When thinking about hair in the 80s, there’s only one word to describe it: big. Just as everything else during this decade was excessive, hair was no exception. There are several notable hairstyles that were extremely popular during this time, and I guarantee that you’ll find them in your parents’ old year books.Big hair was worn on both men and women. Another style seen on both genders was the mullet. Stars like David Bowie and Paul McCartney were known for wearing this hairstyle as early as the 70s, but it really took off during the 80s. It's often described as "business in the front, party in the back."
While the 70s saw people with generally long, straight hair, curls made a comeback in the 80s. All of a sudden, people were getting perms, teasing and crimping their hair, and curling their hair like there was no tomorrow. The ideal look, especially for women, was voluminous, curly hair. And don't forget the bangs! Bangs were also key to a perfect look in the 80s. Sometimes known as "mall bangs," this look required lots of teasing, and lots of Aqua-Net hairspray to achieve the perfect amount of volume and fluff.
Another hairstyle worth mentioning is Farrah Fawcett hair, also known as an "antigravity" feathered hairstyle. Accessories such as scrunchies and headbands were extremely popular during the 80s as well. Men also liked punk hair and the hi-top fade.
No matter what hairstyle people wore, hair was an important part of the 80s. For a generation that valued individuality, materialism, and consumerism, big and wild hair is no surprise.
And some 80s hairstyles are reappearing today. Beyonce has crimped hair that gives her voluminous curls, much like common hairstyles in the 80s, and Lily Collins has been rocking perms. Before we know it, everyone at school will have mullets.
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I like how the article went into specific detail about the hairstyles and mentioned some celebrity examples who had them. I did some research on the history of the Mullet and it goes back to Ancient Greece wherein Homer's The Iliad a group is described as having "their forelocks cropped, hair grown long at the backs". The oldest example I could find of the Mullet relevant to American history is Benjamin Franklin. When he was in France to convince the Monarchy to support America financially, Franklin had a Mullet which the French saw as "new world style" as the popular hairstyle in France at the time was the powdered wig.
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https://www.history.com/news/mullet-hair-style-rebels-history-ancient-rome-ben-franklin