Hairdos and Don'ts: Remember These Hairstyles? You Should Give Them the Chop

Have you ever looked back at old photos and thought, “What was I thinking getting that hairstyle?” Don’t worry, we’ve all been there. Just like fashion trends, hairstyles come and go and what was trendy just a few years ago may already be outdated. Each decade had its own hairstyles and once the decade ended, they quickly went out of style. We’re talking about perms, mullets, rattails, bowl cuts, frosted tips, and chunky highlights. And while these hairstyles were trendy at one point; they’re better off left in that era. Have you tried any of these hairstyles?

The Perm: The Not So Perm-Anent

Stevie Nicks, Cher, Dolly Parton, and Whitney Houston are just some of the many celebrities to rock this ’80s hairstyle. In fact, the hairstyle even got its cameo in Legally Blonde when Reese Witherspoon questioned the witness, played by Linda Cardellini, revealing she lied because you NEVER wash your hair after getting a perm. Anyone who’s ever gotten a perm should know that “the first cardinal rule of perm maintenance is that you’re forbidden to wet your hair for at least 24 hours after getting a perm at the risk of deactivating the ammonium thioglycolate.” More often than not, this hairstyle looks like a poodle sitting on top of your head, so it’s better off leaving it in the past.

Mullet: Business in the Front, Party in the Back

Some hairstyles would have been better off left in the ‘80s. Linda Hamilton, Hulk Hogan, David Bowie, Joan Jett, and Billy Rae Cyrus are just a few of the many celebrities to wear this trend. And most recently, Miley Cyrus, Billy Rae’s daughter brought this hairstyle back into 2020. Miley even joked with Jimmy Kimmel that her family is “genetically” predisposed to rock mullets. Regardless of if it’s in your genes or not, there are tons of hairstyles that are much more fashion-forward and rock and roll than mullets.

“The Rachel”: Better Left With "Friends"

Everyone wanted to be Rachel from Friends and after stylist Chris McMillan gave Jennifer Aniston the haircut in an April 1995 episode, fans started copying the look, which became known as “The Rachel”. It’s pretty much a long bog with chunky layers at the front and the beauty in it is that it works for almost any face shape. But, like chockers and low-rise jeans, this look comes and goes in fashion, but we wish it would just stay in the ‘90s. Unlike Jennifer Aniston, “The Rachel” aged.

Crimped Hair: ‘90s Kids' Dreams

Let’s be honest, who hasn’t tried crimped hair? This look screams Christina Aguilera during her “Genie in a Bottle” days. Pretty much every ‘90s kid wanted to rock crimped hair and style their hair with a crimper at sleepovers. Who doesn’t remember asking their parents for a Conair crimper for Christmas? We certainly do. Crimped hair wasn’t complete without bright colored extensions and butterfly clips, making it even tackier. But like many hairstyles, it uses a lot of heat, which damages your hair. So, crimped hair is one hairstyle we would rather just reminisce about.

Prom Curls: Too Cool for School

Prom is pretty much a rite of passage for high school seniors and for the grand event, it’s not unusual to go all out. In addition to buying a fabulous dress, it’s common to spend tons of money getting your hair and nails done. And one hairstyle is most requested—prom curls. The hairstyle has even made its way to the red carpet with Princess Diaries star Anne Hathaway styling her hair this way for the 1999 Billboard Music Awards. While it’s not a bad look, it really only works for formal events and we happen to think that it’s a bit too structured.

Chunky Highlights: “A Moment Like This”

Do you remember the first season of American Idol? It’s hard to believe that the show premiered in 2002. That’s almost 20 years ago! Back in 2002, we all wanted to be Kelly Clarkson, the first, and dare we say best, American Idol. In addition to having an amazing voice, she had the great hair complete with chunky highlight. After watching her take the title, we ran to our hairdressers to get the same style. Looking back, chunky highlights are so unnatural and when you have them, you won’t be tricking anyone into thinking you have blonde hair.

