If you remember anything about the fashion of the 80s and 90s, you know aerosol played a big role. We wanted big hair, and it took a lot of hairspray to get it. The message we were getting was, to stop destroying the ozone layer — and, with it, maybe all life on earth — we needed to use less aerosol hairspray.
Perms, teasing, curling irons, using the hairspray and hairdryer together to create height and hairspraying your hair upside down.
By the 1980s, hairspray's popularity came back as big hairstyles resurged with the glam metal scene. Prior to 1979, the most popular propellants in hairsprays were CFCs. Owing to environmental concerns, they were replaced.
It was so hard to get all that hairspray out! I had a 7th grade homeroom Teacher that would almost daily remind the girls that Aqua Net was the cause of ozone depletion and it would be banned.
Why did people in the 80s like to wear big hair? People were into big hair because the celebs had big hair, and people back then would like to have these looks as their favorite icons. Most of the musicians during the 80s were into big hair. These guys were rockers, and so of course, long hair was de rigueur.
The 1980s saw the onset of huge, voluminous locks on men and women, often in the form of long, curly hair. Inspired by heavy metal and appropriately-named "Hair Bands," huge hair was everywhere.
Everything about rock and pop music got big in the '80s. Big sounds, big bands, big clothes, and — perhaps biggest of all — big hair! The decade that introduced Hair Metal saw newly minted rock stars doubling down on the glam and teasing their hair till it was sky-high.
If you have a special occasion or a large gathering or even a day with troublesome hair, making use of a hair spray can be that quick solution to getting the perfect hairstyle. It is widely used across the world for all types of hair.
Before hairspray, there was Victorian era bandoline!
Due to health and environmental concerns, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned certain propellants (e.g., chlorofluorocarbons and vinyl chloride) from use in hairsprays. An example of a propellant used in hairsprays today is isobutane.
The beauty industry kicked off with the bottling of a resin-based spray in 1948 by Chase Products. In 1950, Helene Curtis coined the term hairspray " with her Spray Net product, which became a best-selling product alongside Aqua Net.
Hairspray uses and benefits
Using hairspray has been arguably the most popular way to style hair for decades now. This hairstyling product can be used to keep hair in place, guarantee an all-day hold, as well as to create volume and even keep flyaways at bay.
The musical opened in Seattle in 2002 and moved to Broadway later that year. In 2003, Hairspray won eight Tony Awards, including one for Best Musical, out of 13 nominations. It ran for 2,642 performances, and closed on January 4, 2009.
Pubic-hair removal was considered “a non-necessity by most Europeans and Americans” by the 18th century. By the 19th century, it was back in style thanks to a new safety razor from Gillette. The free love movement of the 1960s and 70s freed the bush once more, then the 80s and 90s brought a grooming boom.
Big hair that was "often permed to achieve the desired volume" is especially associated with women of the mid 1980s as well as male rockstars of that era, especially of the glam metal genre. Television shows such as Dynasty helped popularize the high volume bouffant and glamorous image associated with it.
Singer, actress, and overall goddess Cher conquered the decade's biggest trend—voluminous hair—like she invented the look.
In 1987 an internationally collaborative treaty called the Montreal Protocol banned the use of CFCs in an effort to stop this potentially catastrophic damage. The global agreement proposed to protect the ozone layer by completely phasing out the production of substances like CFCs that were depleting it.
Ladove Funsch used a special kind of gum resin to create Princess Diana's go-to "Helicopter Hairspray." So in order to create the perfect so-called "helicopter hairspray," Ladove Funsch embarked on several international trips to explore forests and terrains to source exotic ingredients fit for the Princess's hair.
Around the world, other ancient civilizations such as the Egyptians used citrus juice and water to cleanse the hair, while the Greeks and Romans used vinegar rinses. In North Africa rhassoul clay, derived from the Arabic word ghassala, which means to wash, was used to clean the hair.
Using hairspray every day isn't necessarily bad for your hair, but it depends on how you use it and the type of product you choose. While daily use can help you maintain your desired hairstyle, over-reliance on hairspray may lead to potential issues such as dryness, build-up, or brittleness.
The North American tour of Hairspray, which resumed performances in September 2022, has announced casting and its touring schedule for 2023-2024.
In the '80s, big hair was not only a status symbol, but also allowed women to take up space, Rachael Gibson, who runs the account The Hair Historian, told the outlet. It was a statement and, especially for artists in the limelight, “filling the screen with your hair felt like quite a power move,” she added.
Absolutely! 80s hairstyles are making waves today. From big curls and feathered bangs to shag cuts and messy hair, some looks are finding new interpretations, and fashionistas are embracing the nostalgia of the 80s – but with a fresh twist.
Hair trends of the '70s, '80s and '90s are back with a modern twist: From shixie shag to wolf cuts and the modern-day mullet, look out for these 2025 hairstyles.