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During the 2000s, if there was any constant in the world of hairstyles, it was the fact that there simply was no constant. This decade saw great strides made with styling tools such as hair extensions and straighteners, advancements that allowed women to become more bold in their choices and change styles more often. Many classic styles from history were reworked for the beginning of the 21st century.

Length

As the new millennium dawned, women let go of the layered "Rachel" look from TV's "Friends" and styling saw a return to length. A much-loved style was quite long, past the shoulders, with a simple center part. Think the love-child look from the '60s, but more polished. As the decade moved on, hair extensions became far more realistic looking and this added to the trend for long hairstyles. The middle of the decade brought a return to the bob hairstyle with a modern twist. Two bob looks from the 2000s were the blunt bob, cut below the chin with straight bangs, and the inverted bob, which was longer in the front and cut into shorter layers in back.

Straight or Curly

The 2000s saw trendy styles for every level of curl. For sleek bobs or ultra-long looks, pin-straight and glossy was often seen. Long, curly dos like Debra Messing wore in "Will and Grace" were the rage in the first half of the decade, with curls to the shoulders and long layers cut in. A look between these two extremes also caught on. The wavy, tousled look, which emerged later in the decade, was most often seen on medium to long hair. Wet hair is put in a ponytail or in two very thick braids, resulting in natural waves when removed. A ziz-zag part accompanied this style, to accentuate the casual look.

Color

The beginning of the decade still saw the late '90s trend of darker colors of red, brown or even black hair with light highlights. This rather unnatural coloring style died out as the decade wore on, and was replaced with a trend toward a more natural look. The middle of the 2000s saw a trend toward blond hair with layers of darker browns beneath it, as opposed to one all-over platinum blond shade. Another color trend later in the decade was the two-tone color of lighter blond on top with dark brown or black tips on the ends.

Men's Styles

At the beginning of the decade, the buzz cut caught on, thanks to Brad Pitt in "Fight Club." Another stylish men's look was the crew cut, which is similar to a buzz in that it's shaved on the back and sides, but left longer on top. In the middle of the decade, long hair came back for guys. One of the men's looks that will be most remembered from the 2000s is the faux hawk. A play on the mohawk, where hair is shaved on the sides and long and spiky on top, the faux hawk spikes the hair in the middle without shaving the sides.