Are Curly '80s Hair Styles Now Retro?

If you were born in the '80s, you’re probably cringing at the thought of something you did being “retro.” After all, “retro” is, like, stuff your PARENTS did.

We children of the '80s are now in our late 20s and 30s, but calling '80s hair styles “retro” is going too far, right?

Well, maybe not. You remember the big hair, the fluff chick, the perms and the purple streaks? If you haven’t been keeping up with the MTV Awards, or any award shows recently, these styles are coming back – with a vengeance!

The texture revolution sure is taking off, but let’s take a look back at the celebrities and styles that inspired the very beginnings of this grass roots movement.

Gnarly Curly Celebrities

Curlies of the '80s had some icons we admired, in part because they weren’t afraid to rock their bodacious locks. Some of our favorites are Lisa Lisa (from Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam) who had long, dark curly hair. She often wore her hair clipped at the top with the rest flowing down in a massive wave.

And who could forget our favorite material girl? That’s right, Madonna totally rocked the headbands and bangles with her edgy (well, relatively speaking) fashion sense.

Then there was the infamous and beloved Whitney Houston. We’re still getting chill bumps having to write in the past tense about her. But truth be told, the woman was an idol and in the '80s, her hair had a voice all its own.

Getting the Throwback Look
In the '90s, you never would have believed that a decade in to the new millennium you would want to rock the same textured styles you did in middle and high school. But trends have a way of coming back like that, and those of us involved in the texture revolution like to think that this time around, it isn’t just a trend!

So how can you get these throwback, curly, '80s hair styles? Easy!

For all hair types, consider teasing your hair. You can tease it and wear it up in a Madonna-inspired updo that’s really easy to do.

Simply gather your hair into a ponytail in the back of your head. Working with small, ½” wide sections, curl your hair into several ringlets. You’ll then spray the curls with hairspray to help them hold in place. When you’re done, lift the ponytail up some, from the bottom up, and clip it into a bun/very messy ponytail using just a few bobby pins. You aren’t going for perfect here; actually, the idea is a messy shortened ponytail. Top it off with a headband and you’ll look so diesel!

Imogen from Bubble Dreams has a good tutorial on just how to do this, and she looks adorable! Plus, her style is inspired by Rihanna, meaning that even RiRi has jumped on the '80s hair styles bandwagon. Or, perhaps she’s leading it?

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