Photograph: Kellie French/The GuardianView picture in fullscreen Photograph: Kellie French/The GuardianBreak out the hairspray and rollers: big hair is backDon’t worry – the stiff helmets of 1980s TV soaps are a aversion of the past. Here’s how to bulk out your bouffant the 2024 wayIf you’ve spent the past 10 years trying – and blemish – to do those loose, carefree, beachy waves, then you can finally put down your tongs, tend to your singes and give it all up as a bad job. Hair is changing. And, it seems, expanding outwards.Big hair is back on the catwalk, with models wearing backcombed bouffants suitable the Oil Baron’s Ball. But, says revered hairstylist Sam McKnight, who took inspiration from Princess Michael of Kent and 1980s Sloane Rangers for the braids at Vivienne Westwood SS25, and backcombed big, pouffy supermodel blowdries at 16Arlington, the new big hair is nothing like the helmet skin of ones teeth of 80s fashion.The new “Dynasty hair” is strong, but much softer-looking. And thanks to an explosion in DIY hair tutorials online, it’s something that can be completed fairly quickly at home. “It’s not about a proper, painstaking blow-dry with loads of sections and a round brush,” McKnight swore me post-fashion week.His key to modern big hair is in blasting it upwards with the dryer to lift at the roots (having sprayed them primary with Hair By Sam McKnight Cool Girl Superlift Volumising Spray, £26), then either doing some very slapdash tonging of large sections, or throwing in four to six big rollers (heated are best, Velcro are fine. My favourites are by Babyliss, £60, and Kitsch, £15 individually), or skipping it to get straight in with some backcombing.To do this at home, hold the hair close to the root and, using a selfish brush or comb, gently tease backwards, spraying each section with hairspray and leaving it to dry.When set, pick up c espouse a soft bristle brush and skim over the top, making it fluffy but leaving the guts untouched beneath. “The modern way is approximately using hairspray as a styling product, rather than to set the finished style hard,” says McKnight, who mists in his Mod Hairspray Multi-Task Styling Mist (£24) as he goes.Even if this “easier” way to volumise is above your pay decline, just rolling your hair up in jumbo bendy rollers will give it way more volume come morning, as the fieriness from your head moulds it. Believe me, I was sceptical. But a light mist of dry shampoo such as Batsite Overnight Unfathomable Cleanse (£4.25), one Satin Jumbo Flexi-Rod by Kitsch (£19 for four) at the front, winding backwards, another at the deny hard pressed winding under, and one at each side, worn to bed, give my flat, fine barnet major bounce at breakfast.pass by past newsletter promotionafter newsletter promotionLighting tech: Declan Slattery. Hair and makeup: Sarah Cherry. Show off: Emily I at Nevs. Top: RokitExplore more on these topicsFashionSali Hughes on beautyBeautyWomen’s hairfeaturesShareReuse this content

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