80s Hair Style

You may not want to recreate every 80s hair style look, but there are hints of 80s flair in some contemporary styles. From big and curly, asymmetrical, or short and cropped, the 1980s featured many extreme hair styles that suited different personalities.

Hair was big in the 80s.

The 1980s were time for change, not only in social trends, but in fashion trends as well. Gone was the disco clothing and in were new trends including new wave, punk, and heavy metal. The 80s were a time of creativity and individualism. Not only did clothing styles change in the 80s but makeup and hair styles did as well.

80s Hair Style Memories

Flip through an old yearbook or watch a movie from the 1980s and you will be sure to see a wide array of hair styles. There was not one 80s hair style but several popular ones that ranged from the outrageous to the subdued.

Big Hair

No other decade but the 80s made big hair the latest fad and most coveted style. The bigger the hair, the better, was the mindset of women in the 80s. Women wore their hair wildly teased and extremely big and curly. Teasing, mousse and a ton of hair spray held the big styles in place. Hair bands of the 1980s including Poison, Cinderella and Bon Jovi made it popular for both men and women to have big, teased hair.

Bangs were also meant to be big and teased. If nothing else, "mall bangs" were a must in the 80s.

Asymmetrical Styles

As new wave music became popular so did asymmetrical hair styles. Inspired by new wave bands such as Flock of Seagulls, it was the new trend to have your hair cut in an asymmetrical fashion. Some popular styles included:

• Short bangs increasing in length around the head
• Short hair on one side and longer on the other
• Long bangs in front and short all over

One style that is still seen today is the mullet. This asymmetrical style is short on the top and sides and long in the back. This style is seen on both men and women. A variation on the mullet is to take the long hair in the back and tightly weave or braid it in into a rat tail.

Another popular look was the side ponytail. This was usually seen on younger women. Hair could be crimped or worn straight and pulled tightly to one side in a ponytail.

A modern asymmetrical trend is inverted bob hair, which has longer hair in the front of the style framing the face and shorter, even buzzed hair in the back. This is a contemporary take on the asymmetrical trends of the 80s.

Perms

For those without natural curls, a popular alternative was perms. Tight curls were all the rage in the 80s and a popular perm variation was the spiral perm. This perm created tight, springy curls with lots of volume and was ideal for longer hair. Regular perms were done on shorter hair.

80s Hair Accessories and Products

Modern Banana Clips

Nothing can be more 80s than the banana clip. Still available today, this accessory created a mane of hair effect running down the back of the head. The look was achieved by pulling back both sides of the hair into the long clip.

Hair products were extremely in demand in the 80s. To achieve many of the styles, various hair products were needed including:

• Aerosol hair spray, preferably Aqua Net
• Mousse
• Gel, such as Dippity-Do
• Products containing glitter and sparkles

It was common to see headbands, bandanas, and clips with feathers and beads worn in the hair as well as lace bows. Both scrunching hair and crimping hair were popular styling techniques. The crimping iron was a must have for any teen girl to have in her styling collection.

Celebrity Styles of the 80s

Just as women turn to their favorite celebrities for style inspiration, the same held true in the 1980s. Famous looks of the 80s included:

• Madonna's platinum locks and wildly teased styles often adorned by black lace bows
• Cyndi Lauper's outrageously multicolored strands
• Heather Locklear's feathered hair
• Molly Ringwald's signature red hair

For more 80s hair style information, check out LoveToKnow's Pictures of Hair Styles in the 1980s. A little retro can go a long way!

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