8 Classic Grunge Hairstyles That Are Most Popular
Stylishly cool, calm, and collected hairdos to support a nonconformist and carefree lifestyle.
Jessica is an expert hairstylist with over 20 years of experience. She specializes in all areas of hair color and is exceptionally skilled at balayage and best-in-class gray blending techniques. After two decades of hairstyling, she launched Twisted Scissors Salon, a full-service hair salon.
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Experience: 2 yearsPahul Nanra is a content writer with a penchant for all things fashion and beauty. She has two years of experience in writing across beauty and lifestyle genres. She is an English Honors graduate from Delhi University with a diploma in Fashion Designing from YMCA.
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Experience: 7 yearsAnjali is an associate editor at StyleCraze. She specializes in hairstyles and hair and skin care and has written over 200 articles in these domains. She has 7 years of experience, and her philosophy about hair and skin care is simple: if you love and care for it, it will be healthy.
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Joyce Joyson is a beauty and lifestyle writer with over a year of experience crafting short-form content for the beauty, fashion, and lifestyle niches. She has a triple majors bachelor’s degree in History, Political Science, and Geography from IIS University and a master’s degree in Mass Communication and Journalism from Kristu Jayanti College.
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The dominance of Gen Z over major social media platforms has brought a resurgence of many ‘90s grunge hairstyles, enabling them to share their authentic, laid-back, and rebellious sense of expression. It is a much-preferred tone for the present generation thanks to the quiet, non-imposing ways in which it shuns traditional hair styling standards. If you are exhausted from constantly worrying about your styling needs and wish to switch to something convenient, unique, refreshing, and sustainable, then this style is for you. Read through this article to learn more about this style and the various artistic ways in which you can create one for yourself.
In This Article
Significance Of Grunge Hairstyles
These hairstyles are an iconic feature of the grunge movement that began in the Seattle underground music scene in the 1980s. They were heavily influenced by the music and aesthetics of bands like Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Pearl Jam that promoted anti-establishment views and challenged mainstream culture. As followers of the movement embraced more liberal and progressive philosophies, their ideologies began reflecting in the way they lived, spoke, dressed, and styled their hair. Their beliefs questioned the purpose of fitting in with traditions and encouraged not caring about norms and standards. Keeping with this theme, these grunge hairstyles feature messy, effortless, or even unkempt hairdos with an androgynous appeal. A styled and chic form of ‘bed hair’ if you will. But do keep in mind that there is some extent of styling and care involved and the hair is not actually untidy or dirty.
Jessica Shults, a licensed hairstylist, says, “Grunge hairstyles are all about effortless texture and a raw, undone feel. But don’t mistake that for a lack of technique. Achieving that messy look often requires layering, razor cutting, and styling products that enhance natural texture without weighing the hair down. Modern grunge is all about balancing volume, piecey layers, and subtle color variations to create a look that’s edgy yet wearable. It’s a throwback to the ’90’s rebellion, but with the refinement of today’s precision styling.”
The main idea behind these hairstyles was to rebel but have a visibly nonchalant ‘I don’t care’ look. Hence these hairdos often feature overgrown versions of previously crisp layers, natural hair colors, and tousled, messy textures. Sounds like freedom, doesn’t it? Head over to the following section to view some stylish examples of liberating and expressive grunge hairstyles.
8 Best Grunge Hairstyles For A Stylish Look
Had enough of keeping track of a hundred different styling tools and accessories? You will find grunge hairstyles to be a breath of fresh air! Continue down this list for some visual examples and pick one for yourself.
1. ‘90s Grunge Hairstyle
This plain and simple windswept look encapsulates the vibe of the true ‘90s grunge hair look when barely any styling was done. One simply showered, ran their fingers through their hair, and left it to air dry. If you have stubbornly straight hair, you can achieve a slightly wavy look using a texturizing product or a sea salt spray. Simply apply the product, scrunch your hair, and let it set.
2. Edgy Short Grunge Hairstyle
If long and voluminous hair is too much of a hassle for you, try out this look. It is a slightly overgrown pixie with choppy bangs that frame the forehead perfectly. A great hairstyle to conceal a wide or tall forehead and draw attention to the eyes, cheeks, and jawline. At this length, the hair barely takes any time to dry and you do not need any products to texturize it as the wind will do the job for you.
3. Medium-Length Grunge Hairstyle
Admittedly this wet hair grunge style looks carefree and effortless but requires quite a bit of styling. Apply a mixture (ratio depends on your hair type so start small and build on it) of a lightweight cream or mousse and a wet-look hair gel to slightly damp hair. Arrange it the way you want and finish off with a setting spray! You need to use both the cream and gel. Using the cream alone will make your hair greasy and gel will dry it out. This hairdo makes for a raw, primal, seductive look, redefining confidence and sexiness.
4. Aesthetic Grunge Hairstyle
You can define your grunge hair aesthetic as per your preference. This hairstyle features a blend of crimped hair and dreadlocks. The natural redhead hue gives the hairstyle a unique vibrancy, setting it apart from regular locs. With this style, you get to incorporate both the grunge and hippie subcultures, showcasing the ultimate commitment to your real self, irrespective of what others may perceive of you.
5. Short Bangs And Long Hair Grunge Hairstyle
Throw baby bangs into any hairstyle and you have achieved the grunge look. The combination of baby bangs and straight medium-length hair with curved-in hair ends showcases a flavorful blending of grunge, vintage, chic, androgynous, and artsy aesthetics. You can always use a texturizing product to add dimension to straight hair, but leaving it just as it is gives you that classic grunge attitude!
6. Grunge Messy Space Bun Hairstyle
Grunge space buns are all about looking cool without putting much effort into your look. And the style is quite simple and quick to execute. Tie up messy buns on either side of your head with any style of parting (asymmetrical or diffused fits the theme) and tease out a few strands for the disheveled appearance.
7. Messy Grunge Short Hairstyle
Add a gorgeous cottage-core touch to your grunge hairdo. This style exudes the vibe of a whimsical old soul who has escaped to a riverside cottage in a remote valley and their two-step hair care routine comprises natural spring water and sunlight. The tousled, wavy bob done on blonde-brown hair imparts a soft, dreamy, and romantic look, while the messiness keeps the hairstyle grunge.
8. Grunge Aesthetic Hairstyle For Black Hair
A messy wavy bob done on black hair is peak grunge. The use of thick-rimmed glasses gives it a geek-chic or librarian-core aesthetic. This kind of style is popular among Kdrama, anime, and manga lovers. It also fits the general lifestyle of someone who hardly cares about appearances and would rather read or watch their favorite fiction.
There you go! That was our list of some wholesome and cathartic grunge hairstyles that anyone can opt for if they subscribe to the grunge way of life. In a nutshell, these are mostly low-maintenance styles that express the ideology of being free from the burden of mainstream social standards. You just have to do the bare minimum of ensuring hygiene and following a regular hair care routine. For everyday styling you only need a texturizing spray occasionally, otherwise, a naturally windswept look is just fine. We hope you enjoyed this article and feel inspired to switch to the grunge life!
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