Big hair is a term that can refer to hairstyles that emphasize large volume or largely styled hair. Big hair was popular in the late 1970s, as popularized by Dolly Parton and Farrah Fawcett, a development from earlier bouffant styles. The term is also used in the punk, goth and alternative cultures and is particularly associated with alternative fashion of the 1980s, or inspired by the period. In either usage, big hair in modern times generally suggests an eye-catching, untidy, tangled, voluminous hairstyle, worn by conformist women in the 1970s, non-conformist of all sexes in the 1980s. Species Sus barbatus Sus bucculentus Sus cebifrons Sus celebensis Sus domesticus Sus heureni Sus philippensis Sus salvanius Sus scrofa Sus timoriensis Sus verrucosus Pigs are ungulates native to Eurasia collectively grouped under the genus Sus within the Suidae family. ... Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American Grammy-winning and Academy Award-nominated country singer, songwriter, composer, author, actress and philanthropist. ... Farrah Fawcett (born Ferrah Leni Fawcett[1] on February 2, 1947) is an American actress. ... A bouffant (IPA pronunciation: [bu:fa:nt]) is a type of hairstyle characterized by hair piled high on the head and hanging down on the sides. ... Punks at a music festival The punk subculture is a subculture based on punk rock. ... Gothic woman, traditional style, with big hair, spikes and piercings Gothic fashion is a dark, sometimes morbid, eroticized fashion and style of dress. ... Alternative culture is a catch-all phrase used predominately by the media and the marketing industry to refer to a variety of separate sub-cultures – (which are either loosely related or near-totally unrelated) – and are perceived by the general public as being outside or on the edge of so...

Less commonly, big hair can refer to any style that incorporates a lot of height and/or volume.

History of big hair

Big hair has been a cultural trend and fashion icon throughout the span of centuries. Big hair can be achieved by the use of wigs, hair tools or hair products.

17th and 18th centuries

Wigs were popular in high society during the 16th and 17th centuries. Royalty, judges and high level officials wore wigs. Aristocrats were also known for wearing wigs as wigs were expensive during those times and needed maintenance. Powdered wigs were also worn, starting from the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries. In the first half of the 17th century, especially in France, men of all classes wore their hair long and preferably curled. When Louis XIV of France started compensating for his receding hairline with long, curly wigs around the mid-1600s, they became fashionable amongst the aristocracy and further developed in colour and style over the next 150 years. Women started to embrace elaborate powdered wigs in the 18th century as well, and the excesses of these hairstyles, sometimes even carrying miniature constructions (such as boats, and castles, executed in expensive materials such as gems, precious metals and silks), were a favourite subject among caricaturists at the time. WIG, originally an acronym for Warszawski Indeks Giełdowy (Warsaw Stock Exchange Index) is the oldest index for the Warsaw Stock Exchange. ... “Sun King” redirects here. ... A common caricature of Charles Darwin focuses on his beard, eyebrows, and baldness, while often giving him the features of an ape or monkey. ...

20th century

Big hair became popular in Western culture during the 1950s and 1960s with bouffant hairstyles. The beehive hairstyle's popularity spanned the 1950s and 1960s. There are many iconic examples from popular culture, among them the 1961 movie Breakfast at Tiffany's, the Star Trek character Janice Rand and, to a lesser extent, the I Dream of Jeannie television show. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Western World. ... A bouffant (IPA pronunciation: [bu:fa:nt]) is a type of hairstyle characterized by hair piled high on the head and hanging down on the sides. ... Beehive updo This article is about the beehive hairstyle. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... In the original Star Trek television series Janice Rand (played by Grace Lee Whitney) served as a yeoman to Captain James T. Kirk of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) in 2266, assisting him with his job. ... I Dream of Jeannie was a popular American sitcom with a fantasy premise. ...

The afro hairstyle became widely popular not long after the beehive's decline. Seen by many as a repudiation of the use of hair straighteners to mimic the straightness of Caucasian hair, the afro became culturally symbolic during the 1960s and 1970s in connection to the growth of the Black Pride and Black Power political movements and the emergence of blaxploitation films and disco music. An afro, sometimes called a natural or shortened to fro, is a hairstyle in which the hair extends out from the head like a halo, cloud or ball. ... Black Power is a slogan which describes the aspiration of many Africans (whether they be in Africa or abroad) to national self-determination. ... Tommie Smith (gold medal) and John Carlos (bronze medal) famously performed the Black Power salute on the 200 m winners podium at the 1968 Olympics. ... Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song (Melvin Van Peebles 1971) Blaxploitation is a film genre that emerged in the United States in the early 1970s when many exploitation films were made that targeted the urban African American audience; the word itself is a portmanteau of the words black and exploitation. Blaxploitation... Discothèque redirects here. ...

