Big hair. Bold bangs. Feathered layers that defied gravity (and logic). The 1980s weren’t just a decade…they were a hairstyle revolution. A high school hallway in the ‘80s was nothing but a sea of perms, mullets, and crimped masterpieces that felt more like works of art than after-school looks.
What makes these styles so legendary? It’s this: ‘80s hair was an identity. Your bangs said as much about you as the mixtape in your Walkman. Your mullet? That was practically a personality trait. And the higher the hair, the closer to, well… Madonna-level fabulousness.
The best part? These iconic ‘80s hairstyles live on in all their teased and Aqua Net–sprayed glory, within the yearbook archives on Classmates®! Whether you’re here to reminisce about your own high school look, laugh about a friend’s mile-high crimped updo, or grab some inspo for your next ‘80s-themed party, we’ve got you covered. This is your backstage pass to the most unforgettable hair trends of the decade, straight from real yearbook photos!
Favorite Women’s Hairstyles from the ‘80s
| Key Takeaways – Big hair dominated the ’80s: Voluminous styles like perms, teased bangs, and blowouts reigned supreme thanks to mousse, Aqua Net, and backcombing. – Celebrity influence was massive: Madonna, Whitney Houston, Joan Jett, and Cyndi Lauper led hair trends that were emulated by teens across the U.S. – Popular styles included: Sky-high bangs, crimped hair, feathered layers, mullets, punk spikes, side ponytails, and bowl cuts, each creating their own unique look. |
Want to understand ‘80s hair trends? Just grab a high school yearbook. It’s like flipping through a neon-lit catalog of perms, scrunchies, and bangs that could double as a sun visor. Read on to learn all about the ultimate styles that defined the decade.
1. Sky-High Bangs
Sky-high bangs were the defining look of the ‘80s, thanks to endless teasing, curling irons, and an industrial-level application of Aqua Net. Celebs like Tiffany (yes, the mall pop princess herself) and every soap opera star kept this look alive.
Yearbook photos from the era prove that teen girls were basically in an unspoken competition for who could reach maximum altitude.
2. Crimped Hair
Ah, the zig-zag texture that screamed 1980s hair fashion. With a crimping iron in hand, you could transform your straight locks into a work of art that looked equal parts glamorous and electrocuted. Madonna was the queen of crimped waves, and Cyndi Lauper made it her technicolor signature.
Every girl with a school dance on the horizon begged for this hair vibe.
3. Feathered Layers
If you thought feathered hair was only a ‘70s thing, think again. The ‘80s took feathered hairstyles and turned up the volume. Think Farrah Fawcett’s iconic blowout but with more mousse, extra layers, and a whole lot more attitude. Heather Locklear on Dynasty showed us how it was done, and yearbook pages from the decade are filled with students trying to nail that wind-swept, perfectly layered look.
4. Perms
The perm was so powerful in the ‘80s that it basically became a personality type. If you didn’t have a perm, did you even exist in high school?
Stars like Whitney Houston and Julia Roberts showed the world the glamorous side of tight curls, while yearbooks reveal a whole generation of teens rocking perms that made their heads look three times bigger (and we loved it). Fact: 1980s hairstyles don’t get more classic than this.
5. Side Ponytails with Scrunchies
The side ponytail was the ultimate cool girl hairstyle of the eighties. Add a neon scrunchie and you were basically channeling Debbie Gibson.
Yearbooks show that this style wasn’t just for gym class; it was for school pictures, dances, and anywhere else you wanted to stand out. It’s one of the most instantly recognizable ponytail hairstyles out there.
6. The Mullet
Yes, the mullet was alive, well, and thriving in the ‘80s. Business in the front, party in the back…it was a unisex classic.
The mullet was a statement, and yearbooks prove it wasn’t just a celebrity thing, even if everyone from Billy Ray Cyrus to Joan Jett was rocking one. High schoolers coast-to-coast were committed to this iconic ‘80s haircut.
7. The Blowout
Voluminous, textured and uber dramatic ‘80s blowout hair walked so the sleek modern blowouts of today could run. Picture Brooke Shields or Lisa Bonet with a halo of full-bodied waves. And this trend has some staying power, with stars like Kylie Jenner rocking big, bouncy hair on runways around the globe. The goal then and now remains the same: Go big or go home!
8. Bowl Cuts
An unexpected but very real hair trend of the eighties was the bowl cut. It looked just as you’d imagine (like someone literally placed a bowl on your head and trimmed around it.)
Stars like Demi Moore briefly flirted with the look, and she clearly made an impact on teens getting ready for their school pictures!
9. Punk Spikes
The truth is that, for the rebels and misfits, ‘80s hair trends weren’t about perms. Instead, they were about gel, dye, and gravity-defying spikes.
