Featured dossier
The story behind the hairstyle
Where perms, crimps, braids and grey hair come from, and what to do with your own hair today.
Read the dossierLatest articles
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Hair AdvicePick curly hair products that suit your pattern, porosity and routine 
Hair AdviceFind your hair pattern and make the chart useful -
Training & CareersChoose a beauty therapy course that genuinely builds salon skills 
Training & CareersPick a hair extension course that actually gets you insured and working -
Hair AccessoriesHow to pick a straightener that suits your hair and budget 
Hair AccessoriesWhat clip‑in hair extensions can do for your hair, and how to use them well -
StoriesFrom big hair to mullets: what really shaped 80s hairstyles 
StoriesBraids across time: origins, meanings and making
- Sources citedFacts are linked to their sources in the text.
- IndependentArticles are written for readers, not supplied by brands.
- Kept up to dateEach guide shows the date it was last updated.
- Signed articlesEvery article is written by a named author.
Author and method
About the author By Eleanor James
Eleanor James writes the guides and stories on Queen of the Air: hair care advice, ways into hairdressing and beauty training, hair accessories and the history of hairstyles. She checks each claim against published sources cited in the text. Portrait of the author generated with AI.
Explore the dossier
- 1 From big hair to mullets: what really shaped 80s hairstyles
- 2 Braids across time: origins, meanings and making
- 3 From Nessler’s electrical machine to cold waves: how the perm reshaped hair
- 4 How crimped hair went from backstage trick to 80s icon
- 5 Grey hair’s new chapter: what it means, how it happens, and how to wear it well
