These 10 Popular Hairstyles From The 80s Will Take You On A Trip Down Nostalgia Lane
We occasionally experience nostalgia for old events that once felt so commonplace - like WordArt, Creme Savers sweets, and low-rise trousers. Okay, perhaps not the latter.
But this time, we're going in-depth into the realm of 80s hairstyles. And, boy, there is plenty to see there.
One could describe the 1980s as an era of extravagance. The focus on individuality, materialism, and consumerism heavily influenced the kinds of clothing and haircuts that were in style at the time.
As usual, major influences on what styles and trends spread across the nation came from the music, television, and, for the first time, the computer industry. While the Jheri Curl, voluminous locks, long hair on males, and androgyny all originated in the previous decade, the trends got more dramatic and exaggerated in the 1980s.
Bigger was usually better when it came to hair. Yes, those 80s were a strange time, especially if you are judging them only by clothes and hairstyles.
We have created a list of 10 of the most popular hairstyles of the decade. You may love them, or you may hate them, but you can't deny they were interesting.
Let's take a look at these amazing creations (we use the term intentionally):
1. The Mullet
Stars like David Bowie and Paul McCartney sported the mullet as early as the 1970s, but it wasn't until the middle of the 1980s that the "business in the front, party in the back" hairdo really took hold. Another style that was popular among both sexes and could be seen in various lengths on both heads with curly hair and those with straight hair.
NBC/ Getty Images2. Big Hair
Volume was fashionable regardless of style. Huge, voluminous locks on both sexes began to appear in the 1980s, frequently in the shape of long, curly hair.
Huge hair was prevalent and "Hair Bands," as they were aptly called, were everywhere.
Ilpo Musto/Shutterstock3. Punk
Even though it originated in London in the late 1970s, punk culture truly took off in the 1980s, when new musical genres and waves of teenagers began to favor tough-looking, leather, ripped, and studded clothing as well as wildly colored and styled hair. Along with spikes, mohawks, and creative hair color applications, bleached hair rose in popularity.
The style, which was still rather unconventional, gained popularity as more young people looked for ways to express their individuality via their sense of fashion.
Ken Laszlo4. Crimps, Curls and Perms
The 1980s saw curly hair replacing the long, straight, sleek hair of the 1970s. People with naturally curly hair teased and hair-sprayed it to extraordinary heights, while people with straight hair from birth tried everything to make their hair look curlier.
As a result, the permanent wave, which involves chemically modifying hair to create tiny, precise curls, became popular once more. The style, more generally referred to as the "perm," shot to fame among hip young people and older people equally.
Getty Images5. Jheri Curls
The Jheri Curl, created by hairstylist Jheri Redding in the 1970s (sometimes spelled Jerry or Jeri Curl), gained attention when Michael Jackson used the wet hairstyle in the 1980s. The look required a two-step application procedure that softened the hair in the first step and then fixed the curls, giving the hair a glossy, untidy appearance.
Rex Features6. Ponytails with Scrunchies
Ponytails have been popular for decades, but in the 1980s, a wide fabric hair tie called a "scrunchie," frequently in neon or other "hot" hues, gave the style fresh life. Ponytails were frequently worn high on the back or side of the head and held in place with scrunchies for a look that was intended to be carefree and joyful.
Getty Images7. The Hi-Top Fade
Another 80s haircut that emphasized height was the hi-top fade. Young rap musicians and hip hop groups like Salt-N-Pepa, Doug E. Fresh, and Kid 'N Play popularized a style that had very long hair on top of the head and short hair on the sides of the head.
The style developed into a more structured design with increased length as the decade went on, and it quickly came to represent the Golden Era of hip hop music.
Big Daddy Kayne / YouTube (via Ebony.com)
8. Aqua-net Bangs
Women styled their bangs to extremely high heights during the 1980s big hair craze. The sky-high bangs trend, often known as "mall bangs," featured a lot of teasing and a lot of extra-strength Aqua-Net hairspray for a fluffy, voluminous appearance that could be seen on everyone from famous celebrities to teen girls at the mall.
Richard E. Aaron / Getty Images
9. Wild Hair
In the 1980s, a variety of new hairstyles emerged that had never existed before. Crazy color, absurd shapes, and whimsical design produced looks that could only be described as "wild."
Getty Images
10. The Princess Diana
The Princess of Wales' hair was cut short, voluminous, and fluffed; it had a distinct look all its own. The appearance touched on the decade's androgynous trend, was a little more subdued than other looks, but yet managed to be distinctive. Princess Diana is still regarded as one of the greatest fashion and hair icons of all time because the style was so well-liked that ladies from all over the world rushed to their hairdressers to acquire their own versions.
Getty Images
The 80s. Large, fluffy, curly, crimped, colorful, and adorned hair was the norm.
Classic cuts, as well as anything that can be viewed as "boring," were avoided. Celebrities like Madonna and Cyndi Lauper frequently changed their hairstyles, inspiring the general public to follow suit.
Hair was one of the most entertaining forms of self-expression in the 80s. It was truly a fun era.
