Ube hair stands apart from traditional purple because of its depth and versatility. Seung Ki-Baek, RUSH Artistic Team Member and Creative Colour Expert, blends amethyst tones with lilac and white undertones for added brightness, creating results full of depth and dimension.
As Marlene Lamont, Owner of Urban Hair & Beauty, puts it: “Ube is bold enough to turn heads and sophisticated enough to wear every day.”
That balance between drama and wearability is exactly what’s driving the trend’s popularity across different client types and hair lengths.
How Colourists Are Applying the Trend
One of the most exciting things about ube hair is how many different ways colourists are making it work. Broadly, the approach falls into two camps: full transformation and subtle integration.
Full Transformation
For clients who want to go all in, Safy Burton, Owner of Safy B’s Salon, pre-lightens the hair using Goldwell Oxycur Lightner with a freehand ombré technique for a seamless transition between colours. At the roots, she applies Goldwell Elumen VV@all, a rich violet hue that sets the foundation for the purple transformation. She then melts the colour through the lengths with a custom blend of Elumen shades to create a gorgeous mix of deep, intense purple with a touch of lightness throughout.
Meanwhile, Dan Spiller, JOICO Color Ambassador, uses a mottled colouring technique to show how different application patterns can produce soft, movement-driven results. His approach fuses purple tones with hints of pink to create an ube-inspired shade that feels fluid and textured rather than flat.
Subtle and Commercial Options
Not every client wants to go bold. For those who want to dip their toes into the trend, Brian Leo McCallum, Owner of ROAR Hair & Beauty, suggests toning the violet-purple down to a creamier, ashier, metallic hue. This works beautifully on blondes, giving them a subtle pop of pastel without the full commitment.
Suzie McGill, Artistic Director at Rainbow Room International, agrees. She notes that ube doesn’t need to be worn all over the hair. Instead, clients can experiment with colour blocking, panels, or adding the shade to their ends for a fun take on the trend. Highlighted through the hair in creamier tones, the shade becomes more commercial and wearable while still adding dimension.
Who Can Wear Ube Hair
The short answer is: almost anyone. Whether clients have short, long, or curly hair, ube-inspired colouring adds a touch of drama and allure to any look.
For bolder clients, Brian Leo McCallum suggests pairing vivid violet-purple with colour blocking and other vivid hues for a statement-making result. He recommends pairing it with a short crop or mullet for the ultimate edgy finish. Red and purple, in particular, create a striking colour combination that’s more eye-catching than the current butter yellow, turquoise, and mint green trends.
For more conservative clients, the creamier, ashier version of ube on blonde hair offers a subtle, modern alternative that still feels current without being too out there.
How to Style and Finish Ube Hair
Once the colour is done, the right finishing products make a significant difference. Dan Spiller recommends spritzing JOICO Dream BlowOut Glass 72hr Frizz Fighter onto damp hair before blow-drying to achieve a glass-like shine while protecting against heat damage. After styling, he applies JOICO Hair Shake Liquid-to-Powder Texturizing Finisher for flexible hold, instant lift, and texture. To finish, he works JOICO Colorful Glow Beyond Anti-Fade Serum through the mid-lengths for added shine and definition.
How to Make Ube Hair Last
Bold colour requires bold maintenance. Suzie McGill is clear on this point: discussing at-home care with the client is essential to keeping the shade looking its best between appointments.
Her key recommendations are:
- A colour-safe or sulphate-free shampoo to protect the tone
- Regular hair masks to maintain condition
- Heat protection products to prevent fading
- A colour refresh mask, such as the Schwarzkopf Professional Chroma ID Hair Colour Mask in Purple, to keep tones enhanced and shiny between visits
Why Ube Hair Is Here to Stay
Ube hair follows in the footsteps of the matcha aesthetic, which saw clients flock to salons for matcha-coloured nails and metallic highlights. As Brian Leo McCallum notes, ube is the natural next step: a trend with roots in food culture that translates into a wearable, adaptable, and genuinely exciting hair colour direction.
Overall, whether your clients are looking for a full vivid transformation or a subtle nod to the trend, ube hair offers something for everyone. Bold, expressive, and surprisingly versatile, it’s a shade that lets clients wear their individuality on their head, literally.
