How to Do Rockabilly Hairdos

The Rockabilly hairdo first became popular in the 1940s and continues to be a classic look for creating a ‘va va voom’ style. The hairstyle can be created on almost all types of hair, and involves teasing and volumizing the hair near the crown to create a lift; for women, the rest of the hair can be pinned up around the top of the head to create an updo, or straightened and left hanging at the shoulders. 

For men who want to sport the rockabilly look, the hair around the sculpted area can be parted and matted down with a setting lotion or gel.  Here’s how to create this retro hairstyle:

Rockabilly Hairdo Basics

The rockabilly look is best created on curly hair; wavy or curly hair tends to hold well around the sculpted and high-volume area, and will also give the style the most dramatic appeal.  The goal of the rockabilly style is to create as much volume as possible; curling the hair with a hot curling iron or rollers can help you create the drama you need! 

For men, the rockabilly style can be pulled off on thin and flat hair by using a volumizing mousse or conditioner.  Try and ‘puff up’ the hair while blowdrying to set the stage for this style.

If you want to pull off the rockabilly hairdo on a daily basis, consider having your hair cut just for the part.  A professional stylist can create layers all over your head so that it becomes easier to create the ‘do.  You’ll need a short hair cut with approximately 3-4 inch layers cut all over your head.  The longest part of this cut can fall right under your ears and jawbone, and you should be able to pin it up easily. 

Styling Tools and Products for Rockabilly Hairdos

In order to get the rockabilly hairdo just right, you’ll need the following styling tools and products:

• Soft bristle brush (medium to large barrel)
• Setting lotion
• Large comb
• Clips and/or bobby pins
• A hair elastic
• Barrettes
• Firm hold hairspray
• Volumizing shampoo
• Blowdryer with diffuser attachment
• Volumizing hair mousse
• Large mirror

Preparing the Hair for Rockabilly Hairdos

The first step towards creating your rockabilly hairdo is the preparation stage; you’ll need to make sure your hair is the right texture and volume before you can begin creating the high-volume style.  Wash the hair thoroughly with a volumizing shampoo to thicken the hair as much as possible.  After rinsing and towel drying the hair, apply a volumizing hair mousse to the strands.  Brush thoroughly from root to tip and let the hair air dry for 5-10 minutes.  Blowdry the hair using a diffuser attachment; scrunch the hair in your hands as you move the blowdryer around the head to dry the hair until it is still slightly damp.  Next, curl the hair using a hot curling iron or heated curlers.  Set the curls with hair spray, then use the diffuser and blowdryer to create some more ‘lift’ in the front of your hair.

Styling the Rockabilly Hairdo - Women

Now that your hair is well-prepared for the ‘do, you’ll need to follow these steps to put the look together:

1.  Apply setting lotion to the hair to create the classic C-wave.  You may need to use a comb to get this wave just right, but you can follow your natural part and comb out several sections to make each section super smooth. 

2.  Start rolling the rockabilly curls.  Use a large-barreled curling iron to (recurl) your hair into larger waves.  Wrap the hair into tight curls and pin them to your head.  You’ll need to create about four large curls for medium-long hair, and about three large culrs for very short hair.

3. Part the hair.  Decide where you want your main curl to be; if you want it in the center (classic look), use the bristle brush to collect a 4-inch section of hair above your head and pin it in place while pushing forward to create a ‘loop.’

4.  Hairspray the loop in place.  Use as much hairspray as you need to secure the loop in place, then pin up the remainder of the hair to cover up the pin on the loop, OR, leave the rest of the hair hanging loose in waves. You can also create a large curl at this stage (think Gwen Stefani); use a comb and curling iron to style a dramatic curl near the forehead.

Styling the Rockabilly Hardo – Men

Men don’t need to worry about pins and barrettes for the rockabilly style, but they will need to spend some extra time getting the part just right.  Here’s how to get the rockabilly hairstyle right on men’s hair:

1. Make sure the hair is longer on top than it is on the sides.  The sides should be very short (think Elvis).

2.  Use hair gel or pomade to smooth out the hair around the sides.  Use a quarter-sized amount of gel or pomade to smooth out the center of the hair, while creating a deep part on both sides of the head.  Pull the hair upward with the gel/pomade, and hold in place. 

3.  Slowly comb the hair to one side to create a ‘curl’.  Hold in place until it dries.

4.  Smooth out flyaways using the comb.

More Tips for Creating Rockabilly Hairdos

• Make sure you give yourself at least 4-6 hours to put together this style-  you’ll need extra time for shampooing, drying and curling
• Use a high quality setting lotion – if you’re not using the right products, the hairdo will fall ‘flat’ within a few hours. Make sure you’re using high quality products so that you can achieve an authentic retro look!
• Don’t overdo the hairspray – you still want the rockabilly hairdo to be soft and touchable, so don’t use too much hairspray when setting the hair.  If you have flyaways or loose strands, use a light gel or mousse to tame those strands and keep them in place.
• Use colorful barrettes  - if you want to show off your rockabilly hairdo for a special event, use glittery barrettes or bright-colored clips as an accessory.  You can also decorate the hair with shiny clips, flowers or rhinestones.