Chopsticks: Better Left in the Kitchen

Who would have ever thought that putting food utensils in your hair would be cool? Sure, we’ve tied our hair with pens when we were in a real pinch, but chopsticks in your hair, now that’s something else. But what’s worse is thinking that wearing chopsticks in your hair is red carpet appropriate. Not only does it look cheap, but it just looks tacky. Hilary Duff and Kirsten Dunst are just two celebrities who committed this fashion no-no and we hope we don’t see it in the future. It’s about time that chopsticks stayed with the rest of our kitchen utensils.

Flipped Out Ends: Leave it to Jackie O

Hair isn’t supposed to stick up and to achieve a look where it’s not lying flat, you need to use a lot of heat and gel, which is never good for your hair. Flipped out ends date back to the ‘60s with Jackie O’s hair voluminous at the roots and flipping out at the ends. Throughout the ‘00s many celebrities have tried to make the style trendy including Gabrielle Union, Kim Kardashian, and Jennifer Lopez. But if we’re being honest, the mod style should stay in the ‘60s.

Tight Curls: Meant to Bounce

While curls never actually go out of style, they’ve been updated from decade to decade. In the ‘90s, Melissa Joan Hart wore tight, springy face-framing curls held in place by hairspray, Brittney Spears combined curls and crimped hair in the early 2000s, and Taylor Swift rocked long, loose curls with straight bangs in the 2010s. We love an all-natural look and if you have curls, own them. But stay away from putting lots of pins and hairspray in your hair. There’s nothing worse than having stiff, lifeless hair. Curls are meant to bounce people!

Shag: Better Left to Carpets

Your hair shouldn’t wear you and it also shouldn’t be mistaken for a wig. Such is the case with the shag haircut that was first made popular by ‘70s rock stars and Jane Fonda. The shag features long layers of various length, bangs, and a center part. And even though it’s been updated throughout the years and been worn by some of the hottest celebrities like Meg Ryan and Halle Berry, it can end up looking like a hot mess. To achieve a shag that actually looks decent, it’s important to go to a really good hairdresser, which is hard to come by. You’re better off just ditching this hairstyle.

Gelled Pixie: Not the Posh Spice We Remember

When we think of Posh Spice, a long-layered bob and strapless black dress come to mind. Luckily, this gelled pixie cut isn’t what we remember. At one point, Victoria Beckham even dyed it platinum blonde, which was a huge miss in our opinion. A pixie haircut doesn’t work on everyone and you have to have a certain face shape to pull it off. It’s a pretty harsh haircut and slicking it back with gel makes it even more severe.

High Ponytails: Pop Princess Hair

While Ariana Grande has become known for her high ponytail, pop princess Paula Abdul styled her hair this way before the star was even born. The “Straight Up” singer was often seen wearing a high ponytail in the ’80s and of course, she completed it with an iconic metallic scrunchy. How else would you expect her to style the look? Now, it’s rare to see Grande without her signature high ponytail and sometimes, she even wears pigtail ponytails. But one thing to know about the look is that it’s really bad for your hair and it leads to breakage.

Black Highlights: The “Dirty” Look

It’s not often that celebrities appear twice on one list, but Cristiana Aguilera is a major trend setter when it comes to hairstyles. The singer had many outrageous looks during her “Dirty” days including bikini tops with leather chaps, thick black eyeliner, tons of piercings, and platinum blonde hair with thick black highlights. The hairstyle is a more dramatic take on chunky highlights and while it’s super bold, it looks too much like a skunk for our taste. We do give her props for being creative.

Asymmetrical Bobs: Say Goodbye to Symmetry

There’s no doubt that Naomi Campbell is one of the greatest supermodels of all time, but what’s going on with her hair in this picture? To be honest, we almost didn’t recognize her because we were too distracted by her hair. It's not just as amazing as everything she does usually is. To begin with, bobs are hard to pull off, but asymmetrical ones are even harder. These haircuts are too extreme and we prefer both sides of our hair to look the same. Is that too much to ask for?

