All of the Most Outrageous '80s Hair Tools and Accessories You Totally Forgot About
Who thought crimping irons were a good idea?!
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Ah, the '80s — a crazy time for hair and beauty trends. Whether you had a gigantic, teased-out perm or a feathery Farrah Fawcett 'do, the most popular styles of the decade required a lot of product and serious styling tools. Take a nostalgic look back at the hair tools and hairstyling accessories people once used to pull off some of the most ultra-popular looks of the '80s. How many of these do you remember using?
Crimping Irons
Looking back, we're not sure how sizzling a ridged impression into one's hair was ever considered stylish. Still, pretty much everyone owned a crimper in the '80s — but then again, everyone makes mistakes.
Banana clips are coming back into fashion and we have mixed feelings about it. The long, banana-shaped clip sure makes it easy to pull your hair back into a pony, though.
Hair Combs
The hair comb is a distant cousin of the banana clip and would generally be used to pull hair up to one side in a neat and orderly fashion, as seen here on Princess Diana.
RELATED: 30 Best '80s Makeup Looks From the Decade's Top Icons
Few things were more necessary for a woman to own in the '80s than hot rollers. They were key to getting that iconic big hair look.
How else were your rollers supposed to stay put?
For some reason, Clairol discontinued its line of Benders. But fear not: We've tracked down a few vintage kits on eBay if you want to give your hair the kinky '80s treatment at home.
You might have noticed a theme by now: In the '80s there was no shortage of hair curling technology. Conair's hot sticks were just another iteration that beauty buffs tested out.
Teaser Combs
Why expose your hair to heat-damaging curlers when you could simply tease and knot the dickens out of it? Back in the '80s, the teaser comb was the secret to achieving the feathery volume everyone was after.
The Permanent Wave or "Perm"
And then there were perms, for women who didn't want to curl their hair at home every. Single. Day. Big curls could be achieved with a trip to the salon for the permanent treatment.
RELATED: 13 of the Most Outrageous '80s Celebrity Hairstyles
If you were under the age of 10 during the '80s, chances are you wore pigtails topped with these sassy holders.
Bandanas
In the '80s, it was all the rage to wear a bandana as an accessory to keep your hair in place. One of the most popular ways to wear one was wrapped around your head, like Princess Caroline did here.
Bandana Headbands
Another way to wear a bandana: Rolled up and tied across your forehead as a headband, as modeled by Kim Basinger.
Plum Red Hair Coloring
Teens flocked to salons and drugstore aisles in pursuit of a rich plum red hair color a la Molly Ringwald and Tiffany.
Scrunchies
Everyone rocked scrunchies in the '80s (and, heads up, they're back in style with teens today!). The accessory was just as acceptable on the red carpet as it was for a trip to the gym or washing your face at home at the end of the day.
Clip-In Bangs
Debbie Gibson's bangs were the inspiration for what became a hugely popular hairstyle in the '80s. An easy way to try out this throwback look without fully committing? Clip-ins.
It was all for nothing if your hair frizzed up and fell apart throughout the day — so hairspray was an absolute must. AquaNet's extra super hold formula was a favorite during the decade.
RELATED: 12 Beauty Products You'll Only Remember if You Grew Up in the '80s
Hair Bows
Back in the '80s, a bow was an appropriate topper for any occasion — bonus points if the fabric matched the rest of your outfit. This is one trend from the decade we're glad is making a comeback.
Legendary hairstylist Vidal Sassoon's products were luxurious, yet affordable, and people couldn't get enough of them.
Fabric Headbands
What's better than a simple piece of cloth that can pull your look together in mere seconds? Not much, which is why fabric headbands are still in heavy rotation today.
RELATED: How to Wear a Headband (and Still Look Like an Adult)
Hair Wraps
Another take on the fabric headband was Madonna's iconic hair wrap, which the singer made a must-have accessory after she began sporting the look in the early '80s.
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