Inspired by punk icons like Joan Jett, high schoolers who dared to go spiky (and sometimes neon-colored) basically announced to the world: “I’m cooler than you.”
10. Rat Tails
Yes, rat tails were a thing. And yes, yearbooks prove it. This hairstyle involved keeping the back of your hair long while trimming everything else short, a bold choice that sometimes appeared with perms or spikes.
Popularized by stars like George Michael, it’s definitely one of the more memorable trends of 1980s hairstyles.
What Was the Most Popular Hairstyle from the ‘80s?
If we had to crown one ‘80s hairstyle royalty, it would hands down be the perm.
Perms were everywhere, from sitcom starlets and blockbuster movies to music video queens and your very own high school yearbook spreads. Why? Because 1980s hair fashion meant one thing: sensational volume. Whether you were going for the tight spiral curls à la Whitney Houston or the looser, wind-swept waves of Julia Roberts in Mystic Pizza, perms defined the decade.
But what made perms so unforgettable? “When done right, perms give you texture, volume, and shape,” Aaron Grenia, co-founder of IGK Hair Care, tells Real Simple. The 1980s perm wasn’t just a hairstyle: it was a pop culture flex, a commitment, and, for many, a rite of passage.
Ready to channel that iconic bounce? Modern perms let you recreate the vibe with less damage and more springiness.
How to Get That Big, Messy 80s Hair
Want to recreate the volume without traveling back in time? Here’s how you’d do it, straight from the decade of excess:
- Mousse
The MVP of the ‘80s, applied generously. Celebrity hairstylist Justine Marjan tells Cosmopolitan “to scrunch in Tresemme Total Volume Mousse to prep hair and get as much volume as humanly possible out of a blow-dry.”
- Teasing/Backcombing:
Get ready to rat that hair out until it defies gravity. “Teasing, also known as backcombing or ratting, is a combing technique used to create volume at the root of your hair… start with a 2-inch section at the crown, hold it taut, and comb downward toward the scalp three times… finish with a spray of firm-hold hairspray to lock it in,” says Cassi Pinder, a L’Oréal Professionnel artist.
- Hairspray:
Aqua Net was basically oxygen in the 1980s. “Aqua Net hairspray was famous for helping to create big, bold hairstyles… its enduring legacy shows how this iconic beauty product defined big ‘80s hair even beyond its original purpose,” says Sally Singer, Vogue Creative Digital Director.
- Blow Dry Upside Down:
It wasn’t just a trick, it was a ritual. “One of the most effective volume hacks: flip your hair over and blow-dry from the back…this method helps you get the most height at the roots,” Ariane Jones, a Drybar stylist, tells Business Insider.
- Rollers:
According to hair stylist Patrik Lernberger in Vogue Scandinavia, “used correctly, you can create bouncy volume and the look of a professional blow-dry” by winding the rollers away from the roots, especially after blow-drying upside down for some serious lift.
The result? Hair so big it could block someone’s view at a concert. And yes, yearbooks prove that teens pulled this off on the daily, not just for prom.
Which Celebrities Influenced Hairstyles in the ’80s?
When it comes to 1980s hairstyles, no one can deny the celebrity influence. Your fave stars from the decade were writing the hair rules the rest of us followed, including:
- Madonna: her messy curls, lace hair bows, and eighties crimped hair basically turned Like a Virgin into a style guide.
- Whitney Houston’s glamorous perms and voluminous curls gave fans across the globe a reason to call their salon ASAP. Meanwhile, Joan Jett’s shaggy black mullet proved punk wasn’t going anywhere, embedding edge into mainstream 1980s hair trends.
- Farrah Fawcett’s iconic feathered blowout may have started in the late ’70s, but it spilled into yearbooks well into the ’80s, inspiring countless layers and blowouts.
- Cyndi Lauper: Of course, we can’t forget this queen that basically treated her hair like an art project with neon colors, gravity-defying teasing, and crimping galore. “Cyndi’s looks encouraged experimentation; she made hair feel like a playground,” hairstylist Guido Palau tells Elle.
Why Classmates Is The Best ‘80s Hair Inspiration There Is
The ‘80s weren’t just about fashion, they were about identity. Your hair wasn’t just a style; it was a statement. This is the generation that pioneered the “big hair, don’t care” movement! And we will forever be grateful. The best part? It’s all preserved forever in your high school yearbook.
Want to laugh at your own perm, admire a friend’s sky-high bangs, or find proof of that experimental side ponytail phase? Head to the Classmates yearbook archive and search for your school here. Who knows? You might just rediscover your favorite ‘80s hairstyles in their original, glorious form.
Because let’s be honest: nothing says “time capsule of pop culture” like a school picture where your hair is three times the size of your head.
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