Big hair. Truly, that is the first thing anyone thinks of when you bring up the Reagan era. It wasn't just a trend; it was a structural engineering feat involving massive amounts of fluorocarbons and sheer willpower. Women's hairstyles of the 1980s represented a cultural pivot where "natural" was basically a dirty word and "more" was the only acceptable metric of success.
You couldn't just wake up and go. No way. You had to tease, spray, crimp, and perm until your scalp practically begged for mercy. It was an era of rebellion against the sleek, flat 70s hair, a decade-long middle finger to gravity itself.
The Perm: A Chemical Revolution in Every Neighborhood
If you lived through the 80s, you know that smell. That pungent, sulfurous, rotten-egg scent of ammonium thioglycolate wafting through the local salon. The "perm" was the foundational architecture for almost all women's hairstyles of the 1980s. Whether you wanted tight, bouncy ringlets or just enough body to support a massive blowout, the chemical perm was the only answer.
People often forget that the "wash and wear" perm was marketed as a time-saver. Total lie. While it gave you the curls, you still had to go in with a diffuser—that giant, claw-like attachment for the hair dryer—to make sure the curls didn't turn into a frizzy mess. It was about volume. It was about creating a silhouette that could be seen from three blocks away.
The "Cold Wave" perm became the standard, and stylists like Geri Cusenza, who co-founded Sebastian Professional, really pushed the boundaries of what textured hair could look like. It wasn't just about looking like a poodle anymore. It was about "scrunching" and "building" height.
Why the Mullet Wasn't Just for the Guys
We talk a lot about men and mullets, but women’s hairstyles of the 1980s embraced the "business in the front, party in the back" look with a surprising amount of glamor. Think about Jane Fonda. Or Joan Jett. The female mullet was often spikier and more layered, leaning heavily into the punk-rock aesthetic that trickled down from London’s Soho to American malls.
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It was practical, honestly. You could have the height on top—achieved through aggressive "backcombing" or teasing—while keeping the length at the bottom to maintain a sense of traditional femininity. Or, you know, just to look cool while playing a Gibson Les Paul.
Back then, the tool of choice was the fine-tooth comb. You’d grab a section of hair, spray it with something like Aqua Net (the purple can was the gold standard), and then comb it backward toward the scalp. It created a literal mat of hair that acted as a pedestal for the rest of your style. It sounds painful. It was.
The High Side Pony and the Neon Scrunchie
Not every look required a chemistry degree. For the younger crowd, or just a casual Saturday at the roller rink, the side ponytail reigned supreme. But it couldn't just be a ponytail. It had to be high. It had to be off-center. And it absolutely required a scrunchie.
Rommy Revson patented the scrunchie in the late 80s because she was tired of metal elastic bands breaking her hair. It was a genius move. These fabric-covered elastics allowed for even more volume and became a primary fashion accessory. If your scrunchie didn't match your leg warmers, were you even trying?
This look was popularized by the "valley girl" trope and stars like Debbie Gibson. It was youthful, a bit chaotic, and entirely unapologetic. It’s one of the few women's hairstyles of the 1980s that has made a massive, unironic comeback in recent years, mostly because it’s actually comfortable.
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The Power Bob and the Working Woman
As more women entered the corporate boardroom, the hair had to change. You couldn't exactly lead a merger with a neon-green side pony. Enter the "Power Bob." This wasn't the flapper bob of the 20s; this was sharp, angular, and often accompanied by massive shoulder pads.
The 1980s power bob often featured "mall bangs." These weren't flat bangs. They were curled inward with a round brush and then sprayed until they formed a rigid, translucent visor over the forehead. It was a look of authority.
Celebrities like Linda Evans on Dynasty or even Princess Diana influenced this heavily. Diana’s haircut, created by stylist Sam McKnight, was perhaps the most copied hairstyle in the world for a solid five years. It was short but voluminous, soft but structured. It proved that you didn't need hair down to your waist to be the most feminine person in the room.
Crimping: The Texture Nobody Asked For But Everyone Wanted
Then there was crimping. If you didn't have a crimping iron, did you even live through 1986? This tool used heated, zigzag plates to turn straight hair into a series of tiny, sharp waves. It looked like you’d braided your hair while wet and then brushed it out, but with more precision and way more heat damage.
Crimping was often used as an accent. Maybe you’d only crimp two strands near your face. Or maybe you’d go full Barbra Streisand and crimp the entire head for a wild, textured mane. It was tactile. It was weird. It was very, very 80s.
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The Myth of "Easy" 80s Hair
Modern nostalgia makes it look like 80s hair was just about being wild and free. In reality, these women's hairstyles of the 1980s were incredibly high-maintenance.
- Product Overload: You used mousse to get it wet, gel to shape it, and hairspray to freeze it. By the end of the day, your hair felt like fiberglass.
- Heat Damage: The tools of the era didn't have ceramic plates or ionic technology. They were basically hot metal sticks that fried your cuticles.
- The "Crunch" Factor: There was a specific sound 80s hair made when you touched it. A literal crunch.
Why We Still Care Today
Fashion is a circle. We’re seeing a massive resurgence of 80s-inspired volume today, though thankfully with better chemistry. The "Wolf Cut" that's trending on TikTok? That’s just a 1980s shag with a better PR team. The "Bottleneck Bangs"? Those are just the mall bangs of yesteryear, minus the half-can of Aqua Net.
We look back at women's hairstyles of the 1980s because they represent a time of absolute confidence. There was no "quiet luxury." There was only "loud self-expression." Whether it was the "New Romantic" looks inspired by Boy George and Annie Lennox or the high-glam soap opera curls of the Dallas cast, the hair was an extension of the personality.
How to Modernize the 80s Look Without Looking Like a Costume
If you want to pull off the 80s vibe now, don't go for the literal interpretation. Your hair shouldn't be a fire hazard.
- Focus on "Root Lift" instead of Teasing: Use a volumizing powder or a root-lift spray. It gives the height of the 80s without the bird's-nest tangles of backcombing.
- The Modern Shag: Ask your stylist for internal layers. This gives you that Joan Jett movement but keeps the ends soft and healthy.
- Velcro Rollers are Your Friend: For that Princess Diana or Cindy Crawford volume, Velcro rollers are safer and more effective than the old-school heated rollers that used to burn your fingers.
- Embrace the Claw Clip: While the scrunchie is back, the claw clip—a late 80s staple—is the easiest way to get that "effortless" volume while keeping your hair out of your face.
The 1980s taught us that hair is the most versatile accessory we own. It can be built, sculpted, and dyed into submission. While we might laugh at the sheer scale of the bangs in old high school yearbooks, that era gave women the permission to take up space—literally and figuratively.
Next time you’re at the salon, don’t be afraid to ask for a little more volume. Just maybe leave the Aqua Net in the past.
Practical Steps for 80s-Inspired Volume:
- Step 1: Apply a golf-ball-sized amount of volumizing mousse to damp hair, focusing strictly on the roots.
- Step 2: Blow dry your hair upside down. This uses gravity to pull the hair away from the scalp, creating natural lift.
- Step 3: Use a large-barrel curling iron to curl sections away from your face, then immediately pin them in place to cool.
- Step 4: Once cool, brush out the curls with a wide-tooth comb and use a flexible-hold finishing spray to maintain the shape without the "crunch."