During the 1980s, big hair became a trend with styles such as the mullet, mohawk and "glam metal hair" (large hairstyle worn by Metal music groups). Large hairstyles were achieved with the use of hairspray, hair gel and hair mousse. Teased and permed hairstyles were not uncommon. Some music groups that promoted the big hair 1980s hairstyles included Bon Jovi, Whitesnake, Poison, Guns N' Roses, and Twisted Sister. Alternative music groups also sported big hairstyles including the mohawk. Alternative musicians that wore big hair hairstyles include Robert Smith of The Cure, Siouxsie Sioux of Siouxsie & the Banshees, and Johnny Slut of Specimen. The characters in the 80s television show Dynasty also displayed large hairstyles. Many characters in the 1988 film Hairspray exhibit such coiffure. A typical mullet Bens Mullet A mullet is a haircut that is short in the front, on the top, and on the sides, but long in the back. ... Mohawk is: A tribe of American Indians: see Mohawk nation The Mohawk language spoken by the Mohawk people. ... This article is about Hairspray, the musical that started performances on Broadway in 2002. ... Hair gel is a hairstyling product that is used to stiffen hair into a particular hairstyle. ... Hair mousse is a toiletry consisting of aerosol spray foam which is added to hair for extra volume and shine. ... Turn of the century advertisement for Nesslers permanent wave machine. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Poison is an American glam metal band which originally achieved popular success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Twisted Sister is an American heavy metal band from New York City. ... Mohawk is: A tribe of American Indians: see Mohawk nation The Mohawk language spoken by the Mohawk people. ... For other persons named Robert Smith, see Robert Smith (disambiguation). ... The Cure are a successful English rock band formed in Crawley, Sussex in 1976, widely seen as one of the leading pioneers of the British alternative rock scene of the 1980s. ... Cover of Siouxsie & the Banshees single Shadowtime. Susan Janet Ballion (born May 27, 1957) in Bromley, London, better known by her stage name, Siouxsie Sioux, is the lead singer of both the influential punk/gothic rock band Siouxsie & the Banshees and of its splinter group The Creatures. ... Siouxsie and the Banshees were a British rock band that formed in 1976. ... Johnny Slut Specimen was an 80s British band. ... Johnny Slut Specimen was an 80s British band. ... Dynasty was an American primetime television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12, 1981 to May 10, 1989. ... It has been suggested that Tracy Turnblad be merged into this article or section. ...

The 1990s were not defined by big hair hairstyles but a short lived interest in afro hairstyles resurfaced.Instead, the early 1990s had some influence of volumious hairstyles of the 80s but the later portion of the decade reflected decidedly smoother hairstyles. Moving towards the twenty-first century perms became significantly less popular as mainstream culture began to favor straight hair.

Big hair styles

=Afro

An afro, sometimes called a "natural" or shortened to "'fro", is a hairstyle in which the hair extends out from the head like a halo or cloud which may be several times the diameter of the head. Afros gained popularity in the 1960s. An afro, sometimes called a natural or shortened to fro, is a hairstyle in which the hair extends out from the head like a halo, cloud or ball. ... Human Head redirects here. ... It has been suggested that Moon dog be merged into this article or section. ... Cumulus mediocris clouds, as seen from a plane window. ...

An afro requires tight curls and often, but not always, coarse hair, which typically only people of indigenous African descent naturally have, hence its name. Anyone of any ethnic background however, is capable of acquiring an afro by using curling tongs and hair gel. With naturally kinky hair, the spiralling, tightly coiled curls can be straightened out somewhat, giving the hair added volume and length, by first braiding the hair, then separating the coils using an afro pick, a narrow comb with long, widely spaced teeth. A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... A comb A comb for people with hair loss. ...

Afros enjoyed a resurgence in the early 2000s, and have remained popular with many African Americans and by those who wear them as an edgy or retro fashion or simply because their hair naturally grows into a fro if not altered by chemicals or heat. An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black) is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ...

Similar round and voluminous hairstyles that are not worn by African Americans are sometimes referred to as white fros or "wafros", or sometimes, less commonly referring to Jewish members, as Jewfros. The long, oily, and hence naturally locking unshorn hair of a person of South Asian descent is sometimes referred to as an indo.

