Although recent weather suggests otherwise, spring has arrived. It's a time for new beginnings and for many women, time for a new hairstyle.

When the winter hats have been set aside, and tired hairdos emerge, many entertain thoughts of a fresh look to go with the new season.

Simple and subtle

Amy Levandoski, a master designer at the JC Penney salon, 5900 Durand Ave., said freshening up your look can be a simple change. Adding some soft highlights, shortening your length a bit, softening the edges of your hair and angling it toward your face, or just changing your part can make a big impact.

"There's little things you can do that will make it different," Levandoski said.

JoAnne Peterman, the owner of Urban Trends Salon Spa at 10351 Washington Ave. in Sturtevant, said even if you don't want to change your style, color can brighten the outlook on your do for spring.

"It could be soft, subtle highlights or lowlights that give your hair shine," she said. "That on its own gives someone a new look to something that they've had."

Even with no permanent changes, a new hairdo is possible for ladies who want a change, said B.J. Leitzke, manager of the Look Total Concept Design, 8338 Washington Ave. She suggests heading to your salon and asking for your hair to be styled differently. The stylist can use different products or tools, like a flat iron on curly hair, that will show the client another way of looking at their hair.

Leitzke said too often we get used to styling our hair one way and someone else can show you new and different dos that don't require any permanent changes at all.

"It can be as simple as that," she said.

Trendy tresses

For the more adventurous, a new haircut is a great way to spiff up your style. Local stylists say the dominant choice for this spring is an updated version of the bob.

Leitzke said several stylists from The Look recently attended the Midwest Hair Show where "tweaked" bobs and razor cut styles were shown as this year's trendiest cuts.

"They're more fun than your straight bob," Peterman said.

Levandoski said the shattered bob is probably one of the most popular styles. "It's the really piecy, messy bob," she said.

Other stylish cuts for the season are the asymmetrical bob, which is longer on one side, and the beveled bob, which is shorter in back and longer in the front, Levandoski said.

She said part of the attraction to the messy bobs is what appears to be another trend in hair design: the no-fuss do.

"You blow dry (your hair) straight, make it piecy," Levandoski said. "There's not a lot of maintenance. It's much simpler. People don't want to take the time. Life's too fast for that."

More and more, stylists say that the biggest trend in hair is doing what suits the client best.

"Even though bobs are big, we still like to do what's best for the client," Peterman said. "A lot more styles are geared toward that, instead of everybody wearing the same cut."

For example, if you have longer hair and aren't willing to part with it for latest hair fad, there are several long hair trends for spring as well.

For longer hair, shorter layers atop length is a pretty big look right now, Levandoski said. As are softer, longer bangs.

Different highlight hues

"This time of year a lot of people want highlights," Levandoski said. "They want to go blonder."

But blonde highlights doesn't necessarily mean bleach-blonde streaks. Levandoski said the style now is to go a little richer, even into the light brown tones.

"It's more fun to do dimensional color with reds and blondes, highlights and lowlights," Peterman said.

For those with darker hair, caramel colored highlights and reds are still very popular choices.

For those who want to have fun with color trends, Leitzke said color blocking is a new look for the season. Instead of streaks of blended color, stylists are doing different layers of color. For example, a dark brown underlayer peaking out from a blonde top layer. It can be an exciting change, she said.

"Color makes people happy," Leitzke said.

A contrast in texture

For years stylists have been threatened that perms are making a come back. Even this year many hair designers have heard the rumor, but are split on whether it's really happening.

Levandoski said perms are coming back, but not the tight, frizzy perms of the 1980s. "It's loose, bouncy curls," she said.

Peterman doesn't believe it. She said clients sometimes ask for a looser perm to add body or lift to their hair, but doesn't think curly perms are on their way in.

In fact, the predominant styling trend remains the flatiron, stylists say.

"Flat-ironing is still big," Levandoski said.