Colored Braids: Vacation Holiday Hairstyle

When vacationing as kids, many of us begged our parents for braids. When it comes to braid, no one did them better than Gwen Stefani. The “Hollaback Girl” singer was the ultimate style icon in the late ’90s and early Noughties, mixing rock and roll with girly glamor. And while she now sticks to straight platinum blonde hair, she’s been known to dye her hair hot pink and pastel blue. One of her most well-known hairstyles was colored braids, and even though she owned the style, it’s not a great everyday look.

The Wedge: Leave it to Olympians

Just because Olympic skater Dorothy Hamill wore it well doesn’t mean you should try the wedge haircut. Also known as the “Dorothy Hamill Haircut”, the wedge was popular in the ‘70s and American girls everywhere started cutting their hair short so they could look like the Olympian. And while it worked during that era, the retro-style short layered bob isn’t for everyone. It’s best on straight, fine hair and most of us haven’t been blessed with that. So, let’s leave it to the Olympian!

Bob with Bangs: Ageing Unnecessarily

The classic bob with bangs can be a chic and timeless look, but it's not for everyone. On some, it can appear outdated or unflattering, especially if the cut lacks modern layering or styling. This hairstyle can sometimes accentuate fine lines and facial structure in a way that isn't always flattering. For a more contemporary take, consider adding subtle layers, opting for side-swept bangs, or incorporating a bit of texture to give the look a fresh, updated feel.

Wispy Up-Dos: Oh So “Clueless”

Alicia Silverstone will forever be remembered for her role as Cher in Clueless and she’s pretty much our style icon. While all of the actress’ hairstyles in the film were chic, this wispy up-do with messy layers she rocked on the red carpet is so ‘90s. She even wore it with tiny hairclips, which were a staple during that decade. But like corset tops and shoulder bags, this is one trend from that era that we hope doesn’t make a comeback. It’s just a bit too messy for our taste.

Mullet Layers: We’re Sorry ScarJo!

Let us start off by saying that Scarlett Johansson could do no wrong. But way before she graced our screens as Black Widow, back in 2003, she wore mullet layers. Over the years the actress has tried out many different hairstyles and colors ranging from dark brown pixie cuts to long, layered, wavy blonde hair to red shoulder-length hair. In 2015, she relived the mullet haircut on the cover of W Magazine, giving the aughts look a modern update. Out of all of her looks, mullet layers is our least favorite, but we still love you ScarJo!

Red Highlights: Don’t Make us Command You

Throughout her career, Kelly Rowland has kept her hair dark, but she’s been known to add red or golden blonde highlights to edge up her look. Like the chunky highlights that ruled the aughts, red highlights are too extreme. We get that when you have dark hair, blonde highlights don’t work and the next best thing is red ones, but we suggest a softer red. If you ask us, this look is better kept in music videos in the ‘00s. We’ll still let you be our “Commander” Ms. Rowland.

Frosted Tips: Our Hearts Will Go On

Oh, the boy band hairstyle. Made popular by Lance Bass and Justin Timberlake, frosted tips were usually a men’s hairstyle with bleach blond spiked tips held in place with a lot of gel. Celine Dion decided to give the look a try back in the ‘00s with her feminine take on frosted tips with a pixie cut. And while the look was bold, the “My Heart Will Go On” singer looks much better with the dark golden blonde longer hair she has now. Let’s leave frosted tips to NSYNC. It’s “Bye Bye Bye” for now baby.

Bowl Cut: Bad Picture Day

We all know the kid that’s mom gave them a bowl cut in elementary school. How unfortunate. More commonly referred to as the mushroom cut, even celebrities have fallen victim to this haircut including Rihanna, Selma Blair, Kelly Osborne, and Mary J. Blige. But the most famous bowl cut would be Moe Howard’s Three Stooges one. When it comes to bad hairstyles, this one isn’t far off from the mullet. Moral of the story—don’t let your mom cut your hair before picture day.

