KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 24 -- Dramatic hair transformations may dominate your social media feed, but when Malaysians actually sit down in the salon chair, what they increasingly want is something altogether more wearable.

Think softer colour, warmer tones, subtle dimension and - importantly - something that does not demand a trip back to the salon every few weeks.

According to L'Oreal Professionnel Paris head of education for Malaysia and Singapore Adam McGraw, soft dimensional colour and low-maintenance tints are among the hair colour trends currently gaining ground in Malaysia and Singapore.

High-contrast highlights have taken a back seat, he said, while smudged roots, face-framing highlights - commonly known as "money pieces" - and subtl...