Mohawks

Mohawks are a hairstyle that was prominent in the early 1980s punk and hardcore music subcultures. The Mohawk style consist of shaved or buzzed sides of the head with a strip of longer hair in the centre of the head that is typically stiffened using hairspray and hair gel. Some individuals with Mohawks also colored the hair. The famous Mohawk leader Joseph Brant wearing a scalp lock. ...

The deathhawk, a variation on the Mohawk, is generally thicker and looser than a traditional Mohawk, and may feature long tendrils. The deathhawk is associated with both the deathrock and goth scenes. An example of a Mohawk An example of Liberty Spikes An example of a deathhawk The Mohawk hairstyle (in British English also called Mohican hairstyle) is traditionally thought to be a hair style worn by the Mahican and Mohawk tribes. ... The famous Mohawk leader Joseph Brant wearing a scalp lock. ... Deathrock (also spelled death rock) is a term used to identify a subgenre of punk rock or goth, which incorporated elements of horror and first emerged most prominently in the West Coast of the United States during the late 1970s and early 1980s. ... Gothic woman, traditional style, with big hair, spikes and piercings Gothic fashion is a dark, sometimes morbid, eroticized fashion and style of dress. ...

Liberty spikes, named for their resemblance to the spikes on the crown of the Statue of Liberty, are a style that incorporates long, thick, upright spikes all over the head. All varieties of Mohawks can be styled into liberty spikes. An example of liberty spikes all over the head Spikes that may radiate outwards in all directions An example of a mohawk with liberty spikes Liberty spikes refers to a way of styling the hair in long, thick, upright spikes. ... Liberty Enlightening the World (French: La liberté éclairant le monde), known more commonly as the Statue of Liberty (Statue de la Liberté), is a colossal statue given to the United States by France in 1886, standing at Liberty Island, in the mouth of the Hudson River in New York Harbor... An example of a mohawk with liberty spikes. ...

Beehive

The beehive is a woman's hairstyle named for its resemblance to a beehive. It is also known as the B-52, for its similarity to the bulbous nose of the B-52 Stratofortress bomber. Beehive updo This article is about the beehive hairstyle. ... Domesticated honeybees are kept in beehives. ... The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, jet strategic bomber flown by the United States Air Force (USAF) since 1954. ... A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground targets, primarily by dropping boobs. ...

A bouffant style, beehives originated in the USA in the 1950s. The peak of its popularity was in the 1960s, but is associated in modern times with the New Wave rock band The B-52's and with cartoon character Marge Simpson, whose usual hairdo is an extreme, two-foot high, blue beehive. A bouffant (IPA pronunciation: [bu:fa:nt]) is a type of hairstyle characterized by hair piled high on the head and hanging down on the sides. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ... New Wave is a term that has been used to describe many developments in music, but is most commonly associated with a movement in Western popular music, in the late 1970s and early 1980s inspired by the punk rock movement. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The B-52s are a New Wave rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, an important center of alternative rock. ... Marjorie Marge Simpson (née Bouvier, approximately age 38), is a fictional character featured in the animated television series The Simpsons and is voiced by Julie Kavner. ...

Glam metal hair

 "Hair metal" hairstyles as worn by Whitesnake.]] 

In the 1980's, male members of bands of the glam metal era, such as Poison and Whitesnake often had a big hair style that featured long, often dyed-blonde hair that was teased or permed and then given "body" by the use of hairspray and hair dryers. The big hair of the glam metal bands led to it being nicknamed "hair metal". This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Poison is an American glam metal band which originally achieved popular success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

This style lost popularity in the early 1990s, with the arrival of grunge fashion. Grunge music (sometimes also referred to as the Seattle Sound) is an independent-rooted music genre that became a commercially successful offshoot of hardcore punk, thrash metal, and alternative rock in the late 1980s and early 1990s. ...

Techniques

Depending on the specific style, hairstyles in the big hair categories may require a number of styling, cutting, or treatment techniques. Styling of punk and alternative big hair styles often requires backcombing (teasing) and the liberal application of styling aids such as hair spray and hair gel, often in combination with the use of hair dryers. Crimping irons, perms, hair rollers, or other techniques may also be required. Backcombing is a way of combing hair which is used to create volume as well as to create certain hairstyles. ... Hair spray (or hair lacquer) is a common household aqueous solution that is used to keep hair stiff or in a certain style. ... Hair gel is a hairstyling product that is used to stiffen hair into a particular hairstyle. ... Turn of the century advertisement for Nesslers permanent wave machine. ...

External links

• 1960s bouffant hairstyles
• 1980s hairstyles

^{Superscript text}