Glitter Hairspray: Best for Special Occasions

We’ve all had that glitter sweater that we loved, but it wouldn’t stop shedding sparkle. Now imagine having glitter in your hair. You’d probably find glitter around your house for months to come. And when it comes to glitter, it’s best to keep it to special occasions and themed events which is exactly what the Game of Thrones actress Sophie Turner did. What better event to wear it to than the Met Gala? Turner went full glitter glam matching her silver glitter hair gel to her glittery blue makeup and glittery multicolor jumpsuit. The theme might as well have been glitter.

Rattail: Like a Rodent

It’s never a good sign when a hairstyle is named after an animal and this one is a great example. This hairstyle, worn by Rihanna and Miley Cyrus who are no stranger to making statements, is definitely a look that shocks us. From the front, it just looks like a mullet and in the back, it’s something else entirely. Did you know that the rattail can be braided, dreaded, permed, curled, or straightened? Now that’s a lot of options for a hairstyle that we didn’t ask for in the first place.

Updos With Butterfly Clips: All Out ‘90s

No ‘90s hairstyle is complete without butterfly clips. We practically begged our moms to take us to Claire’s so we could get in on this trend.
And nothing was more painful than stepping on these clips, which somehow, we always managed to do. Even celebrities including Bring It On actress Kristen Dunst loved wearing updos with butterfly clips. When it comes to butterfly clips, the more was the merrier. And while this look isn’t bad, it’s really ‘90s and it can make you look way younger than you are.

Feathered Bangs: “Good Morning, Angels”

Made popular by Farrah Fawcett’s performance in Charlie’s Angels, feathered bangs scream the ‘70s. Did you know that the actress’s hair is naturally curly, so she had to blow out her hair to achieve this look? Feathered bangs are supposed to give a carefree vibe, but to make them look good, you’ll need a lot of hairspray and a hot iron. You don’t want to use too much hairspray because the hair should move freely with a gust of wind. We’re here for the volume, but less is more when it comes to overly styled haircuts.

Pigtails on Adults: Absolutely Toxic

When Britney Spears hit the scene in the late ‘90s, every girl wanted to be her and every guy wanted to date her. After releasing “…Baby One More Time” we all tried to copy her school outfit from the pigtail braids and tied white button-down shirt and cardigan to her pleated mini skirt and knee-high socks and chunky mules. We must admit that Britney made the hairstyle look so good, but pigtails are better left for young girls. We’ll leave it to Britney.

Back-Combing: The Retro Bump It

It seems like we’ll do anything to get thicker hair and such is the case with back-combing. While it was first made popular during the ‘60s by the queen of comedy Lucille Ball, back combing made a comeback in the 2000s after Jersey Shore star Snooki became known for her iconic poof. To achieve the poof, people started wearing Bump Its, which is a whole other hair faux pas in itself. Luckily, since then it’s gone out of style and we couldn’t be happier about it because no one needs their hair to be that close to God.

The Purdey: Revolutionary In Its Time

Fans of the ‘70s TV series The New Avengers will recognize this haircut worn by star Joanna Lumley who played Purdey. True Entertainment’s Kate Beavis said that the inspiration for the haircut was that Lumley wanted to create a contrasting look to the fashionable long hair worn by Farrah Fawcett. So, she asked John Frieda to give her a “preppy, school boy cut” for the part. Since the hairstyle was a new look, the actress had to convince producers to agree to it. Well, we’re glad they did because the haircut was a huge hit that ended up influencing mod culture in the ‘80s! And even though the look made a huge statement back then, it’s a bit outdated now.

Bandanas: Leave Them to Cowboys

We’ve all fallen victim to a bad hair day and when we didn’t have time to fix it, we’ve used a bandana or hat to cover it up. We doubt that the Boy Meets World star Danielle Fishel wore this bandana on the red carpet to cover up a bad hair day, but it’s a bit out of place at such a fancy event. Since the late ‘90s and early ‘00s, there have been more trendy ways to wear bandanas on your head like knotting them or tying them around your pony. But we think that bandanas should be worn around the neck and left to cowboys.