The term big hair is a descriptive label for various kinds of hairstyles and hair textures that are all characterized by a lot of volume which makes the hair occupy a lot of space around the head, neck and shoulders.
Such big hair styles typically give the impression that the hair is very thick and long. It can also refer to heavily styled hair, teased updos or elaborate wigs. Curly or Afro hair, because of its texture, can be extremely voluminous and is often referred to as big hair as soon as it gets long enough to gain sufficient volume. With very curly hair, even a few inches will be enough to qualify as big. Therefore, big hair can refer to a kind of styling but also just to a certain hair texture and length.
What Exactly Constitutes Big Hair?
So many different hairstyles and hair types can qualify as big hair depending on what the viewer considers to be normal. Essentially, volume is the common keyword that characterizes most big hair styles. This makes big hair more of a subjective comparative label really:

A hairstyle is considered big hair by somebody, if it is unusually voluminous compared with most average hairstyles that person has encountered.
Obviously, short hair is never big hair by anyone’s definition. Straight hair is also usually not considered big unless it’s particularly long and thick. Basically, big hair is about quantity and bulk more than about a certain style or texture and therefore, anything that gives the impression of having lots of thick hair, may be called big hair. This quantity could be achieved through hair length, individual hair thickness and hair density as well as a voluminous texture.
Big Hair Styles
1.The Afro became popular in America in the 60s and 70s and many believe this is the origin of the term ‘big hair’. It started when ethnic groups with a very tight curly hair texture like those of African origin began to grow their hair naturally and showed their hair in its beauty without trying to control or straighten it. Also known as natural hair, the Afro is perhaps the most voluminous hairstyle in existence where the hair pretty much stands out in all directions.
2.Curly Hair if long enough can easily become very voluminous. A little combing or brushing can create a frizzy hair effect that will make it look almost as voluminous as an Afro. There is a very blurred distinction between Afro hair texture and curly hair. Many types of curly hair could qualify as both depending on how the hair is worn.
3.Crimped Hair is a variation of curling and, when done to long thick hair, creates a lot of volume making it look big. It’s important to crimp all of the hair and not just a small section. Also, crimping is almost exclusively done with very straight hair.
4.Teased hairstyles: Pretty much all teased hairstyles result in big hair. Hair teasing is about creating volume with mostly straight long hair. Unlike curling or crimping, teasing is only about volume and not about texture. Teased hair tends to look straight even though it’s made to stand out with backcombing and hairspray.
5.Updos, when elaborate and voluminous, are also a kind of big hair. Often the hair is towered high above the head with complicated and time consuming styling techniques.
6.Wigs are perhaps the oldest known method to achieve big hair in styling. As far back as the 17th century, it was fashionable in the aristocracy to wear long curly wigs. Though looking back at this fashion from today people would label it as big hair even though the term was not used in that period.
7.Long and thick hair, even if straight or only slightly wavy, can be called big hair. Especially if it’s styled with the intention of adding volume, for example by blow drying it forward against the grain.
Why is big hair so popular?
Big hair obviously draws far more attention than most other hairstyles. Stage performers, in particular, often go for the big hair look as part of their outfit and, because they often set trends in fashion that others like to imitate, big hair became a classic feature of many stars in music and other performing arts. For similar reasons, it reminds us of princess fairy tales or superheroes and heroines from comics and anime series where they tend to have hugely exaggerated big hair. Anyone remember the 80s cartoon Beverly Hills Teens?
Most women long for big hair at some stage in their lives but usually reserve themselves for special occasions and events where they can let it shine in all its glory. In everyday life,
big hair is far less common. Probably the time consuming styling and high maintenance hair types involved are one reason for this. In addition to this, many people don’t have hair that’s long enough or thick enough to convincingly pull off the big hair look. And finally, many people go for more practical hairstyles in their working lives. Nonetheless, when you do encounter big hair, then it can be very impressive and shows a lot of confidence in the wearer. Interestingly, men and women with lots of hair tend to be more confident with their appearance anyway.
Most men love long voluminous hair on women. It’s not a coincidence that big hair is an industry standard in certain professions. Long thick hair is a sign of youth and femininity anyway so this shouldn’t surprise anyone. But a number of men are especially attracted to women with big hair, far beyond just having a preference. This attraction can even verride most or all other things men are normally attracted to. Well, like they say, there’s a lid for every pot.
Big hair was initially regarded as a masculine hairstyle. Among the upper classes in particular, during the 18th century, men often wore elaborate curly wigs signifying a higher status and wealth. During this time, women’s hair was more often braided or pinned down with Marie Antoinette being a notable exception.
It wasn’t until the 1960s and 70s that big hair had returned in a massive way but this time it was women who rode the trend. Farrah Fawcett (see the photo on the right) is one of those most often associated with the rise of big hair during this time.
The next and, until now, last major return of big hair was during the 80s and this time in both men and women. So well known is this trend that “80s big hair” is a term in itself in the fashion world. Examples were found across all areas of entertainment and fashion. An entire branch of music, called the hair metal band or just hair bands, was named accordingly. Also known as glam metal, these bands were usually men with highly androgynous and even feminine outfits. Vixen, however, was an all female hair metal band. The lines between the genders in this area were every blurred as is often the case in glam bands and visual key today.
Another very important development in big hair styles was the Afro during the 1960s and 70s. This style came into being along side the African-American civil rights movement.
African-American people developed a stronger sense of their own individual beauty as a people and started to wear their hair naturally thus allowing it to grow without braiding or cutting it short. Due to the texture of untreated African-American people’s hair, this would typically result in big hair by itself – called an Afro. Wearing Afros had a strong cultural and political meaning attached to it as well as being a fashion trend in itself. Although the
Afro never disappeared completely, even today, many African-American women unfortunately feel pressured to suppress their natural beauty and straighten their hair so as to fit a widely popularized beauty ideal that typically features long straight hair. This suppression of diversity in beauty constitutes a great loss in hair styling and culture in general.
Today, well into the 21st century, big hair tends to come and go as a trend. Because of the many different ways to style big hair and because of the great number of creative styling options inherent in a greater mass of hair, it is likely to continue to play an important part in hair styling indefinitely and never entirely go out of fashion.
The Current Trend
Big hair is on the rise in 2011 and it’s becoming more and more popular. Just a few weeks ago, Cheryl Cole attracted massive media attention with her fantastic volume plus hairdo at the X Factor auditions.

The TopShop Unique SS 2011 fashion show in London featured a lot more hair than clothes and in 2009, Sonia Rykiel’s fashion show for H&M in Paris was one giant hair celebration.




One particularly beautiful big hair series is Hair Storm by photographer Solve Sundsbo in cooperation with hair stylist Luigi Murenu (for whom big hair is a recurring theme anyway) in 2008. Almost a dozen top models including Lara Stone, Natasha Poly and Doutzen Kroes are featured with the most enormous hair imaginable. But unlike most other attempts of this kind, Hair Storm has a very natural look and feel to it, as if their hair grows that way without styling or accessories.

Clearly, big hair is a fast growing trend these days and, as the volume grows with each year, so does the beauty it radiates while we look forward to continue watching this trend develop.
