1965 Hairstyles

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As the years go by, each era brings with it new fashions and hairstyles. In the '40s, finger-wave and peek-a-boo hairstyles were popular for women; in the '70s, shags and Afros were popular; and in the '80s, wet-look curls, permanent waves and gravity defying tall-standing "spikes" were all the rage. The '60s had some pretty distinctive hairdo trends as well and certain characteristics significantly mark the hairstyles of 1965.

Teasing

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Terms like "teasing" and "ratting" describe the act of backcombing your hair to add the illusion of volume, and many hairstyles of 1965 required a lot of it. This was achieved by taking a strand of hair and using a comb or brush to push the hair in the opposite direction of growth -- essentially tangling it -- toward the scalp. Backcombing creates a nest-like messy base of hair that's gently combed over to smooth the surface to conceal the knotty, cotton-like center. A few hairstyles that incorporated teasing in 1965 were bouffant hairstyles like the "Bubble" and "Beehive."

Lacquer

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With all the extra added volume, height and teasing of 1965 hairstyles, lacquering the hair was almost always necessary to keep such styles in place. The term "lacquering" -- when relative to hairstyling -- basically described the act of applying a firm and sticky hair lacquer to the style until a stiff, weather-resistant texture was achieved. Similar results were also accomplished by applying multiple coats of an extra-hold hairspray such as Aqua-Net.

Flips and Bobs

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Whether the hair was short or long, teased or natural, flips and bobs were highly popular among women in the '60s. A bob haircut is basically a blunt cut where the hair remains the same length all the way around and falls below the scalp. Flip styles also fell below the scalp but were curled upward and away from the face at the ends to create a "J"-shaped "flip." This style was usually achieved by using a thick and sticky gel and setting wet hair in rollers overnight.

Teen Styles

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Some of the most popular hairstyles for teen girls in 1965 required far less work and maintenance than styles worn by more mature women of the day. Many teenage girls wore their hair long and straight and used plastic or elastic fabric headbands to keep it pulled back from the forehead. Pigtails were also common for younger girls, and they sometimes were braided. Single ponytails secured high at the top of the head were often worn with or without bangs, and sometimes only the front and side sections were pulled back, leaving hair at the back of the head free to fall loosely behind the shoulders.